ZIP code
97501
in Medford, OregonPopulation 44,670
45.64/ 100
Ranked #21,721 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 32%)
Ranked #272 of 407 Oregon ZIPs (bottom 33%)
Ranked #9 of 15 Medford, OR ZIPs (bottom 40%)
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
6.8%
in the top 0.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 2.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST83rdUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
38.1 per million
in the top 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST63rdUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Transit access
3.4 per 1,000 residents
in the top 9.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST79thUS91stDefinition & 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 ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 9.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST74thUS91stDefinition & 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 ›Subsidized affordable housing
261 units
in the top 9.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST88thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
32.5%
in the bottom 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST12thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
59.7%
in the bottom 13.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS13thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Dry extreme heat
11.7 days/year
in the top 32% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS68thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›The read
ZIP 97501, one of several in Medford, Oregon ranks in the bottom 32% nationally (21,721st) and the bottom 33% of Oregon (272nd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
Several signals sit on each side of the ledger here: transit resides in the top 9.1% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing stands in the top 9.5% nationally. Distance to a community health center sits at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Modeled high cholesterol resides in the bottom 7.9% nationally. Working the other way, modeled fine-particle stands in the top 0.6% nationally, expected annual loss sits in the top 2.9% nationally, and industrial-pollution burden resides in the top 6.7% nationally. Modeled air-toxics cancer risk stands in the top 7.9% nationally, modeled disaster risk sits in the top 9.1% nationally, and housing-cost burden resides in the top 10.1% nationally.
Against its neighbors, expected annual loss runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, fine-particle is fine airborne particles about one-thirtieth the width of a hair, counted on modeled days above the EPA standard. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 97502, 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 Medford, OR metro area.
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 63%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 61%
11%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 63%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 91%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 58%
21%
Disability
healthier than 45%
7%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 7%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 10%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 8%
8%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 69%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 91%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 50%
7%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 32%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 16%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 5%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 11%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 15%
8%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 21%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
in the top 0.00%
21%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.00%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.00%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 14%
14%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 0.00%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the bottom 0.00%
11%
Mental Health
in the bottom 0.00%
8%
Disability
healthier than 29%
7%
“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
2 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 77.0 ± 0.9 years. A median household income of $63,977 predicts 78.3 years — 1.4 years below.
Ranked #1,698 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Highest-risk tenth
Air toxics and the years between the two ends of the risk scale
Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is 38.1 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 77.0 ± 0.9 years.
Ranked #1,729 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
97502
Oregonshares a border
Score 49.18
Closest healthier
97504
Oregonshares a border
Score 51.77
Similar health profile
97236
Oregon98% similar profile
Score 45.48
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 | 27.4% | 24.7–30.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.3% | 29.9–36.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.2% | 7.4–8.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.5% | 11.1–14.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.6% | 5.9–7.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.8% | 6.9–8.6 |
| Depression among adults | 27.8% | 24.3–31.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.1% | 10.6–13.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 32.5% | 29.0–35.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 34.7% | 29.3–40.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.5% | 3.3–3.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.9% | 14.2–19.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.8% | 10.3–13.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 68.7% | 65.4–71.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 72.6% | 68.9–75.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 81.2% | 79.3–83.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 59.7% | 55.0–64.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 56.8% | 53.4–60.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 73.1% | 66.1–79.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.7% | 13.1–18.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.8% | 12.9–16.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.3% | 19.9–26.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 35.9% | 31.2–40.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 21.3% | 18.9–23.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 20.3% | 18.1–22.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.3% | 13.6–17.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.0% | 15.2–18.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.0% | 28.4–35.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.3% | 6.5–8.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.3% | 8.3–10.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.2% | 12.5–15.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.1% | 3.8–4.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.6% | 5.1–6.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | OR median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 11.7% (4.7–26.4%) n=411 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 12.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 7.9% (0.9–19.7%) n=411 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.5% (1.2–16.6%) n=412 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 20.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 23.7% (11.1–49.6%) n=412 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.8% (0.0–10.0%) n=409 |
| Households without a vehicle | 6.2% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.3% (0.0–10.0%) n=410 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 90.4% (76.7–96.9%) n=410 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 40.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (14.6–42.0%) n=410 |
| Homeownership rate | 54.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 73.5% (52.8–90.2%) n=410 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 5.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 2.1% (0.0–6.7%) n=410 |
| Foreign-born population | 6.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.0% (0.0–13.0%) n=412 |
| Single-parent households | 46.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 57.5% (43.5–77.1%) n=407 |
| Population 65+ | 16.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 22.5% (12.7–42.1%) n=412 |
| Median age | 37.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 45.1 yr (36.3–62.2) n=410 |
| Median household income | $63,977 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $72,301 ($49,007–$109,558) n=378 |
| Median home value | $353,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $413,900 ($238,120–$653,360) n=374 |
| Median gross rent | $1,326 | $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 | 76.9 yr ± 0.47 | 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 0.47 years of 76.9, 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