ZIP code
95946
in Penn Valley, CaliforniaPopulation 9,958
54.39/ 100
Ranked #10,197 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 32%)
Ranked #809 of 1,719 California ZIPs (top 47%)
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.
Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance
4.4%
in the top 1.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
40.6 per million
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 4.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS4thDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
45%
in the top 5.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST78thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Obesity
27.2%
in the bottom 9.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST39thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
30%
in the bottom 9.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Uninsured (under 65)
5.4%
in the bottom 9.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST20thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
70.7%
in the top 17% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS83rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Arsenic in groundwater
2.1%
in the bottom 27% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS27thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms per liter.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Loneliness
30.7%
in the bottom 30% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS30thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Penn Valley, California (ZIP 95946) lands in the top 32% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,197th) and the top 47% of California (809th).
The signals balance out across the profile, strengths against concerns: modeled industrial-pollution burden resides in the bottom 4.1% nationally, and obesity registers in the bottom 9.6% nationally. Modeled short sleep rests in the bottom 9.7% nationally. Distance to a community health center stands at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Set against that, modeled fine-particle lies in the top 1.3% nationally, modeled air-toxics cancer risk lands in the top 2.0% nationally, and housing-cost burden sits in the top 5.5% nationally. Fiber broadband is at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled disaster risk settles in the top 10.6% nationally, and extreme heat resides in the top 11.8% nationally.
Set beside the nearby areas, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. A note on the terms: 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. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 95949, just across the boundary, ranks better 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
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 64%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 84%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 92%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 67%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 60%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 41%
21%
Disability
healthier than 48%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 52%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 9%
14%
Lifting this score
Preventive Care
healthier than 93%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 85%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 62%
8%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 60%
16%
Disability
healthier than 45%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 15%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 34%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 39%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 38%
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.
Highest-risk tenth
Air toxics and the years between the two ends of the risk scale
Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is 40.6 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 79.6 ± 1.2 years.
Ranked #409 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.
Nearby
95949
Californiashares a border
Score 55.05
Closest healthier
95959
Californiashares a border
Score 56.20
Similar health profile
93614
California96% similar profile
Score 52.47
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 | 32.7% | 29.0–36.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 40.2% | 35.7–44.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 12.9% | 11.7–14.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.4% | 9.1–11.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.9% | 7.8–9.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.0% | 6.8–9.2 |
| Depression among adults | 22.6% | 19.2–26.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.5% | 10.7–14.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.6% | 35.9–45.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 27.2% | 20.7–34.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 3.9–4.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 8.2% | 6.5–10.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 5.4% | 4.5–6.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.8% | 76.5–82.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.2% | 74.5–81.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.3% | 89.0–91.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 70.7% | 65.8–75.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 68.1% | 64.7–71.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.2% | 68.3–82.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.1% | 11.5–17.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 11.1% | 9.3–13.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 21.4% | 17.3–25.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 30.0% | 24.3–36.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.0% | 17.1–22.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.2% | 13.4–17.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.9% | 13.0–16.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.9% | 11.2–14.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 33.9% | 29.2–38.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.2% | 8.0–10.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.4% | 7.3–9.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.2% | 14.7–19.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.0% | 3.6–4.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.9% | 4.3–5.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.7% | 18.4–25.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.1% | 8.4–12.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.4% | 8.7–12.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.3% | 7.0–9.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.1% | 5.3–7.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.7% | 25.9–36.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 4.9% | 4.2–5.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 10.6% (4.1–24.9%) n=1,714 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 11.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 7.7% (1.7–17.9%) n=1,704 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.8% (1.4–30.9%) n=1,729 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 39.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 31.3% (9.9–68.2%) n=1,729 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 6.1% (0.8–12.0%) n=1,714 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.5% (0.0–12.2%) n=1,708 |
| Broadband subscription | 93.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.4% (82.1–98.4%) n=1,708 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 45.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 38.6% (24.4–50.5%) n=1,708 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 64.1% (31.9–86.4%) n=1,708 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.0–15.9%) n=1,708 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 18.9% (3.0–40.4%) n=1,730 |
| Single-parent households | 70.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.4% (35.1–72.3%) n=1,692 |
| Population 65+ | 37.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 17.0% (9.7–35.7%) n=1,730 |
| Median age | 57.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 40.1 yr (31.8–57.0) n=1,712 |
| Median household income | $84,795 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $93,448 ($54,188–$159,562) n=1,584 |
| Median home value | $565,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $659,800 ($300,520–$1,493,340) n=1,593 |
| Median gross rent | $2,221 | $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 | 79.6 yr ± 0.60 | 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 0.60 years of 79.6, 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