ZIP code
98040
in Mercer Island, WashingtonPopulation 25,307
71.97/ 100
Ranked #286 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 0.9%)
Ranked #14 of 581 Washington ZIPs (top 2.5%)
Ranked #14 of 166 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ZIPs (top 8.5%)
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.
Median household income
$219,069
in the top 0.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Obesity
19.6%
in the bottom 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
25.5%
in the bottom 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
8.2%
in the bottom 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Independent-living disability
4.1%
in the bottom 0.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.
Full methodology ›Fair or poor health
10.0%
in the bottom 0.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
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 ›Mobility disability
7.1%
in the bottom 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
1.0%
in the bottom 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS1stDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 4.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST84thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Mercer Island, Washington (ZIP 98040), by its overall standing, sits in the top 0.9% healthiest ZIPs nationally (286th) and the top 2.5% of Washington (14th).
The profile opens balanced, with readings on either hand: household income registers in the top 0.7% nationally, modeled obesity stands in the bottom 0.9% nationally, and modeled short sleep lands in the bottom 0.5% nationally. Modeled cognitive disability is in the bottom 0.9% nationally, independent living disability resides in the bottom 0.4% nationally, and fair or poor health rests in the bottom 0.8% nationally. Floodplain exposure lies at the national minimum, and modeled mobility disability sits in the bottom 2.0% nationally. Modeled energy burden settles in the bottom 1.0% nationally. By contrast, modeled expected annual loss registers in the top 4.2% nationally.
Held up against its neighbors, expected annual loss runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 98004, 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, 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 95%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 95%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 82%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the top 0.3%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 91%
8%
Disability
healthier than 99%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.7%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 78%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 12%
14%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 86%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 88%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 93%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the top 0.8%
11%
Mental Health
in the top 0.5%
8%
Disability
healthier than 94%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 97%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 65%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 15%
14%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 69%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 75%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 96%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 99%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 99%
8%
Disability
healthier than 85%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 94%
5%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 47%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 17%
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
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.
Above its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 83.8 ± 1.4 years. The 48 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 81.7 years — 2.2 years above them.
Ranked #1,321 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 12.7; chronic-disease standing 94.6 (top 10%) — 82 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #17,330 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
98004
Washingtonshares a border
Score 74.67
Closest healthier
98006
Washingtonshares a border
Score 73.53
Similar health profile
80121
Colorado100% similar profile
Score 65.36
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 | 22.8% | 21.4–24.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 29.0% | 27.4–30.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.5% | 8.9–10.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.2% | 8.5–9.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 4.6% | 4.2–5.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 3.1% | 2.8–3.6 |
| Depression among adults | 21.6% | 20.1–23.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 7.4% | 6.8–8.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.1% | 36.2–40.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 19.6% | 17.8–21.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.4% | 2.2–2.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 3.9% | 3.3–4.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 4.0% | 3.4–4.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 73.8% | 71.8–75.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 74.8% | 73.0–76.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.2% | 89.3–91.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.1% | 66.9–71.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 78.2% | 76.7–79.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 78.6% | 75.3–81.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.3% | 14.0–16.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 4.9% | 4.3–5.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 11.5% | 10.3–12.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 25.5% | 23.6–27.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 10.0% | 9.1–11.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 11.6% | 10.7–12.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 8.8% | 8.1–9.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 8.2% | 7.5–9.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 19.0% | 17.6–20.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.3% | 4.9–5.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 4.1% | 3.7–4.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 7.1% | 6.4–8.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.0% | 1.8–2.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 2.6% | 2.4–2.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 3.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.6% (3.5–22.3%) n=583 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 1.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.2% (1.8–22.7%) n=582 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 1.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.0% (1.5–16.5%) n=588 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 81.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 27.4% (12.3–59.7%) n=588 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.5% (0.0–9.7%) n=584 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.7% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.2%) n=580 |
| Broadband subscription | 94.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.7% (81.1–97.4%) n=580 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 29.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 28.9% (14.6–40.6%) n=580 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.2% (48.2–91.7%) n=580 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 2.6% (0.0–7.9%) n=580 |
| Foreign-born population | 26.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.7% (0.3–27.6%) n=588 |
| Single-parent households | 51.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (40.5–76.0%) n=574 |
| Population 65+ | 22.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.9% (10.3–36.9%) n=588 |
| Median age | 46.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (32.9–58.8) n=584 |
| Median household income | $219,069 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,646 ($56,217–$132,145) n=547 |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $452,750 ($241,540–$826,380) n=542 |
| Median gross rent | $2,502 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,416 ($840–$2,197) n=476 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 83.8 yr ± 0.70 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 80.2 yr (77.3–83.1) n=584 |
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 0.70 years of 83.8, 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