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ZipVitals

ZIP code

95949

in Grass Valley, CaliforniaPopulation 20,552

55.05/ 100

Ranked #9,384 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 29%)

Ranked #771 of 1,719 California ZIPs (top 45%)

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.

Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance

4.6%

in the top 1.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST85th
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 ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

40.2 per million

in the top 2.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST85th
US98th
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 ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the top 3.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST88th
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 ›

Industrial-pollution burden

in the bottom 4.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST11th
US4th
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 ›

Uninsured (under 65)

5.0%

in the bottom 6.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST16th
US6th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.

Full methodology ›

Tree cover

57.2%

in the top 17% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST90th
US83rd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Homeownership rate

87.1%

in the top 25% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST91st
US75th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Colon-cancer screening

69.4%

in the top 25% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST91st
US75th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Loneliness

30.7%

in the bottom 30% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST8th
US30th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.

Full methodology ›

The read

By its overall health score, ZIP 95949, one of several in Grass Valley, California lands in the top 29% healthiest ZIPs nationally (9,384th) and the top 45% of California (771st).

continue reading

Neither strongly one way nor the other, the measures sit mixed: modeled industrial-pollution burden lands in the bottom 4.3% nationally, and obesity registers in the bottom 10.7% nationally. Floodplain exposure sits in the bottom 14.3% nationally, and modeled utility shutoff rests in the bottom 14.9% nationally. Against that, modeled fine-particle is in the top 1.2% nationally, air-toxics cancer risk stands in the top 2.2% nationally, and disaster risk settles in the top 3.1% nationally. Modeled pfas lies in the top 12.0% nationally, and housing-cost burden resides in the top 14.1% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility lands at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs.

Weighed against the ZIPs nearby, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To translate a couple of 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. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 95602, 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.

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

Compare within

Lifting this score

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 65%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 81%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 88%

11%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 73%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 63%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 50%

21%

Mental Health

healthier than 58%

8%

Disability

healthier than 55%

7%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 10%

14%

Lifting this score

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 60%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 91%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 76%

11%

About typical

Mental Health

healthier than 51%

8%

Disability

healthier than 53%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 53%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 40%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 20%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 36%

14%

“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 40.2 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 81.4 ± 1.6 years.

    Ranked #450 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 adults31.2%27.5–35.0
High blood pressure among adults38.5%34.0–43.1
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults12.0%10.9–13.2
Current asthma among adults10.5%9.2–11.8
Coronary heart disease among adults8.2%7.3–9.1
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.6%6.7–8.6
Depression among adults23.3%19.8–27.1
Diagnosed diabetes among adults11.9%10.2–13.7
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened39.4%34.7–44.1
Obesity among adults27.7%21.0–35.3
Stroke among adults4.1%3.8–4.5
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years8.8%7.0–10.9
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years5.0%4.2–5.9
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure78.3%74.9–81.2
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults77.1%73.3–80.6
Cholesterol screening among adults90.0%88.5–91.2
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years69.4%64.3–74.2
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults67.9%64.4–71.3
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years78.0%70.6–84.3
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults15.2%12.4–18.2
Current cigarette smoking among adults11.5%9.7–13.3
No leisure-time physical activity among adults20.3%16.7–24.4
Short sleep duration among adults31.3%25.5–37.8
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults19.2%16.7–21.9
Frequent mental distress among adults15.8%14.0–17.7
Frequent physical distress among adults14.5%12.8–16.4
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults12.9%11.4–14.5
Any disability among adults32.2%27.9–36.8
Hearing disability among adults8.4%7.4–9.4
Independent living disability among adults8.1%7.2–9.0
Mobility disability among adults16.0%13.9–18.3
Self-care disability among adults3.9%3.5–4.3
Vision disability among adults4.6%4.2–5.0
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults21.8%18.6–25.3
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults9.9%8.4–11.5
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults10.3%8.8–12.0
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults8.4%7.2–9.8
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults6.1%5.4–6.9
Loneliness among adults30.7%25.9–35.9
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults5.1%4.4–5.9
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)CA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate10.4%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36410.6% (4.1–24.9%) n=1,714
Uninsured 18–648.2%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2867.7% (1.7–17.9%) n=1,704
No HS diploma (25+)3.9%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5059.8% (1.4–30.9%) n=1,729
Bachelor's or higher (25+)33.2%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50531.3% (9.9–68.2%) n=1,729
Unemployment rate (16+)5.7%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2746.1% (0.8–12.0%) n=1,714
Households without a vehicle1.9%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.5% (0.0–12.2%) n=1,708
Broadband subscription92.2%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32293.4% (82.1–98.4%) n=1,708
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)37.0%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32238.6% (24.4–50.5%) n=1,708
Homeownership rate87.1%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32264.1% (31.9–86.4%) n=1,708
Crowded housing (>1 per room)2.1%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3224.8% (0.0–15.9%) n=1,708
Foreign-born population4.4%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,55318.9% (3.0–40.4%) n=1,730
Single-parent households70.1%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08748.4% (35.1–72.3%) n=1,692
Population 65+31.1%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55317.0% (9.7–35.7%) n=1,730
Median age53.7 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29240.1 yr (31.8–57.0) n=1,712
Median household income$98,181$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$93,448 ($54,188–$159,562) n=1,584
Median home value$550,800$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$659,800 ($300,520–$1,493,340) n=1,593
Median gross rent$1,902$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 birth81.4 yr ± 0.8278.9 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 0.82 years of 81.4, 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