ZIP code
98204
in Everett, WashingtonPopulation 45,130
53.87/ 100
Ranked #10,865 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 34%)
Ranked #281 of 581 Washington ZIPs (top 48%)
Ranked #129 of 166 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ZIPs (bottom 22%)
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.
Subsidized affordable housing
1,916 units
in the top 0.4% 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 ›Lead in tap water
18 ppb
in the top 0.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
US99thDefinition & source ›
The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
2.9 days/year
in the bottom 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS2ndDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
51.9%
in the top 2.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
33.6%
in the bottom 3.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST4thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
0.00%
in the bottom 6.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS7thDefinition & 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 ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 6.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST78thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Energy-cost burden
1.4%
in the bottom 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST19thUS4thDefinition & 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 ›Crowded housing
7.4%
in the top 7.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
37.1 per million
in the top 8.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, ZIP 98204, one of several in Everett, Washington sits in the top 34% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,865th) and the top 48% of Washington (281st).
An even profile, with readings pulling both ways: subsidized affordable housing resides in the top 0.4% nationally, modeled humid heat sits in the bottom 1.7% nationally, and floodplain exposure stands in the bottom 6.6% nationally. Modeled energy burden resides in the bottom 4.0% nationally. Against that, lead in tap water sits in the top 0.8% nationally, and housing-cost burden stands in the top 2.5% nationally. Homeownership resides in the bottom 3.8% nationally, and modeled expected annual loss sits in the top 6.9% nationally. Crowded housing stands in the top 7.7% nationally, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk resides in the top 8.2% nationally.
Placed beside its immediate neighbors, subsidized affordable housing runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put plainly, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. 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 98087, 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 85%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 90%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 64%
11%
Disability
healthier than 66%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.2%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 80%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 29%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 6%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 22%
8%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 72%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 77%
16%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.00%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 67%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 47%
7%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 30%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 10%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 14%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 31%
8%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 43%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 52%
16%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 52%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 30%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 7%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 12%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 30%
8%
Disability
healthier than 23%
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 its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 78.4 ± 1.3 years. The 49 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 81.4 years — 3.0 years below them.
Ranked #2,354 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 29.7; chronic-disease standing 85.2 — 56 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #14,951 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
98087
Washingtonshares a border
Score 60.54
Closest healthier
98203
Washingtonshares a border
Score 59.01
Similar health profile
83401
Idaho97% similar profile
Score 52.19
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 | 21.2% | 19.8–22.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 28.7% | 26.8–30.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 5.6% | 5.1–6.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.6% | 10.6–12.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 4.7% | 4.3–5.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.1% | 4.6–5.7 |
| Depression among adults | 25.7% | 23.7–27.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 9.8% | 8.8–10.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 32.9% | 30.9–34.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.6% | 30.6–36.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.8% | 2.6–3.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.8% | 11.7–16.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.2% | 10.8–13.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 67.0% | 64.7–69.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 69.0% | 66.5–71.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 80.0% | 78.2–81.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 59.5% | 56.7–62.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.5% | 55.0–60.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 70.4% | 65.9–74.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.1% | 14.4–17.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.3% | 11.0–13.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.1% | 20.1–24.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.8% | 35.0–40.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.5% | 17.8–21.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.4% | 16.9–19.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.4% | 12.3–14.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.0% | 14.6–17.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.6% | 27.4–31.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.8% | 5.3–6.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.1% | 7.3–8.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 11.7% | 10.6–12.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.6% | 3.3–3.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.6–5.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.6% (3.5–22.3%) n=583 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 18.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.2% (1.8–22.7%) n=582 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 13.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.0% (1.5–16.5%) n=588 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 23.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 27.4% (12.3–59.7%) n=588 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.5% (0.0–9.7%) n=584 |
| Households without a vehicle | 8.2% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.2%) n=580 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.7% (81.1–97.4%) n=580 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 51.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 28.9% (14.6–40.6%) n=580 |
| Homeownership rate | 33.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.2% (48.2–91.7%) n=580 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 7.4% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 2.6% (0.0–7.9%) n=580 |
| Foreign-born population | 32.6% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.7% (0.3–27.6%) n=588 |
| Single-parent households | 32.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (40.5–76.0%) n=574 |
| Population 65+ | 10.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.9% (10.3–36.9%) n=588 |
| Median age | 32.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (32.9–58.8) n=584 |
| Median household income | $68,513 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,646 ($56,217–$132,145) n=547 |
| Median home value | $414,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $452,750 ($241,540–$826,380) n=542 |
| Median gross rent | $1,794 | $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 | 78.4 yr ± 0.68 | 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 0.68 years of 78.4, 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