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ZIP code

59420

in Carter, MontanaPopulation 164

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

52.40/ 100

Ranked #12,908 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 40%)

Ranked #108 of 341 Montana ZIPs (top 32%)

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

0.46 intersections/sq mi

in the bottom 1.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST8th
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 ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

10 per million

in the bottom 2.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US3rd
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 ›

Home broadband subscription

59.2%

in the bottom 2.8% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST3rd
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a nursing home

21.2 mi

in the top 3.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST77th
US97th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Humid extreme heat

7.3 days/year

in the bottom 4.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST44th
US5th
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 ›

PFAS in drinking water

9.5%

in the bottom 7.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST12th
US8th
Definition & source ›

The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.

A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a community health center

19.1 mi

in the top 8.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST64th
US91st
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 ›

Binge drinking

19.5%

in the top 8.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST76th
US92nd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.

Full methodology ›

Fiber broadband

95.9%

in the top 9.5% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST89th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.

Full methodology ›

Tree cover

0.00%

in the bottom 11.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST8th
US11th
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.

Full methodology ›

The read

Carter, Montana (ZIP 59420), overall, ranks in the top 40% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,908th) and the top 32% of Montana (108th), based on limited data; treat as directional.

continue reading

Taken together, the data gives a genuinely mixed reading: modeled air-toxics cancer risk lands in the bottom 2.8% nationally, and humid heat lies in the bottom 4.6% nationally. Unemployment stands at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Modeled pfas rests in the bottom 7.9% nationally, and fiber broadband registers in the top 9.5% nationally. On the other side, walkability resides in the bottom 1.0% nationally, and home broadband subscription settles in the bottom 2.8% nationally. Distance to a nursing home is in the top 3.0% nationally, and distance to a community health center sits in the top 8.7% nationally. Modeled binge drinking lands in the top 8.3% nationally.

Defined simply, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. ZIP 59424, about 40 miles away, comes out healthier overall.

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

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 63%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 76%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 63%

11%

Disability

healthier than 64%

7%

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 92%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 51%

16%

Holding it back

Preventive Care

healthier than 33%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 37%

8%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 4%

5%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 74%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 84%

14%

Disability

healthier than 74%

7%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 47%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 44%

13%

Holding it back

Risk Behavior

healthier than 38%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 27%

8%

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 32%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 21%

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 adults29.8%26.5–33.2
High blood pressure among adults34.1%30.0–38.2
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.9%8.9–11.0
Current asthma among adults11.6%10.2–13.0
Coronary heart disease among adults6.4%5.6–7.2
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.2%6.0–8.3
Depression among adults24.5%21.0–28.4
Diagnosed diabetes among adults10.0%8.5–11.6
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened34.8%30.8–39.0
Obesity among adults32.5%25.8–39.9
Stroke among adults3.5%3.1–4.0
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years12.1%9.8–14.6
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years7.6%6.0–9.5
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure76.0%72.7–79.1
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults73.6%69.6–77.5
Cholesterol screening among adults83.9%81.7–86.0
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years65.9%60.7–70.9
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults63.9%60.3–67.3
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years74.6%66.8–81.4
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults19.5%16.2–23.1
Current cigarette smoking among adults13.5%10.9–16.1
No leisure-time physical activity among adults20.9%17.0–25.2
Short sleep duration among adults32.2%26.6–38.4
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults17.3%14.7–20.2
Frequent mental distress among adults17.3%15.2–19.6
Frequent physical distress among adults14.2%12.4–16.3
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults14.0%12.1–16.1
Any disability among adults30.4%26.3–35.1
Hearing disability among adults8.2%7.2–9.3
Independent living disability among adults7.9%6.9–9.1
Mobility disability among adults13.1%11.1–15.3
Self-care disability among adults3.4%3.0–3.9
Vision disability among adults4.2%3.7–4.8
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults21.4%18.0–24.9
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults9.9%7.9–12.0
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults6.5%5.1–8.1
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults7.7%6.4–9.3
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults6.4%5.5–7.5
Loneliness among adults32.7%27.8–37.8
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults5.4%4.5–6.4
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MT median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate10.4%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3649.7% (1.9–27.5%) n=360
Uninsured 18–6413.8%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28611.1% (0.0–33.1%) n=357
No HS diploma (25+)2.7%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5054.7% (0.0–14.1%) n=360
Bachelor's or higher (25+)48.6%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50526.6% (12.3–46.1%) n=360
Unemployment rate (16+)0.0%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2741.8% (0.0–10.2%) n=357
Households without a vehicle6.1%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3221.7% (0.0–9.5%) n=360
Broadband subscription59.2%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32287.3% (72.1–100.0%) n=360
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)28.6%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32221.1% (7.3–37.2%) n=360
Homeownership rate85.7%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32278.0% (56.9–95.8%) n=360
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.9% (0.0–6.6%) n=360
Foreign-born population2.4%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5530.9% (0.0–4.9%) n=360
Single-parent households96.7%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08761.3% (39.9–84.5%) n=356
Population 65+31.1%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55324.0% (12.9–44.0%) n=360
Median age39.0 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29246.0 yr (32.9–62.3) n=358
Median household income$88,438$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$66,875 ($44,980–$95,192) n=321
Median home value$117,100$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$292,450 ($127,430–$548,550) n=312
Median gross rent—$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 birth83.3 yr ± 2.2378.9 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 2.23 years of 83.3, 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