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ZipVitals

ZIP code

99587

in Girdwood, AlaskaPopulation 1,949

62.50/ 100

Ranked #3,221 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 10.1%)

Ranked #4 of 211 Alaska ZIPs (top 1.9%)

Ranked #3 of 27 Anchorage, AK ZIPs (top 11.2%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Broad coverage across health domains

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.

Park land

89.3%

in the top 0.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.

Full methodology ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

10 per million

in the bottom 0.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST58th
US1st
Definition & 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 ›

Median household income

$163,704

in the top 2.6% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US97th
Definition & source ›

The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.

Full methodology ›

Walkability

0.64 intersections/sq mi

in the bottom 1.4% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST43rd
US1st
Definition & source ›

The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.

Full methodology ›

Grocery access

0.46 per 1,000 residents

in the top 1.8% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The number of full supermarkets 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. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”

Full methodology ›

Recreation access

1.8 per 1,000 residents

in the top 2.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST96th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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 ›

Outpatient-care access

0.92 per 1,000 residents

in the top 2.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST91st
US98th
Definition & source ›

The number of outpatient 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 ›

Distance to a nursing home

21.6 mi

in the top 2.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST28th
US97th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.

Full methodology ›

Distance to an emergency room

23.1 mi

in the top 3.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST25th
US96th
Definition & 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 hazardous-chemical facility

21.9 mi

in the top 4.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST35th
US96th
Definition & 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 ›

The read

Girdwood, Alaska (ZIP 99587), by its overall standing, sits in the top 10.1% healthiest ZIPs nationally (3,221st) and the top 1.9% of Alaska (4th), based on limited data; treat as directional.

continue reading

Both sides of the picture show up plainly in this area's numbers: park land lies in the top 0.3% nationally, modeled air-toxics cancer risk sits in the bottom 0.5% nationally, and household income settles in the top 2.6% nationally. Grocery registers in the top 1.8% nationally, recreation stands in the top 2.0% nationally, and outpatient lands in the top 2.3% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is in the top 4.0% nationally. By contrast, walkability resides in the bottom 1.4% nationally, and distance to a nursing home rests in the top 2.9% nationally. Distance to an emergency room lies in the top 3.8% nationally.

Held up against its neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, 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. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 99540, 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

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 93%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 93%

16%

Environmental HazardPartial

in the top 0.4%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 69%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 68%

8%

Disability

healthier than 94%

7%

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 69%

5%

Holding it back

Preventive Care

healthier than 14%

13%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 17%

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.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults21.6%19.4–24.1
High blood pressure among adults29.2%26.5–32.1
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults7.1%6.4–7.9
Current asthma among adults10.3%9.2–11.6
Coronary heart disease among adults4.4%3.8–5.0
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults4.5%3.7–5.4
Depression among adults22.7%20.1–25.7
Diagnosed diabetes among adults7.0%6.0–8.1
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened31.0%28.3–34.0
Obesity among adults34.7%30.7–39.2
Stroke among adults2.2%1.9–2.5
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years5.5%4.5–6.6
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years6.5%4.9–8.5
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure65.4%62.0–68.7
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults70.6%67.5–73.7
Cholesterol screening among adults83.7%81.4–86.1
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years63.2%59.7–66.7
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults66.7%64.0–69.4
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years68.9%63.1–74.5
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults20.5%18.1–23.4
Current cigarette smoking among adults12.4%9.4–15.3
No leisure-time physical activity among adults15.0%12.3–18.0
Short sleep duration among adults33.6%30.3–37.1
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults13.4%11.2–15.9
Frequent mental distress among adults15.1%13.1–17.2
Frequent physical distress among adults10.7%9.2–12.3
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults11.1%9.2–13.2
Any disability among adults22.4%19.3–26.0
Hearing disability among adults5.9%5.1–6.8
Independent living disability among adults5.4%4.5–6.4
Mobility disability among adults8.4%7.0–9.9
Self-care disability among adults2.4%2.0–2.8
Vision disability among adults2.9%2.4–3.3
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults20.9%17.8–24.1
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults7.7%5.8–9.8
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults5.5%3.9–7.4
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults8.4%6.6–10.4
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults5.7%4.6–6.8
Loneliness among adults30.4%26.9–34.0
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults5.8%4.6–7.1
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)AK median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate8.6%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36413.7% (1.4–38.0%) n=230
Uninsured 18–6411.5%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28620.8% (8.5–50.0%) n=225
No HS diploma (25+)1.9%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5058.4% (1.4–25.1%) n=230
Bachelor's or higher (25+)49.8%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50515.0% (0.0–37.4%) n=230
Unemployment rate (16+)6.7%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2748.6% (0.0–29.5%) n=226
Households without a vehicle0.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,32231.1% (1.0–95.5%) n=228
Broadband subscription89.2%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32284.8% (49.6–96.0%) n=228
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)26.5%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32217.0% (0.0–33.2%) n=228
Homeownership rate82.8%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32271.7% (45.5–94.4%) n=228
Crowded housing (>1 per room)3.8%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3228.5% (0.0–48.6%) n=228
Foreign-born population7.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5530.8% (0.0–11.1%) n=231
Single-parent households57.4%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08744.2% (18.7–68.2%) n=221
Population 65+14.2%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55312.7% (3.0–29.7%) n=231
Median age49.2 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29235.7 yr (22.6–53.6) n=226
Median household income$163,704$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$66,823 ($39,905–$108,850) n=197
Median home value$630,200$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$177,500 ($66,830–$395,940) n=178
Median gross rent$1,788$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,078 ($688–$1,571) n=143
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)AK median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth82.8 yr ± 3.4678.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30879.0 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 3.46 years of 82.8, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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