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ZipVitals

ZIP code

94901

in San Rafael, CaliforniaPopulation 41,307

59.76/ 100

Ranked #5,024 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 16%)

Ranked #519 of 1,719 California ZIPs (top 30%)

Ranked #133 of 174 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ZIPs (bottom 24%)

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.

Mental-health provider access

0.37 per 1,000 residents

in the top 1.5% 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 ›

Expected annual disaster loss

$1

in the top 1.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST88th
US98th
Definition & 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 ›

Obesity

23.7%

in the bottom 3.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST20th
US4th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.

Full methodology ›

Crowded housing

12.6%

in the top 3.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST84th
US97th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the top 3.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST87th
US97th
Definition & source ›

This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.

Full methodology ›

Energy-cost burden

1.1%

in the bottom 1.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST7th
US1st
Definition & 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 ›

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 ›

Outpatient-care access

0.65 per 1,000 residents

in the top 4.7% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST93rd
US95th
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 ›

Outer-floodplain exposure

7.6%

in the top 5.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST87th
US95th
Definition & 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 ›

Housing-cost burden

45.2%

in the top 5.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST79th
US95th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

The read

By its overall health score, ZIP 94901, one of several in San Rafael, California lands in the top 16% healthiest ZIPs nationally (5,024th) and the top 30% of California (519th).

continue reading

Strengths and concerns sit side by side across the measures here: mental-health providers sits in the top 1.5% nationally, and modeled obesity rests in the bottom 3.8% nationally. Modeled energy burden is in the bottom 1.4% nationally, and lead in tap water stands at the national minimum. Outpatient settles in the top 4.7% nationally. On the other hand, modeled expected annual loss lies in the top 1.9% nationally, crowded housing resides in the top 3.1% nationally, and modeled disaster risk lands in the top 3.2% nationally. Outer-floodplain exposure registers in the top 5.0% nationally, and housing-cost burden sits in the top 5.3% nationally.

Weighed against the ZIPs nearby, expected annual loss runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To translate a couple of terms, expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 94903, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 90%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 84%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 79%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 82%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 64%

8%

Disability

healthier than 63%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 91%

5%

Holding it back

Preventive Care

healthier than 24%

13%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 37%

5%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 70%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 79%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 87%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 64%

11%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 83%

5%

About typical

Preventive Care

healthier than 46%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 59%

8%

Disability

healthier than 58%

7%

Holding it back

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 32%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 74%

14%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 75%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 42%

21%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 37%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 27%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 32%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 21%

8%

Disability

healthier than 14%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 17%

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 adults21.9%19.2–24.8
High blood pressure among adults29.6%26.0–33.4
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults8.1%7.3–8.8
Current asthma among adults9.6%8.5–10.8
Coronary heart disease among adults5.7%5.1–6.3
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults5.2%4.6–5.8
Depression among adults21.4%18.2–24.8
Diagnosed diabetes among adults10.2%8.8–11.7
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened34.4%30.4–38.6
Obesity among adults23.7%18.2–29.9
Stroke among adults3.0%2.7–3.2
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years7.3%5.8–8.9
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years13.2%11.3–15.0
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure71.2%67.6–74.3
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults69.9%65.8–73.8
Cholesterol screening among adults85.3%83.6–86.9
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years64.9%59.9–69.3
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults66.9%63.5–69.9
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years78.6%71.4–84.4
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults16.4%13.5–19.5
Current cigarette smoking among adults10.6%9.2–12.3
No leisure-time physical activity among adults22.9%19.4–26.8
Short sleep duration among adults31.7%26.0–37.3
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults21.6%19.1–24.1
Frequent mental distress among adults16.4%14.5–18.3
Frequent physical distress among adults13.4%11.9–15.0
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults14.7%13.1–16.5
Any disability among adults30.7%26.8–34.7
Hearing disability among adults6.1%5.4–6.8
Independent living disability among adults7.9%7.1–8.8
Mobility disability among adults13.1%11.5–14.9
Self-care disability among adults3.8%3.4–4.1
Vision disability among adults5.6%5.1–6.1
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults25.1%21.9–28.5
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults17.5%15.5–19.5
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults15.6%13.8–17.4
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults14.8%13.1–16.6
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults9.4%8.4–10.4
Loneliness among adults32.6%28.2–37.1
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults7.7%6.7–8.6
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)CA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate14.1%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36410.6% (4.1–24.9%) n=1,714
Uninsured 18–6412.2%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2867.7% (1.7–17.9%) n=1,704
No HS diploma (25+)17.0%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5059.8% (1.4–30.9%) n=1,729
Bachelor's or higher (25+)49.0%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50531.3% (9.9–68.2%) n=1,729
Unemployment rate (16+)4.5%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2746.1% (0.8–12.0%) n=1,714
Households without a vehicle7.3%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.5% (0.0–12.2%) n=1,708
Broadband subscription94.6%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32293.4% (82.1–98.4%) n=1,708
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)45.2%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32238.6% (24.4–50.5%) n=1,708
Homeownership rate51.0%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32264.1% (31.9–86.4%) n=1,708
Crowded housing (>1 per room)12.6%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3224.8% (0.0–15.9%) n=1,708
Foreign-born population30.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,55318.9% (3.0–40.4%) n=1,730
Single-parent households49.1%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08748.4% (35.1–72.3%) n=1,692
Population 65+19.0%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55317.0% (9.7–35.7%) n=1,730
Median age41.6 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29240.1 yr (31.8–57.0) n=1,712
Median household income$115,330$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$93,448 ($54,188–$159,562) n=1,584
Median home value$1,512,600$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$659,800 ($300,520–$1,493,340) n=1,593
Median gross rent$2,256$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 birth81.9 yr ± 0.7978.9 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 0.79 years of 81.9, 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