ZIP code
98439
in Lakewood, WashingtonPopulation 5,671
43.24/ 100
Ranked #24,165 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 25%)
Ranked #543 of 581 Washington ZIPs (bottom 6.6%)
Ranked #166 of 166 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ZIPs (bottom 0.7%)
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.
PFAS in drinking water
95.9%
in the top 0.04% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
71.3%
in the top 0.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
27%
in the bottom 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
51.7%
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST2ndUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
9.2%
in the bottom 1.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST2ndUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
In this ZIP
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Cognitive disability
22.2%
in the top 3.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
3.5%
in the bottom 2.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
5.2 days/year
in the bottom 3.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST24thUS3rdDefinition & 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 ›High blood pressure
25.7%
in the bottom 3.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›The read
ZIP 98439, one of several in Lakewood, Washington, overall, ranks in the bottom 25% nationally (24,165th) and the bottom 6.6% of Washington (543rd).
This area's pressures are easy to read across the measures: modeled pfas resides in the top 0.04% nationally, housing-cost burden settles in the top 0.7% nationally, and modeled colon screening is in the bottom 2.8% nationally. Homeownership sits in the bottom 1.3% nationally, distance to a Superfund site lands at the national minimum, and modeled cognitive disability lies in the top 3.6% nationally. On the brighter side, modeled high cholesterol stands in the bottom 1.7% nationally, and coronary heart disease rests in the bottom 2.1% nationally. Modeled humid heat registers in the bottom 3.3% nationally, and high blood pressure resides in the bottom 3.4% nationally.
Measured against the nearby ZIPs, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, 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. 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 98387, just across the boundary, 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 90%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 98%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 80%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 51%
14%
Disability
healthier than 47%
7%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 27%
16%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 1.0%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 16%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 1%
8%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 80%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 92%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 68%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 51%
14%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 3%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 2%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the bottom 0.5%
11%
Mental Health
in the bottom 0.8%
8%
Disability
healthier than 23%
7%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 82%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 55%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 58%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 53%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.7%
16%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 0.7%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the bottom 0.00%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 1%
8%
Disability
healthier than 6%
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
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.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 75.3 ± 2.3 years. The 49 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 79.0 years — 3.7 years below them.
Ranked #2,842 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
98387
Washingtonshares a border
Score 50.75
Closest healthier
98433
Washingtonshares a border
Score 51.81
Similar health profile
58202
North Dakota98% similar profile
Score 42.39
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 | 17.6% | 16.2–18.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 25.7% | 23.9–27.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 3.3% | 3.0–3.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.1% | 10.9–13.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 3.5% | 3.1–3.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 4.8% | 4.3–5.5 |
| Depression among adults | 30.8% | 28.4–33.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 8.6% | 7.7–9.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 27.0% | 25.1–28.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 41.3% | 38.0–44.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.3% | 2.1–2.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 20.5% | 17.5–23.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 13.6% | 11.6–15.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 56.0% | 53.4–58.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 63.3% | 60.4–65.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 72.9% | 70.3–75.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 51.7% | 48.7–54.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 53.0% | 50.5–55.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 68.4% | 63.6–72.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 19.7% | 17.7–21.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.2% | 13.4–17.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.2% | 19.8–24.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 42.6% | 39.7–45.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 21.0% | 19.0–23.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 24.2% | 22.1–26.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.3% | 13.0–15.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 22.2% | 20.1–24.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.4% | 31.7–37.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.3–5.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.1% | 9.1–11.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 10.6% | 9.5–11.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.4–4.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.7% | 5.2–6.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 14.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.6% (3.5–22.3%) n=583 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 11.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.2% (1.8–22.7%) n=582 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 12.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.0% (1.5–16.5%) n=588 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 10.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 27.4% (12.3–59.7%) n=588 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 13.7% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.5% (0.0–9.7%) n=584 |
| Households without a vehicle | 11.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.2%) n=580 |
| Broadband subscription | 95.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.7% (81.1–97.4%) n=580 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 71.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 28.9% (14.6–40.6%) n=580 |
| Homeownership rate | 9.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.2% (48.2–91.7%) n=580 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 6.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 2.6% (0.0–7.9%) n=580 |
| Foreign-born population | 6.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.7% (0.3–27.6%) n=588 |
| Single-parent households | 26.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (40.5–76.0%) n=574 |
| Population 65+ | 0.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.9% (10.3–36.9%) n=588 |
| Median age | 25.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (32.9–58.8) n=584 |
| Median household income | $50,509 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,646 ($56,217–$132,145) n=547 |
| Median home value | — | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $452,750 ($241,540–$826,380) n=542 |
| Median gross rent | $1,873 | $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 | 75.3 yr ± 1.15 | 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 1.15 years of 75.3, 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