ZIP code
98266
in Maple Falls, WashingtonPopulation 4,245
42.40/ 100
Ranked #24,910 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 22%)
Ranked #553 of 581 Washington ZIPs (bottom 4.9%)
Ranked #16 of 16 Bellingham, WA ZIPs (bottom 6.3%)
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.
Mammography
65.9%
in the bottom 3.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
73.5%
in the top 3.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Transit access
5.2 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Tree cover
79.3%
in the top 5.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 5.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST80thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Humid extreme heat
10.9 days/year
in the bottom 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST54thUS8thDefinition & 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 ›Fatal road crashes
2.4 per 100,000 residents per year
in the bottom 8.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST14thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
41.5%
in the top 8.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
19.5%
in the top 11.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS88thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Median household income
$51,361
in the bottom 16% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS16thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›The read
Maple Falls, Washington (ZIP 98266), in overall standing, comes out in the bottom 22% nationally (24,910th) and the bottom 4.9% of Washington (553rd).
An even profile, with readings pulling both ways: transit rests in the top 4.7% nationally, modeled tree cover settles in the top 5.2% nationally, and modeled humid heat lands in the bottom 7.9% nationally. Fatal road crashes rests in the bottom 8.2% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise settles at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Against that, modeled mammography lands in the bottom 3.8% nationally, and pfas rests in the top 3.5% nationally. Modeled disaster risk settles in the top 5.4% nationally, and housing-cost burden lands in the top 8.5% nationally. Distance to a nursing home rests in the top 10.3% nationally.
Set within its surrounding area, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, for reference, pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 98244, 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 Bellingham, 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 63%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 69%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 96%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 47%
11%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 16%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 6%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 2%
8%
Disability
healthier than 30%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 21%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 65%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 83%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 36%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.8%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 9%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 6%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 2%
8%
Disability
healthier than 11%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 18%
5%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 87%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 27%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.00%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 33%
14%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 0.00%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the bottom 0.00%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 7%
8%
Disability
healthier than 7%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 13%
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.
Nearby
98244
Washingtonshares a border
Score 53.99
Closest healthier
98247
Washingtonshares a border
Score 54.64
Similar health profile
46772
Indiana95% similar profile
Score 41.36
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 | 27.1% | 24.7–29.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 32.0% | 29.2–34.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.8% | 7.1–8.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.9% | 10.7–13.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.8% | 6.1–7.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.1% | 7.0–9.2 |
| Depression among adults | 32.2% | 29.2–35.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.9% | 9.6–12.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.7% | 31.9–37.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 31.6% | 27.7–35.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.5–4.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.8% | 13.2–18.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.1% | 9.3–13.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 70.6% | 67.4–73.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 68.4% | 65.3–71.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 79.8% | 77.5–81.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 61.5% | 57.5–65.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 53.8% | 50.7–56.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 65.9% | 59.2–72.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.7% | 15.5–20.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.8% | 15.4–20.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.4% | 19.3–25.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.8% | 30.2–37.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.9% | 20.2–25.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 21.3% | 19.2–23.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.9% | 15.1–18.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 19.5% | 17.4–21.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 36.0% | 32.6–39.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.9% | 7.0–8.8 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.2% | 9.0–11.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.8% | 13.0–16.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.9% | 4.3–5.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.0% | 5.3–6.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 16.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.6% (3.5–22.3%) n=583 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 13.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.2% (1.8–22.7%) n=582 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 13.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.0% (1.5–16.5%) n=588 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 16.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 27.4% (12.3–59.7%) n=588 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.5% (0.0–9.7%) n=584 |
| Households without a vehicle | 7.3% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.2%) n=580 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.7% (81.1–97.4%) n=580 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 41.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 28.9% (14.6–40.6%) n=580 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.8% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.2% (48.2–91.7%) n=580 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 5.6% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 2.6% (0.0–7.9%) n=580 |
| Foreign-born population | 9.7% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.7% (0.3–27.6%) n=588 |
| Single-parent households | 33.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (40.5–76.0%) n=574 |
| Population 65+ | 13.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.9% (10.3–36.9%) n=588 |
| Median age | 43.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (32.9–58.8) n=584 |
| Median household income | $51,361 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,646 ($56,217–$132,145) n=547 |
| Median home value | $421,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $452,750 ($241,540–$826,380) n=542 |
| Median gross rent | $1,343 | $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 | 80.4 yr ± 2.10 | 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 2.10 years of 80.4, 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