ZIP code
97203
in Portland, OregonPopulation 33,116
48.01/ 100
Ranked #18,912 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 41%)
Ranked #225 of 407 Oregon ZIPs (bottom 45%)
Ranked #105 of 120 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ZIPs (bottom 12.5%)
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.
Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Subsidized affordable housing
1,062 units
in the top 1.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
In this ZIP
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
40.8 per million
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST76thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Expected annual disaster loss
$1
in the top 2.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›High cholesterol
28.9%
in the bottom 2.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Outer-floodplain exposure
13.8%
in the top 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›High blood pressure
25.5%
in the bottom 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Transit access
4.9 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST90thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The number of public-transit stops 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 ›Park land
26.5%
in the top 5.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST85thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, ZIP 97203, one of several in Portland, Oregon sits in the bottom 41% nationally (18,912th) and the bottom 45% of Oregon (225th).
The profile carries real weight, and several readings make that plain: modeled industrial-pollution burden sits in the top 0.5% nationally, distance to a Superfund site stands at the national minimum, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk resides in the top 2.0% nationally. Modeled expected annual loss sits in the top 2.1% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure stands in the top 2.8% nationally. Better still, subsidized affordable housing resides in the top 1.2% nationally, and modeled high cholesterol sits in the bottom 2.5% nationally. Modeled high blood pressure stands in the bottom 3.2% nationally, and transit resides in the top 5.2% nationally. Park land sits in the top 5.4% nationally.
Placed beside its immediate neighbors, industrial-pollution burden runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put plainly, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 97210, 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 90%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 89%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 78%
11%
Disability
healthier than 67%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 71%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
in the bottom 0.5%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 8%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 2%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 24%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 94%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 88%
16%
Disability
healthier than 75%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 68%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 4%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 4%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 36%
11%
Mental Health
in the bottom 0.7%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 3%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 85%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 71%
16%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 41%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 10%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 3%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 20%
11%
Mental Health
in the bottom 0.00%
8%
Disability
healthier than 34%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
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 ›
Findings that name this ZIP
4 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 75.7 ± 1.1 years. A median household income of $78,660 predicts 79.1 years — 3.5 years below.
Ranked #4,660 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 75.7 ± 1.1 years. The 46 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 79.7 years — 4.1 years below them.
Ranked #3,046 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 0.5 (bottom 1%); chronic-disease standing 89.8 — 89 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #17,833 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 40.8 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 75.7 ± 1.1 years.
Ranked #397 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
97210
Oregonshares a border
Score 61.48
Closest healthier
97217
Oregonshares a border
Score 54.04
Similar health profile
97060
Oregon98% similar profile
Score 48.00
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 | 19.1% | 17.3–21.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 25.5% | 23.3–27.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 5.4% | 4.9–5.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.7% | 11.4–14.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 4.4% | 4.0–4.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.3% | 4.8–5.9 |
| Depression among adults | 32.6% | 29.7–35.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 8.7% | 7.7–9.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 28.9% | 26.4–31.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 30.4% | 26.8–34.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.5% | 2.3–2.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.1% | 12.6–18.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.2% | 7.8–10.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 62.8% | 59.8–65.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 67.7% | 64.5–70.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 79.6% | 77.5–81.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 59.7% | 55.8–63.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 60.5% | 57.4–63.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.5% | 69.6–80.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.2% | 15.9–20.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.6% | 12.0–15.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 18.9% | 16.5–21.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 30.3% | 26.8–34.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.2% | 17.3–21.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 21.2% | 19.3–23.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.7% | 11.5–14.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.7% | 15.9–19.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 30.1% | 27.3–33.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.5–5.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.9–9.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 10.3% | 9.1–11.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.3% | 3.0–3.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.9% | 4.4–5.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | OR median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 19.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 11.7% (4.7–26.4%) n=411 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 7.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 7.9% (0.9–19.7%) n=411 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.5% (1.2–16.6%) n=412 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 45.2% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 23.7% (11.1–49.6%) n=412 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.8% (0.0–10.0%) n=409 |
| Households without a vehicle | 10.7% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.3% (0.0–10.0%) n=410 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 90.4% (76.7–96.9%) n=410 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 40.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (14.6–42.0%) n=410 |
| Homeownership rate | 57.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 73.5% (52.8–90.2%) n=410 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 4.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 2.1% (0.0–6.7%) n=410 |
| Foreign-born population | 11.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.0% (0.0–13.0%) n=412 |
| Single-parent households | 44.2% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 57.5% (43.5–77.1%) n=407 |
| Population 65+ | 9.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 22.5% (12.7–42.1%) n=412 |
| Median age | 34.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 45.1 yr (36.3–62.2) n=410 |
| Median household income | $78,660 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $72,301 ($49,007–$109,558) n=378 |
| Median home value | $484,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $413,900 ($238,120–$653,360) n=374 |
| Median gross rent | $1,571 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,252 ($807–$1,772) n=327 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | OR median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 75.7 yr ± 0.58 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 79.1 yr (76.4–82.0) n=409 |
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 0.58 years of 75.7, 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