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ZipVitals

ZIP code

90602

in Whittier, CaliforniaPopulation 25,905

51.07/ 100

Ranked #14,735 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 46%)

Ranked #998 of 1,719 California ZIPs (bottom 42%)

Ranked #273 of 371 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ZIPs (bottom 26%)

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.

Colon-cancer screening

52.7%

in the bottom 3.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST15th
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.

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 ›

Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance

2.8%

in the top 2.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST75th
US98th
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 ›

Loneliness

41%

in the top 2.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST89th
US97th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.

Full methodology ›

Housing-cost burden

50.5%

in the top 2.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST90th
US97th
Definition & source ›

The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.

Full methodology ›

Crowded housing

12.8%

in the top 3.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST85th
US97th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.

Full methodology ›

Park land

37.1%

in the top 3.6% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST89th
US96th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

40 per million

in the top 4.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST73rd
US96th
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 ›

Lead in tap water

0 ppb

at the national minimum

Lower is healthier

US1st
Definition & source ›

The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.

Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.

Full methodology ›

Homeownership rate

38.9%

in the bottom 5.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST15th
US5th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

Full methodology ›

The read

By its overall health score, ZIP 90602, one of several in Whittier, California lands in the top 46% healthiest ZIPs nationally (14,735th) and the bottom 42% of California (998th).

continue reading

Neither strongly one way nor the other, the measures sit mixed: park land settles in the top 3.6% nationally, and lead in tap water lies at the national minimum. Against that, modeled colon screening resides in the bottom 3.2% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site lands at the national minimum. Modeled fine-particle registers in the top 2.5% nationally, modeled loneliness sits in the top 2.8% nationally, and housing-cost burden rests in the top 2.9% nationally. Crowded housing is in the top 3.0% nationally, modeled air-toxics cancer risk stands in the top 4.5% nationally, and homeownership settles in the bottom 5.0% nationally.

Weighed against the ZIPs nearby, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To translate a couple of terms, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Fine-particle is fine airborne particles about one-thirtieth the width of a hair, counted on modeled days above the EPA standard. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 90601, 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area.

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 92%

21%

Mental Health

healthier than 71%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 81%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 83%

5%

About typical

Risk Behavior

healthier than 57%

11%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 29%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 1%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 6%

13%

Disability

healthier than 37%

7%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 75%

21%

Mental Health

healthier than 68%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 62%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 63%

5%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 33%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 7%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 21%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 32%

11%

Disability

healthier than 35%

7%

Nothing measured is lifting this score.

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 51%

21%

Mental Health

healthier than 42%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 40%

5%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 30%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 24%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 25%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 30%

11%

Disability

healthier than 28%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 34%

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 ›

Findings that name this ZIP

3 of our published findings list this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.

  • Above what income predicts

    The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes

    Estimated life expectancy is 80.2 ± 1.3 years. A median household income of $68,505 predicts 78.6 years — 1.7 years above.

    Ranked #1,156 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.

  • Heavy environment, light chronic burden

    Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions

    Environmental-hazard standing 1.3 (bottom 10%); chronic-disease standing 91.7 (top 10%) — 90 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #17,907 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.

  • Highest-risk tenth

    Air toxics and the years between the two ends of the risk scale

    Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is 40.0 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 80.2 ± 1.3 years.

    Ranked #504 of the 4,173 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by modeled air-toxics risk, highest first.

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 adults18.6%17.2–20.1
High blood pressure among adults28.5%26.6–30.5
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults5.0%4.6–5.5
Current asthma among adults8.9%8.0–9.8
Coronary heart disease among adults5.1%4.7–5.6
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults4.5%4.0–4.9
Depression among adults19.4%17.6–21.3
Diagnosed diabetes among adults12.8%11.6–14.0
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened35.4%33.2–37.6
Obesity among adults29.6%26.7–32.5
Stroke among adults3.0%2.8–3.3
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years9.7%8.0–11.5
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years16.4%14.4–18.4
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure69.3%66.7–71.6
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults69.8%67.3–72.2
Cholesterol screening among adults83.3%81.6–84.9
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years52.7%49.2–55.9
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults58.5%55.9–60.9
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years73.9%68.5–78.4
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults16.0%14.3–17.8
Current cigarette smoking among adults11.0%9.7–12.3
No leisure-time physical activity among adults29.0%26.6–31.7
Short sleep duration among adults36.4%33.4–39.2
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults27.0%24.9–29.2
Frequent mental distress among adults17.0%15.6–18.6
Frequent physical distress among adults15.2%13.9–16.6
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults17.1%15.6–18.8
Any disability among adults33.9%31.5–36.5
Hearing disability among adults5.9%5.3–6.5
Independent living disability among adults9.2%8.4–10.1
Mobility disability among adults15.3%14.0–16.7
Self-care disability among adults4.9%4.5–5.3
Vision disability among adults7.6%7.0–8.3
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults31.1%28.5–33.8
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults25.3%23.0–27.9
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults21.6%19.4–24.1
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults21.7%19.7–23.9
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults12.2%10.9–13.5
Loneliness among adults41.0%38.3–43.9
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults9.4%8.3–10.6
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)CA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate13.1%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36410.6% (4.1–24.9%) n=1,714
Uninsured 18–6414.5%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2867.7% (1.7–17.9%) n=1,704
No HS diploma (25+)17.9%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5059.8% (1.4–30.9%) n=1,729
Bachelor's or higher (25+)21.7%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50531.3% (9.9–68.2%) n=1,729
Unemployment rate (16+)5.6%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2746.1% (0.8–12.0%) n=1,714
Households without a vehicle8.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.5% (0.0–12.2%) n=1,708
Broadband subscription90.2%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32293.4% (82.1–98.4%) n=1,708
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)50.5%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32238.6% (24.4–50.5%) n=1,708
Homeownership rate38.9%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32264.1% (31.9–86.4%) n=1,708
Crowded housing (>1 per room)12.8%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3224.8% (0.0–15.9%) n=1,708
Foreign-born population21.5%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,55318.9% (3.0–40.4%) n=1,730
Single-parent households39.4%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08748.4% (35.1–72.3%) n=1,692
Population 65+11.7%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55317.0% (9.7–35.7%) n=1,730
Median age34.3 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29240.1 yr (31.8–57.0) n=1,712
Median household income$68,505$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$93,448 ($54,188–$159,562) n=1,584
Median home value$766,300$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$659,800 ($300,520–$1,493,340) n=1,593
Median gross rent$1,787$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,912 ($1,113–$2,923) n=1,461
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)CA median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth80.2 yr ± 0.6778.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30880.5 yr (76.7–83.8) n=1,665

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 0.67 years of 80.2, 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