ZIP code
98527
in Bay Center, WashingtonPopulation 273
46.91/ 100
Ranked #20,268 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 37%)
Ranked #486 of 581 Washington ZIPs (bottom 16%)
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
1.6%
in the bottom 0.01% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Humid extreme heat
2 days/year
in the bottom 1.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
10 per million
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS3rdDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
23.4 mi
in the top 3.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
12.0%
in the top 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST81stUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Coronary heart disease
10.8%
in the top 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
96.2%
in the top 7.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Stroke
5.5%
in the top 7.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
12.2%
in the bottom 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS8thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›The read
By its overall health score, Bay Center, Washington (ZIP 98527) lands in the bottom 37% nationally (20,268th) and the bottom 16% of Washington (486th).
Where this area bears down hardest, the measures speak first: modeled hearing disability is in the top 4.5% nationally, and disaster risk stands in the top 5.1% nationally. Modeled coronary heart disease settles in the top 5.1% nationally, and stroke lies in the top 7.8% nationally. On the encouraging side, modeled pfas resides in the bottom 0.01% nationally, humid heat lands in the bottom 1.3% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk registers in the bottom 2.8% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility sits in the top 3.5% nationally, and homeownership rests in the top 7.2% nationally. Unemployment is at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs.
Weighed against the ZIPs nearby, expected annual loss runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To translate a couple of terms, 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. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 98640, about 1.3 miles away.
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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 79%
16%
Environmental Hazard
in the top 0.2%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 79%
11%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 55%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 9%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 37%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 40%
8%
Disability
healthier than 19%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 19%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 99%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 64%
13%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 47%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 58%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
in the bottom 0.8%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 36%
11%
Disability
healthier than 4%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 17%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 16%
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
98586
Washingtonshares a border
Score 46.69
Closest healthier
98640
Washingtonabout 1.3 mi away
Score 50.46
Similar health profile
97465
Oregon93% similar profile
Score 42.61
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 | 38.5% | 35.1–42.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 44.7% | 40.8–48.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 12.6% | 11.5–14.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.8% | 10.5–13.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.8% | 9.5–12.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.7% | 8.2–11.4 |
| Depression among adults | 25.0% | 21.9–28.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.9% | 14.7–19.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 43.6% | 39.8–47.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.4% | 31.7–43.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.5% | 4.8–6.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.3% | 12.8–18.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.2% | 8.1–12.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.3% | 77.5–83.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 75.4% | 71.9–78.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.8% | 85.0–88.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.9% | 64.3–73.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.4% | 54.0–60.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 71.3% | 64.0–78.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.2% | 10.1–14.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.1% | 11.7–16.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.9% | 20.0–28.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 35.9% | 30.9–41.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.6% | 21.2–28.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.6% | 14.7–18.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.5% | 15.4–19.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.6% | 13.7–17.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 38.7% | 34.3–43.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 12.0% | 10.6–13.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.8% | 8.5–11.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 19.9% | 17.2–22.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.3% | 4.5–6.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.5% | 5.7–7.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 4.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.6% (3.5–22.3%) n=583 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.2% (1.8–22.7%) n=582 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 3.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.0% (1.5–16.5%) n=588 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 47.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 27.4% (12.3–59.7%) n=588 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.5% (0.0–9.7%) n=584 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.2%) n=580 |
| Broadband subscription | 96.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.7% (81.1–97.4%) n=580 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 25.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 28.9% (14.6–40.6%) n=580 |
| Homeownership rate | 96.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.2% (48.2–91.7%) n=580 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 2.6% (0.0–7.9%) n=580 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.7% (0.3–27.6%) n=588 |
| Single-parent households | 76.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (40.5–76.0%) n=574 |
| Population 65+ | 26.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.9% (10.3–36.9%) n=588 |
| Median age | 58.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (32.9–58.8) n=584 |
| Median household income | $59,659 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,646 ($56,217–$132,145) n=547 |
| Median home value | $490,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $452,750 ($241,540–$826,380) n=542 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 | 82.4 yr ± 1.50 | 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 1.50 years of 82.4, 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