ZIP code
98531
in Centralia, WashingtonPopulation 27,337
46.82/ 100
Ranked #20,382 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 36%)
Ranked #487 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.
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 ›Mammography
66%
in the bottom 4.0% 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 ›Subsidized affordable housing
653 units
in the top 3.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 3.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS96thDefinition & source ›
FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
9.5%
in the top 9.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS91stDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
12.6 days/year
in the bottom 9.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST61stUS9thDefinition & 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 ›The read
On balance, and by the composite measure, Centralia, Washington (ZIP 98531) ranks in the bottom 36% nationally (20,382nd) and the bottom 16% of Washington (487th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
Neither strongly one way nor the other, the measures sit mixed: subsidized affordable housing settles in the top 3.1% nationally. Distance to an emergency room lies at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Modeled humid heat resides in the bottom 9.5% nationally, and outpatient lands in the top 11.1% nationally. Distance to a community health center registers at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Against that, distance to a Superfund site sits at the national minimum, modeled mammography rests in the bottom 4.0% nationally, and modeled expected annual loss is in the top 3.9% nationally. Modeled transportation noise stands in the top 9.3% nationally, and disaster risk settles in the top 10.8% nationally.
Compared with the ZIPs it borders, expected annual loss runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plainer terms, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 98530, 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.
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
healthier than 75%
14%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.5%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 46%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 51%
11%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 6%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 14%
8%
Disability
healthier than 32%
7%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 69%
14%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 98%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 47%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 22%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 10%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 8%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 19%
8%
Disability
healthier than 13%
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 what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 77.0 ± 1.1 years. A median household income of $63,406 predicts 78.3 years — 1.3 years below.
Ranked #1,595 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
98530
Washingtonshares a border
Score 48.78
Closest healthier
98532
Washingtonshares a border
Score 51.37
Similar health profile
98499
Washington96% similar profile
Score 46.41
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 | 29.8% | 27.3–32.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.5% | 32.4–38.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.9% | 8.2–9.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.6% | 10.4–12.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.1% | 6.4–7.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.8% | 6.9–8.6 |
| Depression among adults | 27.3% | 24.3–30.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.2% | 10.8–13.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.6% | 34.4–40.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.5% | 34.6–44.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.0% | 3.7–4.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.8% | 12.3–17.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.4% | 9.9–12.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 72.9% | 70.1–75.4 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 67.3% | 63.9–70.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 80.7% | 78.8–82.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 62.2% | 58.1–66.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 56.6% | 53.4–59.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 66.0% | 59.3–72.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.0% | 13.6–18.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.0% | 13.2–17.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.8% | 20.6–27.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.6% | 33.3–42.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.2% | 19.8–24.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.9% | 17.0–20.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.6% | 14.9–18.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.4% | 15.8–19.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.0% | 31.5–38.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.9–9.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.9% | 8.9–10.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.5% | 13.8–17.3 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.6% | 4.2–5.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.4–6.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 16.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.6% (3.5–22.3%) n=583 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 14.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.2% (1.8–22.7%) n=582 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.0% (1.5–16.5%) n=588 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 22.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 27.4% (12.3–59.7%) n=588 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.5% (0.0–9.7%) n=584 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.2%) n=580 |
| Broadband subscription | 90.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.7% (81.1–97.4%) n=580 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 34.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 28.9% (14.6–40.6%) n=580 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.2% (48.2–91.7%) n=580 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.5% | 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 | 47.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (40.5–76.0%) n=574 |
| Population 65+ | 20.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.9% (10.3–36.9%) n=588 |
| Median age | 40.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (32.9–58.8) n=584 |
| Median household income | $63,406 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,646 ($56,217–$132,145) n=547 |
| Median home value | $343,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $452,750 ($241,540–$826,380) n=542 |
| Median gross rent | $1,130 | $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 | 77.0 yr ± 0.54 | 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 0.54 years of 77.0, 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