ZIP code
94303
in Palo Alto, CaliforniaPopulation 46,879
61.35/ 100
Ranked #3,911 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 12.2%)
Ranked #444 of 1,719 California ZIPs (top 26%)
Ranked #122 of 174 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ZIPs (bottom 30%)
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.
Median household income
$151,609
in the top 3.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST88thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
69%
in the top 1.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Lithium in drinking water
9.3 µg/L
in the bottom 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.
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 ›Outer-floodplain exposure
16.9%
in the top 2.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 2.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST84thUS97thDefinition & source ›
FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.
Full methodology ›Park land
36%
in the top 3.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
545 units
in the top 4.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
1.1%
in the bottom 1.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Tree cover
0.00%
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
9.5%
in the top 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST74thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, ZIP 94303, one of several in Palo Alto, California places in the top 12.2% healthiest ZIPs nationally (3,911th) and the top 26% of California (444th).
The measures fall on both sides for this area, fairly evenly: household income settles in the top 3.7% nationally, and lithium in drinking water sits in the bottom 2.2% nationally. Park land lies in the top 3.8% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing rests in the top 4.0% nationally. Modeled energy burden resides in the bottom 1.3% nationally. Pulling the other way, floodplain exposure is in the top 1.8% nationally, outer-floodplain exposure lands in the top 2.3% nationally, and modeled expected annual loss stands in the top 2.7% nationally. Modeled tree cover registers at the national minimum, and crowded housing settles in the top 5.1% nationally.
Beside the areas that surround it, floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For readers new to these terms, lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 94025, 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 96%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 83%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 91%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 86%
8%
Disability
healthier than 83%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 80%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 38%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 15%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 5%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 90%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 77%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 66%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 81%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 87%
8%
Disability
healthier than 79%
7%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 60%
5%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 37%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 5%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 74%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 61%
8%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 52%
11%
Disability
healthier than 42%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 46%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 35%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 34%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 18%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 1%
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
One of our published findings lists 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.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 38.0; chronic-disease standing 96.4 (top 10%) — 58 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #15,256 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
94025
Californiashares a border
Score 69.79
Closest healthier
94043
Californiashares a border
Score 72.16
Similar health profile
85338
Arizona98% similar profile
Score 57.02
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 | 17.1% | 15.5–18.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 27.0% | 24.7–29.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 5.4% | 5.0–5.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.9% | 8.1–9.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 4.4% | 4.0–4.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 3.5% | 3.2–3.8 |
| Depression among adults | 18.8% | 16.7–21.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.2% | 9.2–11.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 33.3% | 30.7–36.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 26.2% | 22.4–30.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.5% | 2.4–2.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 7.3% | 6.1–8.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.2% | 9.7–12.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 68.8% | 66.4–71.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 69.2% | 66.2–72.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.4% | 83.9–86.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 58.2% | 54.6–61.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.2% | 61.5–66.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.7% | 72.6–82.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.5% | 13.5–17.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 8.5% | 7.5–9.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.3% | 19.6–25.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.0% | 27.3–34.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.3% | 17.4–21.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.9% | 13.6–16.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.3% | 10.2–12.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.0% | 11.7–14.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 26.0% | 23.4–28.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.3–5.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.7% | 6.1–7.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 10.9% | 9.8–12.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.1% | 2.9–3.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.9% | 4.5–5.3 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 28.0% | 25.2–30.9 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.8% | 14.8–18.8 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 13.0% | 11.4–14.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.6% | 13.0–16.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.8% | 7.9–9.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 37.4% | 34.0–41.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.0% | 6.1–7.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 10.6% (4.1–24.9%) n=1,714 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 7.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 7.7% (1.7–17.9%) n=1,704 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 15.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.8% (1.4–30.9%) n=1,729 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 49.2% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 31.3% (9.9–68.2%) n=1,729 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 6.1% (0.8–12.0%) n=1,714 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.5% (0.0–12.2%) n=1,708 |
| Broadband subscription | 94.9% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.4% (82.1–98.4%) n=1,708 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 36.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 38.6% (24.4–50.5%) n=1,708 |
| Homeownership rate | 57.8% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 64.1% (31.9–86.4%) n=1,708 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 9.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.0–15.9%) n=1,708 |
| Foreign-born population | 43.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 18.9% (3.0–40.4%) n=1,730 |
| Single-parent households | 42.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.4% (35.1–72.3%) n=1,692 |
| Population 65+ | 13.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 17.0% (9.7–35.7%) n=1,730 |
| Median age | 39.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 40.1 yr (31.8–57.0) n=1,712 |
| Median household income | $151,609 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $93,448 ($54,188–$159,562) n=1,584 |
| Median home value | $1,826,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $659,800 ($300,520–$1,493,340) n=1,593 |
| Median gross rent | $2,771 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,912 ($1,113–$2,923) n=1,461 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 82.7 yr ± 0.69 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 80.5 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 0.69 years of 82.7, 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