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ZipVitals

ZIP code

96022

in Cottonwood, CaliforniaPopulation 17,092

46.29/ 100

Ranked #21,004 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 34%)

Ranked #1,263 of 1,719 California ZIPs (bottom 27%)

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

5.9%

in the top 0.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
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

45.6 per million

in the top 1.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST90th
US99th
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 2.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST89th
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 ›

Dry extreme heat

82.6 days/year

in the top 4.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST83rd
US95th
Definition & source ›

The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.

Full methodology ›

Humid extreme heat

106.6 days/year

in the top 19% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST94th
US81st
Definition & source ›

The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.

Full methodology ›

The read

Judged by its overall standing, Cottonwood, California (ZIP 96022) sits in the bottom 34% nationally (21,004th) and the bottom 27% of California (1,263rd).

continue reading

A demanding profile, and several measures drive it: modeled fine-particle lands in the top 0.8% nationally, air-toxics cancer risk rests in the top 1.4% nationally, and disaster risk settles in the top 2.8% nationally. Modeled extreme heat lands in the top 4.6% nationally. Fiber broadband rests at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Recreation settles at the national minimum, shared with about 35% of ZIPs. Modeled loud transportation noise lands in the top 19% nationally, and humid heat rests in the top 19% nationally. On the stronger side, modeled obesity settles in the bottom 16% nationally, and industrial-pollution burden lands in the bottom 18% nationally.

Placed beside its immediate neighbors, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put plainly, 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. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 96047, 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

Nothing measured is lifting this score.

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 56%

21%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 60%

11%

Disability

healthier than 42%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 52%

5%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 30%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 5%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 38%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 25%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 15%

5%

Nothing measured is lifting this score.

About typical

Preventive Care

healthier than 60%

13%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 23%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 34%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 22%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 35%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 15%

8%

Disability

healthier than 39%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 13%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 32%

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.

  • Below what income predicts

    The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes

    Estimated life expectancy is 77.7 ± 1.4 years. A median household income of $89,338 predicts 79.6 years — 1.9 years below.

    Ranked #2,459 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 5.1 (bottom 10%); chronic-disease standing 55.9 — 51 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #14,472 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 45.6 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 77.7 ± 1.4 years.

    Ranked #273 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 adults28.7%26.2–31.2
High blood pressure among adults35.8%32.8–38.9
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.8%9.1–10.5
Current asthma among adults11.0%10.1–12.0
Coronary heart disease among adults7.5%6.9–8.2
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.9%7.2–8.8
Depression among adults24.8%22.1–27.5
Diagnosed diabetes among adults11.8%10.6–13.1
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened38.1%34.9–41.4
Obesity among adults29.7%24.7–35.0
Stroke among adults4.0%3.7–4.3
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years11.8%9.9–13.8
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years7.0%6.0–7.9
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure73.9%71.3–76.3
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults73.7%70.7–76.6
Cholesterol screening among adults86.7%85.3–87.9
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years64.9%60.9–68.6
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults64.4%61.6–67.1
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years74.9%68.9–80.1
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults16.7%14.5–19.0
Current cigarette smoking among adults14.4%12.8–16.1
No leisure-time physical activity among adults22.7%19.9–25.9
Short sleep duration among adults35.5%30.7–40.5
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults22.2%20.2–24.4
Frequent mental distress among adults18.6%17.0–20.2
Frequent physical distress among adults15.5%14.1–16.9
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults15.6%14.3–17.1
Any disability among adults33.3%30.2–36.6
Hearing disability among adults7.8%7.1–8.5
Independent living disability among adults9.3%8.5–10.1
Mobility disability among adults16.4%14.8–18.1
Self-care disability among adults4.4%4.0–4.7
Vision disability among adults5.3%4.9–5.7
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults24.8%22.1–27.8
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults13.9%12.3–15.8
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults14.4%12.7–16.4
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults11.6%10.4–13.0
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults8.2%7.4–9.0
Loneliness among adults34.3%30.6–38.4
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults6.8%6.1–7.6
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)CA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate9.6%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36410.6% (4.1–24.9%) n=1,714
Uninsured 18–649.2%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2867.7% (1.7–17.9%) n=1,704
No HS diploma (25+)11.6%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5059.8% (1.4–30.9%) n=1,729
Bachelor's or higher (25+)22.0%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50531.3% (9.9–68.2%) n=1,729
Unemployment rate (16+)6.0%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2746.1% (0.8–12.0%) n=1,714
Households without a vehicle3.2%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.5% (0.0–12.2%) n=1,708
Broadband subscription90.9%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32293.4% (82.1–98.4%) n=1,708
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)33.7%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32238.6% (24.4–50.5%) n=1,708
Homeownership rate77.2%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32264.1% (31.9–86.4%) n=1,708
Crowded housing (>1 per room)1.6%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3224.8% (0.0–15.9%) n=1,708
Foreign-born population4.5%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,55318.9% (3.0–40.4%) n=1,730
Single-parent households52.3%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08748.4% (35.1–72.3%) n=1,692
Population 65+18.3%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55317.0% (9.7–35.7%) n=1,730
Median age41.8 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29240.1 yr (31.8–57.0) n=1,712
Median household income$89,338$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$93,448 ($54,188–$159,562) n=1,584
Median home value$366,700$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$659,800 ($300,520–$1,493,340) n=1,593
Median gross rent$1,450$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 birth77.7 yr ± 0.7278.9 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 0.72 years of 77.7, 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