ZIP code
59520
in Big Sandy, MontanaPopulation 1,261
42.65/ 100
Ranked #24,686 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 23%)
Ranked #283 of 341 Montana ZIPs (bottom 17%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
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.
Energy-cost burden
7.3%
in the top 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS99thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Walkability
0.47 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 1.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST9thUS1stDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
3.5 days/year
in the bottom 2.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST12thUS2ndDefinition & 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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
10 per million
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS3rdDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a nursing home
20.4 mi
in the top 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST75thUS97thDefinition & 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
21.5 mi
in the top 7.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST70thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Hearing disability
11.0%
in the top 9.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST71stUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Fiber broadband
95.6%
in the top 9.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST88thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite health measure, Big Sandy, Montana (ZIP 59520) ranks in the bottom 23% nationally (24,686th) and the bottom 17% of Montana (283rd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
Where the load on this area runs deepest, the data leads: modeled energy burden settles in the top 1.0% nationally, and walkability resides in the bottom 1.0% nationally. Distance to a nursing home registers in the top 3.2% nationally, and distance to a community health center rests in the top 7.4% nationally. Modeled radon stands in the top 11.0% nationally, and hearing disability lies in the top 9.4% nationally. More encouragingly, modeled humid heat lands in the bottom 2.1% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk sits in the bottom 2.8% nationally. Distance to an emergency room is at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Fiber broadband settles in the top 9.9% nationally.
To spell things out, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. Close by, ZIP 59430, just across the boundary, ranks 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.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 78%
14%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.7%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 41%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 28%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 4%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 20%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 33%
8%
Disability
healthier than 28%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 4%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 85%
14%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 87%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 23%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 2%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 19%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 16%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 24%
8%
Disability
healthier than 16%
7%
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.
Nearby
59430
Montanashares a border
Score 53.63
Closest healthier
59442
Montanashares a border
Score 51.79
Similar health profile
81422
Colorado95% similar profile
Score 42.47
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
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis among adults | 33.1% | 29.6–36.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 39.3% | 35.1–43.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.6% | 9.6–11.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.6% | 10.2–13.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.9% | 7.8–9.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.6% | 8.2–11.1 |
| Depression among adults | 24.4% | 20.9–28.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.8% | 11.0–14.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.2% | 33.0–41.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.7% | 28.6–43.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.6% | 4.1–5.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 17.3% | 14.4–20.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.4% | 8.4–12.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.8% | 74.7–80.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 74.2% | 70.3–77.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 82.7% | 80.4–84.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 63.4% | 58.1–68.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 55.7% | 51.9–59.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.8% | 65.1–79.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.7% | 14.7–21.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.9% | 14.1–19.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.5% | 20.9–30.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.3% | 28.5–40.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.3% | 19.0–25.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.8% | 15.7–20.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.6% | 14.5–18.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.7% | 13.6–17.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.9% | 31.0–40.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.0% | 9.8–12.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.8% | 8.5–11.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.9% | 14.3–19.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.6% | 4.0–5.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.8% | 5.1–6.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.2% | 18.8–25.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.4% | 11.8–17.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.0% | 8.8–13.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.1% | 8.4–12.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.5% | 7.3–9.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.3% | 27.5–37.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.4% | 6.3–8.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MT median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.7% (1.9–27.5%) n=360 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 11.1% (0.0–33.1%) n=357 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 4.7% (0.0–14.1%) n=360 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 18.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 26.6% (12.3–46.1%) n=360 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 1.8% (0.0–10.2%) n=357 |
| Households without a vehicle | 6.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 1.7% (0.0–9.5%) n=360 |
| Broadband subscription | 80.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.3% (72.1–100.0%) n=360 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 13.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.1% (7.3–37.2%) n=360 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.0% (56.9–95.8%) n=360 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.9% (0.0–6.6%) n=360 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.9% (0.0–4.9%) n=360 |
| Single-parent households | 61.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 61.3% (39.9–84.5%) n=356 |
| Population 65+ | 25.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 24.0% (12.9–44.0%) n=360 |
| Median age | 43.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 46.0 yr (32.9–62.3) n=358 |
| Median household income | $62,109 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $66,875 ($44,980–$95,192) n=321 |
| Median home value | $204,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $292,450 ($127,430–$548,550) n=312 |
| Median gross rent | $563 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $877 ($544–$1,329) n=213 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MT median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.9 yr ± 1.36 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 79.7 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 1.36 years of 79.9, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.
More ZIPs to explore ▾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