ZIP code
99559
in Bethel, AlaskaPopulation 7,241
39.05/ 100
Ranked #27,360 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 14.7%)
Ranked #102 of 211 Alaska ZIPs (top 48%)
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 an emergency room
356.5 mi
in the top 0.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST79thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
399.2 mi
in the top 0.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST74thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
160.4 mi
in the top 0.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST68thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
9.3 per million
in the bottom 0.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST48thUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Colon-cancer screening
51.4%
in the bottom 2.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST40thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
23%
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST67thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Mammography
63.9%
in the bottom 2.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST65thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
33.9%
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST52ndUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Lack of transportation
17.3%
in the top 3.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST54thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
30.1%
in the bottom 3.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST11thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Bethel, Alaska (ZIP 99559) lands in the bottom 14.7% nationally (27,360th) and the top 48% of Alaska (102nd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
Where the load on this area runs deepest, the data leads: distance to an emergency room is in the top 0.2% nationally, and modeled colon screening settles in the bottom 2.6% nationally. Crowded housing resides in the top 0.9% nationally, and modeled mammography registers in the bottom 2.1% nationally. Households without a vehicle rests in the top 2.0% nationally, and modeled transportation stands in the top 3.9% nationally. More encouragingly, distance to a Superfund site lies in the top 0.3% nationally, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility lands in the top 0.3% nationally, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk sits in the bottom 0.4% nationally. Modeled high cholesterol is in the bottom 3.5% nationally.
Set beside the nearby areas, crowded housing runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. A note on the terms: distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. 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. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 99576, about 74 miles away, ranks better 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.
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 71%
22%
Environmental HazardPartial
in the top 0.00%
14%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 40%
9%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 2%
17%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 0.6%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 5%
11%
Disability
healthier than 22%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 4%
6%
No data: Climate / Disaster Risk — not measured in this ZIP, so it is left out of the score entirely rather than estimated.
“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
99634
Alaskaabout 3.4 mi away
Score 19.41
Closest healthier
99576
Alaskaabout 74 mi away
Score 41.42
Similar health profile
99752
Alaska99% similar profile
Score 40.95
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 | 20.5% | 18.0–23.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 32.9% | 29.3–36.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 4.9% | 4.4–5.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.7% | 11.2–14.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.9% | 5.3–6.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.5% | 6.6–8.5 |
| Depression among adults | 20.3% | 17.2–23.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.7% | 9.3–12.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 30.1% | 26.6–33.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.1% | 29.2–41.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.7% | 3.3–4.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 21.0% | 17.6–24.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 13.1% | 10.9–15.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 61.5% | 58.0–64.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 63.1% | 58.7–67.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 72.1% | 69.1–75.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 51.4% | 46.1–56.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 45.8% | 42.1–49.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 63.9% | 55.3–71.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.0% | 15.0–21.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 24.6% | 21.3–27.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 27.4% | 23.4–31.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.2% | 33.5–44.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.1% | 21.9–28.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.9% | 17.6–22.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.3% | 14.4–18.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 19.4% | 17.0–21.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.8% | 31.5–40.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.0% | 8.0–10.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.3% | 10.0–12.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.7% | 12.8–16.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.6% | 4.1–5.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.8% | 7.0–8.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 34.7% | 30.4–39.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 27.9% | 24.1–32.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 20.1% | 17.2–23.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 21.2% | 18.2–24.4 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 17.3% | 15.1–19.6 |
| Loneliness among adults | 36.8% | 32.0–41.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 14.5% | 12.6–16.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AK median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 14.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.7% (1.4–38.0%) n=230 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 18.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 20.8% (8.5–50.0%) n=225 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 13.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 8.4% (1.4–25.1%) n=230 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 22.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 15.0% (0.0–37.4%) n=230 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 9.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 8.6% (0.0–29.5%) n=226 |
| Households without a vehicle | 33.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 31.1% (1.0–95.5%) n=228 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 84.8% (49.6–96.0%) n=228 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 17.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 17.0% (0.0–33.2%) n=228 |
| Homeownership rate | 49.3% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 71.7% (45.5–94.4%) n=228 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 23.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 8.5% (0.0–48.6%) n=228 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–11.1%) n=231 |
| Single-parent households | 32.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 44.2% (18.7–68.2%) n=221 |
| Population 65+ | 7.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 12.7% (3.0–29.7%) n=231 |
| Median age | 31.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 35.7 yr (22.6–53.6) n=226 |
| Median household income | $113,333 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $66,823 ($39,905–$108,850) n=197 |
| Median home value | $342,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,500 ($66,830–$395,940) n=178 |
| Median gross rent | $1,662 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,078 ($688–$1,571) n=143 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AK median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.2 yr ± 2.76 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 79.0 yr (75.1–84.7) n=222 |
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 2.76 years of 80.2, 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