ZIP code
98403
in Tacoma, WashingtonPopulation 9,097
63.16/ 100
Ranked #2,889 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 9.1%)
Ranked #65 of 581 Washington ZIPs (top 11.2%)
Ranked #62 of 166 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ZIPs (top 37%)
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.
Humid extreme heat
3.6 days/year
in the bottom 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS2ndDefinition & 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 ›Walkability
200 intersections/sq mi
in the top 2.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
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 ›Lead in tap water
0 ppb
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
US1stDefinition & 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 ›Coronary heart disease
4.0%
in the bottom 3.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
0.00%
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
39.7%
in the bottom 5.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
8.2%
in the bottom 3.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST12thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
1.3%
in the bottom 2.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST14thUS2ndDefinition & 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 ›Fair or poor health
11.7%
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›The read
ZIP 98403, one of several in Tacoma, Washington, overall, ranks in the top 9.1% healthiest ZIPs nationally (2,889th) and the top 11.2% of Washington (65th).
This area's measures are easy to read as a mixed set: modeled humid heat is in the bottom 2.2% nationally, walkability sits in the top 2.6% nationally, and floodplain exposure lands at the national minimum. Lead in tap water lies at the national minimum, modeled coronary heart disease stands in the bottom 3.3% nationally, and modeled mobility disability rests in the bottom 3.6% nationally. Distance to an emergency room registers at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Modeled energy burden resides in the bottom 2.5% nationally. Set against that, modeled tree cover settles at the national minimum, and homeownership is in the bottom 5.2% nationally.
Measured against the nearby ZIPs, walkability runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". ZIP 98416, about 0.5 miles away, comes out healthier overall.
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 92%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 92%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 90%
11%
Disability
healthier than 95%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.3%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 76%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 44%
13%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 33%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 33%
8%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 82%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 80%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 70%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 65%
11%
Disability
healthier than 86%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.8%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 63%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 46%
8%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 34%
14%
Lifting this score
Preventive Care
healthier than 72%
13%
Disability
healthier than 68%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 98%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 60%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 58%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 52%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 41%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 45%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 36%
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
One of our published findings lists 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.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 32.8; chronic-disease standing 91.8 (top 10%) — 59 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #15,311 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
98402
Washingtonshares a border
Score 49.74
Closest healthier
98416
Washingtonabout 0.5 mi away
Score 63.45
Similar health profile
98038
Washington99% similar profile
Score 64.86
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 | 23.3% | 21.6–24.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 27.9% | 26.0–29.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.7% | 7.0–8.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.6% | 9.6–11.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 4.0% | 3.5–4.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 3.6% | 3.1–4.2 |
| Depression among adults | 26.9% | 24.6–29.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 7.9% | 7.0–8.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 33.4% | 31.2–35.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.8% | 30.7–36.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.2% | 1.9–2.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 5.8% | 4.8–6.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 5.1% | 4.2–6.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 68.9% | 66.4–71.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 71.0% | 68.6–73.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.8% | 84.0–87.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.4% | 65.8–70.9 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 73.2% | 71.2–75.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.0% | 73.3–80.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.8% | 16.9–20.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 7.6% | 6.3–9.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 13.0% | 11.3–14.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.5% | 30.8–36.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 11.7% | 10.4–13.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.0% | 14.4–17.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 10.6% | 9.5–11.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.1% | 10.7–13.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 24.0% | 21.7–26.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.6–5.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 5.3% | 4.7–6.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 8.2% | 7.2–9.3 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.2% | 1.9–2.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 2.8% | 2.5–3.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.6% (3.5–22.3%) n=583 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 7.2% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.2% (1.8–22.7%) n=582 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 2.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.0% (1.5–16.5%) n=588 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 64.2% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 27.4% (12.3–59.7%) n=588 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.5% (0.0–9.7%) n=584 |
| Households without a vehicle | 11.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.2%) n=580 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.7% (81.1–97.4%) n=580 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 33.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 28.9% (14.6–40.6%) n=580 |
| Homeownership rate | 39.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.2% (48.2–91.7%) n=580 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.4% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 2.6% (0.0–7.9%) n=580 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.7% (0.3–27.6%) n=588 |
| Single-parent households | 61.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (40.5–76.0%) n=574 |
| Population 65+ | 17.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.9% (10.3–36.9%) n=588 |
| Median age | 39.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (32.9–58.8) n=584 |
| Median household income | $88,056 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,646 ($56,217–$132,145) n=547 |
| Median home value | $829,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $452,750 ($241,540–$826,380) n=542 |
| Median gross rent | $1,546 | $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 | 79.8 yr ± 1.40 | 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 1.40 years of 79.8, 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