ZIP code
98418
in Tacoma, WashingtonPopulation 10,264
51.11/ 100
Ranked #14,666 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 46%)
Ranked #371 of 581 Washington ZIPs (bottom 36%)
Ranked #150 of 166 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ZIPs (bottom 9.7%)
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
3.1 days/year
in the bottom 1.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS2ndDefinition & 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 ›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 ›Walkability
170 intersections/sq mi
in the top 3.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Loud transportation noise
2.8%
in the top 4.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 65 decibels — around the volume of normal conversation.
Full methodology ›Transit access
5.3 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.6% 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 ›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 ›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 ›Distance to a Superfund site
0.4 mi
in the bottom 5.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST11thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
Full methodology ›Dental provider access
0.96 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of dental offices located 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 ›Grocery access
0.19 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets 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. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite measure, ZIP 98418, one of several in Tacoma, Washington sits in the top 46% healthiest ZIPs nationally (14,666th) and the bottom 36% of Washington (371st).
The profile cuts both ways, and the readings bear that out: modeled humid heat rests in the bottom 1.9% nationally, floodplain exposure sits at the national minimum, and walkability registers in the top 3.7% nationally. Transit lands in the top 4.6% nationally, lead in tap water resides at the national minimum, and dental providers lies in the top 7.3% nationally. Grocery settles in the top 7.8% nationally. Working the other way, modeled loud transportation noise stands in the top 4.4% nationally, and tree cover is at the national minimum. Distance to a Superfund site rests in the bottom 5.2% nationally.
Compared with the ZIPs that surround it, expected annual loss runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain language, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. ZIP 98408, just across the boundary, ranks 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 78%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 76%
16%
Disability
healthier than 64%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.2%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 90%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 50%
11%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 22%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 9%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 12%
8%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 62%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.5%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 86%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 41%
16%
Disability
healthier than 42%
7%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 24%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 15%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 7%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 14%
8%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 99%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 81%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 31%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 12%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 22%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 13%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 5%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 12%
8%
Disability
healthier than 19%
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
3 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 74.2 ± 2.2 years. A median household income of $89,706 predicts 79.7 years — 5.5 years below.
Ranked #5,656 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 74.2 ± 2.2 years. The 49 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 79.0 years — 4.8 years below them.
Ranked #3,323 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 22.4; chronic-disease standing 78.4 — 56 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #14,998 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
98408
Washingtonshares a border
Score 51.92
Similar health profile
98565
Washington98% similar profile
Score 50.66
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 | 24.4% | 22.7–26.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 31.7% | 29.6–33.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 6.3% | 5.8–6.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.2% | 10.2–12.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 4.9% | 4.5–5.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.3% | 4.7–5.9 |
| Depression among adults | 27.1% | 24.9–29.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.7% | 9.6–11.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.3% | 32.1–36.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.4% | 35.2–41.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.9% | 2.7–3.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.3% | 10.4–14.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.7% | 8.5–11.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 68.0% | 65.4–70.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 68.9% | 66.4–71.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 81.4% | 79.7–82.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 61.0% | 58.1–63.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 60.7% | 58.3–63.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.4% | 68.1–76.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.5% | 15.6–19.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.1% | 11.6–14.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 20.3% | 18.1–22.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.7% | 36.8–42.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.5% | 16.8–20.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.5% | 17.8–21.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.2% | 12.9–15.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.1% | 15.6–18.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 31.8% | 29.4–34.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.1% | 5.5–6.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.1% | 7.3–8.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.0% | 10.8–13.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.5% | 3.2–3.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.3–5.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.6% (3.5–22.3%) n=583 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 8.2% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.2% (1.8–22.7%) n=582 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 12.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.0% (1.5–16.5%) n=588 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 23.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 27.4% (12.3–59.7%) n=588 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.5% (0.0–9.7%) n=584 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.2%) n=580 |
| Broadband subscription | 96.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.7% (81.1–97.4%) n=580 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 36.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 28.9% (14.6–40.6%) n=580 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.8% | 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 | 11.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.7% (0.3–27.6%) n=588 |
| Single-parent households | 63.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (40.5–76.0%) n=574 |
| Population 65+ | 14.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.9% (10.3–36.9%) n=588 |
| Median age | 37.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (32.9–58.8) n=584 |
| Median household income | $89,706 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,646 ($56,217–$132,145) n=547 |
| Median home value | $413,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $452,750 ($241,540–$826,380) n=542 |
| Median gross rent | $1,639 | $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 | 74.2 yr ± 1.11 | 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 1.11 years of 74.2, 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