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ZIP code

96126

in Sierraville, CaliforniaPopulation 351

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

46.20/ 100

Ranked #21,119 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 34%)

Ranked #1,268 of 1,719 California ZIPs (bottom 26%)

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

4.9%

in the top 1.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST87th
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 ›

Housing-cost burden

56.6%

in the top 1.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US98th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Park land

54.4%

in the top 2.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST93rd
US98th
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.

Full methodology ›

Poverty rate

0.57%

in the bottom 4.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST5th
US5th
Definition & source ›

The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Full methodology ›

Humid extreme heat

7.9 days/year

in the bottom 5.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST12th
US5th
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 ›

Distance to a nursing home

14.2 mi

in the top 6.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST92nd
US94th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.

Full methodology ›

Tree cover

75%

in the top 7.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST95th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility

15.8 mi

in the top 7.4% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST92nd
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a community health center

18 mi

in the top 9.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.

Full methodology ›

PFAS in drinking water

10.3%

in the bottom 10.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST14th
US10th
Definition & source ›

The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.

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 ›

The read

Judged by its overall standing, Sierraville, California (ZIP 96126) sits in the bottom 34% nationally (21,119th) and the bottom 26% of California (1,268th).

continue reading

The profile carries real weight, and several readings make that plain: modeled fine-particle lands in the top 1.1% nationally, housing-cost burden rests in the top 1.6% nationally, and distance to a nursing home settles in the top 6.0% nationally. Better still, park land lands in the top 2.1% nationally, poverty rests in the bottom 4.9% nationally, and modeled humid heat settles in the bottom 5.1% nationally. Modeled tree cover lands in the top 7.0% nationally. Unemployment rests at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility settles in the top 7.4% nationally. Households without a vehicle lands at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs.

Placed beside its immediate neighbors, park land runs far higher 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. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 96118, 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

Preventive Care

healthier than 65%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 67%

11%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 90%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 42%

16%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 22%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 26%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 34%

8%

Disability

healthier than 21%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 6%

5%

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 82%

13%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 78%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 44%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 57%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 43%

11%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 7%

21%

Mental Health

healthier than 23%

8%

Disability

healthier than 21%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 3%

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 adults34.7%30.8–38.9
High blood pressure among adults41.5%36.8–46.5
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults11.6%10.3–12.9
Current asthma among adults11.2%9.8–12.7
Coronary heart disease among adults9.3%8.1–10.8
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults10.7%8.7–13.1
Depression among adults24.6%20.8–28.7
Diagnosed diabetes among adults14.5%12.3–17.0
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened41.7%37.0–46.5
Obesity among adults33.1%25.3–41.9
Stroke among adults5.0%4.3–5.8
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years11.3%9.1–13.9
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years7.3%5.7–9.3
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure77.9%74.6–80.8
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults76.0%72.1–79.5
Cholesterol screening among adults87.9%86.0–89.6
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years68.2%62.8–73.2
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults66.3%62.8–69.7
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years77.7%69.6–84.3
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults14.4%11.9–17.3
Current cigarette smoking among adults16.3%12.9–20.0
No leisure-time physical activity among adults26.5%21.5–32.4
Short sleep duration among adults32.5%25.9–39.7
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults26.0%21.8–30.7
Frequent mental distress among adults17.6%15.3–20.1
Frequent physical distress among adults17.9%15.3–20.8
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults15.9%13.5–18.6
Any disability among adults38.2%32.8–44.0
Hearing disability among adults9.3%8.1–10.7
Independent living disability among adults10.7%9.0–12.7
Mobility disability among adults20.9%17.4–24.8
Self-care disability among adults5.5%4.6–6.6
Vision disability among adults6.5%5.5–7.7
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults23.9%20.2–28.2
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults15.4%11.9–19.0
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults17.9%13.6–22.1
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults11.5%9.4–13.8
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults8.5%7.1–10.0
Loneliness among adults32.6%27.3–38.6
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults7.2%6.0–8.5
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)CA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate0.6%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36410.6% (4.1–24.9%) n=1,714
Uninsured 18–6460.9%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2867.7% (1.7–17.9%) n=1,704
No HS diploma (25+)22.5%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5059.8% (1.4–30.9%) n=1,729
Bachelor's or higher (25+)0.5%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50531.3% (9.9–68.2%) n=1,729
Unemployment rate (16+)0.0%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2746.1% (0.8–12.0%) n=1,714
Households without a vehicle0.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.5% (0.0–12.2%) n=1,708
Broadband subscription83.8%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32293.4% (82.1–98.4%) n=1,708
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)56.6%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32238.6% (24.4–50.5%) n=1,708
Homeownership rate80.1%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32264.1% (31.9–86.4%) n=1,708
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3224.8% (0.0–15.9%) n=1,708
Foreign-born population21.1%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,55318.9% (3.0–40.4%) n=1,730
Single-parent households91.1%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08748.4% (35.1–72.3%) n=1,692
Population 65+22.8%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55317.0% (9.7–35.7%) n=1,730
Median age40.4 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29240.1 yr (31.8–57.0) n=1,712
Median household income—$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$93,448 ($54,188–$159,562) n=1,584
Median home value—$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$659,800 ($300,520–$1,493,340) n=1,593
Median gross rent—$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 birth84.9 yr ± 3.3278.9 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 3.32 years of 84.9, 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