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ZipVitals

ZIP code

59872

in Superior, MontanaPopulation 2,501

45.61/ 100

Ranked #21,758 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 32%)

Ranked #254 of 341 Montana ZIPs (bottom 26%)

Ranked #18 of 18 Missoula, MT ZIPs (bottom 5.6%)

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

Robust across all 9 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.

Park land

84.9%

in the top 0.5% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST97th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.

Full methodology ›

Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance

6.6%

in the top 0.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of days in the year when modeled fine-particle (PM2.5) pollution was above the EPA’s daily limit of 35 micrograms per cubic meter.

Full methodology ›

Mental-health provider access

0.42 per 1,000 residents

in the top 1.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST98th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The number of mental-health clinics located inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.

Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.

Full methodology ›

Industrial-pollution burden

in the bottom 1.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST13th
US1st
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 Superfund site

In this ZIP

at the national minimum

Higher is healthier

ST1st
US1st
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 ›

Outpatient-care access

0.83 per 1,000 residents

in the top 2.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US97th
Definition & source ›

The number of outpatient clinics located inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.

Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.

Full methodology ›

Loneliness

27.7%

in the bottom 5.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST20th
US6th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a community health center

23.6 mi

in the top 6.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST72nd
US94th
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 ›

Fatal road crashes

40 per 100,000 residents per year

in the top 6.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST79th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.

A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.

Full methodology ›

Tree cover

75.1%

in the top 6.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST94th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

The read

In overall standing, Superior, Montana (ZIP 59872) comes out in the bottom 32% nationally (21,758th) and the bottom 26% of Montana (254th).

continue reading

The data is direct about where this area carries real strain: modeled fine-particle lies in the top 0.6% nationally, distance to a Superfund site sits at the national minimum, and distance to a community health center settles in the top 6.3% nationally. Fatal road crashes registers in the top 6.9% nationally. More encouragingly, park land stands in the top 0.5% nationally, and mental-health providers lands in the top 1.2% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden is in the bottom 1.5% nationally, and outpatient resides in the top 2.9% nationally. Distance to an emergency room rests at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Modeled loneliness lies in the bottom 5.9% nationally.

Relative to the ZIPs around it, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain terms, fine-particle is fine airborne particles about one-thirtieth the width of a hair, counted on modeled days above the EPA standard. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. The nearest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 59820, just across the boundary.

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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Missoula, MT metro area.

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

Compare within

Lifting this score

Risk Behavior

healthier than 63%

11%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 96%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 55%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 44%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 55%

8%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 20%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 5%

14%

Disability

healthier than 30%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 5%

5%

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 65%

13%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 53%

16%

Mental Health

healthier than 54%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 51%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 11%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 5%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 39%

11%

Disability

healthier than 20%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 27%

5%

Lifting this score

Mental Health

healthier than 81%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 69%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 44%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 56%

13%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 6%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 31%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 13%

11%

Disability

healthier than 6%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 13%

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 adults36.6%32.8–40.3
High blood pressure among adults40.7%36.2–45.0
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults12.0%10.9–13.2
Current asthma among adults11.4%10.1–12.7
Coronary heart disease among adults9.5%8.5–10.6
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults9.9%8.7–11.2
Depression among adults23.6%20.0–27.1
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.5%11.6–15.4
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened39.5%34.9–43.9
Obesity among adults36.3%28.4–43.9
Stroke among adults4.8%4.4–5.3
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years14.2%11.5–17.3
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years9.2%7.7–10.8
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure79.6%76.3–82.3
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults75.3%71.4–78.8
Cholesterol screening among adults86.3%84.5–87.9
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years67.6%62.3–72.6
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults62.4%58.6–66.1
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years73.8%65.5–81.0
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults16.5%13.5–19.5
Current cigarette smoking among adults15.4%13.0–17.8
No leisure-time physical activity among adults25.2%21.0–29.7
Short sleep duration among adults32.1%25.8–38.7
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults21.6%18.7–24.6
Frequent mental distress among adults15.9%14.0–17.8
Frequent physical distress among adults16.6%14.6–18.6
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults14.3%12.6–16.1
Any disability among adults35.5%31.0–39.9
Hearing disability among adults11.3%10.0–12.6
Independent living disability among adults9.1%8.0–10.2
Mobility disability among adults17.8%15.5–20.3
Self-care disability among adults4.7%4.2–5.2
Vision disability among adults5.6%5.1–6.3
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults20.7%17.6–24.3
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults12.4%10.4–14.7
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults9.4%7.8–11.0
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults8.8%7.5–10.4
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults7.3%6.3–8.3
Loneliness among adults27.7%23.2–32.9
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults6.5%5.5–7.5
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MT median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate16.4%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3649.7% (1.9–27.5%) n=360
Uninsured 18–6419.2%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28611.1% (0.0–33.1%) n=357
No HS diploma (25+)7.4%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5054.7% (0.0–14.1%) n=360
Bachelor's or higher (25+)19.9%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50526.6% (12.3–46.1%) n=360
Unemployment rate (16+)0.8%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2741.8% (0.0–10.2%) n=357
Households without a vehicle3.8%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3221.7% (0.0–9.5%) n=360
Broadband subscription86.3%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32287.3% (72.1–100.0%) n=360
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)25.8%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32221.1% (7.3–37.2%) n=360
Homeownership rate78.9%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32278.0% (56.9–95.8%) n=360
Crowded housing (>1 per room)2.2%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 households67.8%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08761.3% (39.9–84.5%) n=356
Population 65+32.3%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55324.0% (12.9–44.0%) n=360
Median age54.0 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29246.0 yr (32.9–62.3) n=358
Median household income$55,926$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$66,875 ($44,980–$95,192) n=321
Median home value$396,600$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$292,450 ($127,430–$548,550) n=312
Median gross rent$732$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 birth77.7 yr ± 1.2278.9 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 1.22 years of 77.7, 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