ZIP code
98620
in Goldendale, WashingtonPopulation 7,936
48.38/ 100
Ranked #18,442 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 42%)
Ranked #444 of 581 Washington ZIPs (bottom 24%)
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.
Elder-services access
0.39 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities 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 ›Humid extreme heat
6.3 days/year
in the bottom 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST30thUS4thDefinition & 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 ›PFAS in drinking water
7.6%
in the bottom 4.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS4thDefinition & 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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›Mental-health provider access
0.13 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health clinics 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 ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 8.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST68thUS91stDefinition & 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 ›Unemployment rate
10.3%
in the top 8.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Goldendale, Washington (ZIP 98620) places in the bottom 42% nationally (18,442nd) and the bottom 24% of Washington (444th).
The data opens on a genuinely even set of readings: elder services rests in the top 3.3% nationally, and modeled humid heat resides in the bottom 4.0% nationally. Modeled pfas is in the bottom 4.3% nationally, and industrial-pollution burden lands in the bottom 4.5% nationally. Mental-health providers stands in the top 7.9% nationally, and outpatient registers in the top 12.1% nationally. On the other side, modeled disaster risk settles in the top 8.8% nationally, unemployment sits in the top 8.9% nationally, and modeled mammography lies in the bottom 10.1% nationally. Modeled fine-particle rests in the top 13.8% nationally.
For readers new to these 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. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 98613, 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 83%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 79%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 95%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 47%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 29%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 23%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 35%
8%
Disability
healthier than 33%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 14%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 73%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 74%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 40%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 50%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 12%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 36%
11%
Disability
healthier than 14%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 13%
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 ›
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.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 82.6; chronic-disease standing 29.3 — 53 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #2,244 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
97050
Oregonshares a border
Score 43.13
Closest healthier
98613
Washingtonshares a border
Score 48.58
Similar health profile
84719
Utah98% similar profile
Score 49.45
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 | 34.0% | 31.1–37.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 36.8% | 33.4–40.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.0% | 10.0–12.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.0% | 10.7–13.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.9–9.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.7% | 7.7–9.8 |
| Depression among adults | 25.1% | 22.0–28.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.0% | 11.4–14.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.9% | 34.3–41.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 34.1% | 29.0–39.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.6% | 4.2–5.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.7% | 13.8–20.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.7% | 7.4–10.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.9% | 75.1–80.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 72.4% | 68.9–75.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.7% | 83.0–86.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.8% | 62.2–71.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 59.6% | 56.2–63.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 68.9% | 61.5–75.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.5% | 12.2–17.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.0% | 12.1–16.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.3% | 19.0–25.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.3% | 28.4–38.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 21.2% | 18.7–23.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.1% | 15.3–19.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.4% | 14.6–18.3 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.5% | 13.8–17.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 33.6% | 29.9–37.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.9% | 8.9–10.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.1% | 8.1–10.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.7% | 14.7–18.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.2–5.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.6% | 5.1–6.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 17.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.6% (3.5–22.3%) n=583 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 10.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.2% (1.8–22.7%) n=582 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 11.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.0% (1.5–16.5%) n=588 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 20.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 27.4% (12.3–59.7%) n=588 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 10.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.5% (0.0–9.7%) n=584 |
| Households without a vehicle | 8.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.2%) n=580 |
| Broadband subscription | 81.9% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.7% (81.1–97.4%) n=580 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 27.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 28.9% (14.6–40.6%) n=580 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.3% | 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 | 5.6% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.7% (0.3–27.6%) n=588 |
| Single-parent households | 62.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (40.5–76.0%) n=574 |
| Population 65+ | 27.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.9% (10.3–36.9%) n=588 |
| Median age | 44.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (32.9–58.8) n=584 |
| Median household income | $60,500 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,646 ($56,217–$132,145) n=547 |
| Median home value | $280,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $452,750 ($241,540–$826,380) n=542 |
| Median gross rent | $900 | $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 | 78.8 yr ± 0.61 | 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 0.61 years of 78.8, 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