Skip to main content
ZipVitals

Menu

ZIP code

59259

in Richey, MontanaPopulation 345

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

54.73/ 100

Ranked #9,786 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 31%)

Ranked #47 of 341 Montana ZIPs (top 13.8%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Broad coverage across health domains

What defines this ZIP

Metrics where this ZIP sits in the tails of the national distribution — the ones that most set it apart. Select any tile for its definition and methodology.

Walkability

0.49 intersections/sq mi

in the bottom 1.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST10th
US1st
Definition & source ›

The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a Superfund site

189.4 mi

in the top 1.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST92nd
US99th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.

Full methodology ›

Industrial-pollution burden

in the bottom 1.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST13th
US2nd
Definition & source ›

The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a nursing home

25.7 mi

in the top 2.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST84th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a community health center

28.5 mi

in the top 4.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST79th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.

Full methodology ›

Housing insecurity

6.6%

in the bottom 4.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST6th
US5th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

10.4 per million

in the bottom 5.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST58th
US5th
Definition & source ›

The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.

Full methodology ›

Humid extreme heat

10.1 days/year

in the bottom 7.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST62nd
US7th
Definition & source ›

The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.

Full methodology ›

Food insecurity

8.1%

in the bottom 7.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST4th
US8th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Radon

3 pCi/L

in the top 10.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST90th
US90th
Definition & source ›

The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.

Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.

Full methodology ›

The read

On the composite measure, Richey, Montana (ZIP 59259) stands in the top 31% healthiest ZIPs nationally (9,786th) and the top 13.8% of Montana (47th), based on limited data; treat as directional.

continue reading

Several signals sit on each side of the ledger here: distance to a Superfund site sits in the top 1.1% nationally, and modeled industrial-pollution burden resides in the bottom 1.6% nationally. Modeled housing insecurity stands in the bottom 4.9% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk sits in the bottom 5.4% nationally. Modeled humid heat resides in the bottom 7.2% nationally, and food insecurity stands in the bottom 7.8% nationally. Working the other way, walkability sits in the bottom 1.1% nationally, distance to a nursing home resides in the top 2.1% nationally, and distance to a community health center stands in the top 4.5% nationally. Modeled radon sits in the top 10.4% nationally.

For clarity, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. ZIP 59315, just across the boundary, ranks better overall among the ZIPs nearby.

What’s driving this score

Nine domains make up the ZipVitals Score — here is how this ZIP does on each, and how much each one counts.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 92%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 75%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 74%

8%

Disability

healthier than 63%

7%

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 91%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 56%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 49%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 54%

13%

Holding it back

Healthcare Access

healthier than 1%

5%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 63%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 95%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 75%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 65%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 83%

8%

Disability

healthier than 74%

7%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 45%

16%

Holding it back

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 31%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 6%

5%

“Share” is how much of this ZIP’s score the domain accounts for. Percentages are rounded; higher is healthier in every domain. How the score works, and who it compares you with ›

Nearby & similar ZIPs

Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.

How these were chosen: only ZIPs with a published Score appear — a nearby ZIP with too little data to score won’t. Nearby means closest by distance between ZIP boundaries, which can cross state lines. A similar health profile is a close match across the nine Score domains, not similar demographics. Distances are measured between ZIP boundaries — ZIPs that touch share a border. How distance is measured

Evidence

Every measure this page draws on, by source. Collapsed by default — the full data stays in the page for search engines either way.

Health OutcomesCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults32.2%29.1–35.4
High blood pressure among adults36.3%32.8–40.0
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults11.9%10.8–13.1
Current asthma among adults10.6%9.5–11.8
Coronary heart disease among adults7.8%7.0–8.8
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.3%6.2–8.5
Depression among adults21.8%19.0–24.9
Diagnosed diabetes among adults10.8%9.4–12.5
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened35.8%32.2–39.6
Obesity among adults32.2%26.8–38.1
Stroke among adults3.9%3.5–4.3
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years7.3%6.0–8.7
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years7.6%6.1–9.2
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure78.0%75.2–80.8
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults74.0%70.7–77.4
Cholesterol screening among adults86.5%84.8–88.2
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years68.6%64.5–72.3
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults67.9%64.8–70.8
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years75.7%69.6–80.9
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults18.4%15.8–21.4
Current cigarette smoking among adults11.8%9.8–13.8
No leisure-time physical activity among adults22.0%18.3–25.9
Short sleep duration among adults30.8%26.2–35.9
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults16.9%14.5–19.5
Frequent mental distress among adults15.0%13.3–16.8
Frequent physical distress among adults13.9%12.2–15.7
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults12.4%10.7–14.0
Any disability among adults30.1%26.3–34.2
Hearing disability among adults9.8%8.8–11.0
Independent living disability among adults7.2%6.2–8.1
Mobility disability among adults13.7%11.7–15.8
Self-care disability among adults3.4%2.9–3.8
Vision disability among adults4.1%3.6–4.6
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults20.0%17.2–23.1
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults8.1%6.7–9.7
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults5.2%4.2–6.4
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults6.6%5.6–7.8
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults5.5%4.8–6.4
Loneliness among adults28.7%24.9–33.0
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults4.6%4.0–5.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MT median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate4.3%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3649.7% (1.9–27.5%) n=360
Uninsured 18–644.3%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28611.1% (0.0–33.1%) n=357
No HS diploma (25+)3.5%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5054.7% (0.0–14.1%) n=360
Bachelor's or higher (25+)24.9%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50526.6% (12.3–46.1%) n=360
Unemployment rate (16+)2.8%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2741.8% (0.0–10.2%) n=357
Households without a vehicle2.9%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3221.7% (0.0–9.5%) n=360
Broadband subscription83.9%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32287.3% (72.1–100.0%) n=360
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)11.7%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32221.1% (7.3–37.2%) n=360
Homeownership rate81.0%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32278.0% (56.9–95.8%) n=360
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.7%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.9% (0.0–6.6%) n=360
Foreign-born population1.4%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5530.9% (0.0–4.9%) n=360
Single-parent households52.9%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08761.3% (39.9–84.5%) n=356
Population 65+22.9%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55324.0% (12.9–44.0%) n=360
Median age43.8 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29246.0 yr (32.9–62.3) n=358
Median household income$83,393$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$66,875 ($44,980–$95,192) n=321
Median home value$130,400$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$292,450 ($127,430–$548,550) n=312
Median gross rent$608$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$877 ($544–$1,329) n=213
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MT median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth80.8 yr ± 1.5078.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30879.7 yr (76.7–83.7) n=358

About the ± — it’s this estimate’s give-or-take (statisticians call it the standard error). The true life expectancy for this ZIP most likely falls within 1.50 years of 80.8, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

More ZIPs to explore ▾

How these lists were built: they draw only from ZIPs that have a published Score, so ZIPs with too little data to score are not listed. Distance-based lists use distance between ZIP boundaries with no state filter, so an out-of-state ZIP can appear. Statistically similar means a close match across the nine Score domains, not a demographic match: the measure is the cosine similarity between two ZIPs’ domain scores, taken over the domains both ZIPs have data for and only where that overlap covers at least six of the nine — and where no ZIP clears that minimum-overlap floor, that list is left out rather than filled with a weak match. How distance is measured