ZIP code
99591
in St. George, AlaskaPopulation 70
29.83/ 100
Ranked #30,805 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 4.0%)
Ranked #128 of 211 Alaska ZIPs (bottom 39%)
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.
Energy-cost burden
10.9%
in the top 0.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST59thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
6 per million
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 nursing home
400.2 mi
in the top 0.03% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & 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
645.7 mi
in the top 0.05% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & 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
429 mi
in the top 0.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST80thUS99thDefinition & 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
62.7%
in the bottom 1.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST56thUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
28.6%
in the top 0.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST72ndUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
70%
in the top 0.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
57.1%
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST63rdUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
39.7 mi
in the top 1.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST41stUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Cross-source signals
Health need and barriers to care documented here
On our reading, this ZIP code carries the overlap at its acute level: acute means at least three of the six health-need readings and at least three of the six access barriers apply to the same place.
These are two separate readings of public data that both apply to this place — never a claim that one causes the other, never a severity score, and never a statement about any person who lives here.
Health need documented here
- People living in poverty
- Food insecurity
- Housing insecurity
- Adults reporting fair or poor health
- Chronic conditions
Barriers to reaching care
- Distance to the nearest emergency room
- Households with no vehicle
- Limited home internet for telehealth
A reading appears below only where this ZIP code is among the most-affected 10% of US ZIP codes on it — one national bar, the same for every ZIP in the country.
See the full care-deserts analysis →The read
In its overall standing, St. George, Alaska (ZIP 99591) lands in the bottom 4.0% nationally (30,805th) and the bottom 39% of Alaska (128th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The profile reads plainly, and several measures carry it: modeled energy burden settles in the top 0.4% nationally, distance to a nursing home is in the top 0.03% nationally, and distance to an emergency room sits in the top 0.05% nationally. Modeled mammography lands in the bottom 1.4% nationally, crowded housing lies in the top 0.6% nationally, and poverty stands in the top 0.7% nationally. Households without a vehicle rests in the top 0.9% nationally. On the better side, modeled air-toxics cancer risk registers at the national minimum, and distance to a Superfund site resides in the top 0.2% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility settles in the top 1.2% nationally.
Against the wider neighborhood, distance to an emergency room runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put simply, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. 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. On the overall standing, ZIP 99660, about 39 miles away, ranks healthier.
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 HazardPartial
in the top 0.00%
14%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 55%
9%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 16%
22%
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.2%
17%
Preventive Care
healthier than 2%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 1%
11%
Disability
healthier than 9%
8%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.06%
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
99660
Alaskaabout 39 mi away
Score 31.07
Closest healthier
99553
Alaskaabout 215 mi away
Score 49.79
Similar health profile
99649
Alaska99% similar profile
Score 34.91
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 | 28.5% | 25.0–32.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 41.1% | 36.6–45.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 6.6% | 5.8–7.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 13.2% | 11.7–15.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.6% | 7.3–10.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.4% | 7.7–11.5 |
| Depression among adults | 19.6% | 16.4–23.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 17.5% | 14.9–20.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.8% | 31.4–40.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 44.3% | 36.5–52.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.2% | 4.4–6.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 28.4% | 23.5–33.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 13.2% | 10.3–16.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 71.2% | 67.4–74.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 68.7% | 64.2–73.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 78.6% | 75.7–81.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 54.7% | 48.9–60.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 42.6% | 38.7–46.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 62.7% | 52.9–71.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.8% | 13.8–20.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 28.5% | 23.5–33.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 30.8% | 25.1–37.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 43.2% | 36.4–50.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 29.5% | 25.0–34.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.7% | 16.4–21.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 19.4% | 16.7–22.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.1% | 15.5–21.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.7% | 34.1–45.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.9% | 10.3–13.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.8% | 10.0–13.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.3% | 16.9–23.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.7% | 4.8–7.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 9.4% | 8.0–11.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 33.0% | 28.1–38.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 30.5% | 25.2–36.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 22.1% | 17.6–27.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 22.7% | 19.0–26.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 17.8% | 15.1–20.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 38.0% | 32.4–44.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 16.6% | 14.1–19.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AK median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 70.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.7% (1.4–38.0%) n=230 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 52.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 20.8% (8.5–50.0%) n=225 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 26.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 8.4% (1.4–25.1%) n=230 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 31.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 15.0% (0.0–37.4%) n=230 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 8.6% (0.0–29.5%) n=226 |
| Households without a vehicle | 57.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 31.1% (1.0–95.5%) n=228 |
| Broadband subscription | 85.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 84.8% (49.6–96.0%) n=228 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 14.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 17.0% (0.0–33.2%) n=228 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 71.7% (45.5–94.4%) n=228 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 28.6% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 8.5% (0.0–48.6%) n=228 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–11.1%) n=231 |
| Single-parent households | 20.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 44.2% (18.7–68.2%) n=221 |
| Population 65+ | 12.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 12.7% (3.0–29.7%) n=231 |
| Median age | 27.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 35.7 yr (22.6–53.6) n=226 |
| Median household income | — | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $66,823 ($39,905–$108,850) n=197 |
| Median home value | $95,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,500 ($66,830–$395,940) n=178 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 | 76.0 yr ± 2.92 | 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 2.92 years of 76.0, 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