ZIP code
99603
in Homer, AlaskaPopulation 11,693
55.69/ 100
Ranked #8,641 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 27%)
Ranked #23 of 211 Alaska ZIPs (top 11.0%)
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.
Mammography
61.7%
in the bottom 1.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST51stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
50.3 mi
in the top 0.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST45thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Walkability
0.8 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 1.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST47thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 2.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a Superfund site
96.8 mi
in the top 3.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST34thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 4.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Elder-services access
0.28 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
11 per million
in the bottom 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS6thDefinition & 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 ›Short sleep
29.3%
in the bottom 6.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS7thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Dental provider access
0.93 per 1,000 residents
in the top 8.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of dental offices 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 ›The read
Overall, Homer, Alaska (ZIP 99603) lands in the top 27% healthiest ZIPs nationally (8,641st) and the top 11.0% of Alaska (23rd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
A number of measures pull each way for this area: distance to a hazardous-chemical facility registers in the top 0.8% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site rests in the top 3.8% nationally. Elder services stands in the top 5.0% nationally. Distance to an emergency room lies at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Modeled air-toxics cancer risk lands in the bottom 5.6% nationally, and short sleep sits in the bottom 6.8% nationally. Set against that, modeled mammography is in the bottom 1.1% nationally, walkability settles in the bottom 1.9% nationally, and modeled disaster risk resides in the top 2.3% nationally. Modeled expected annual loss registers in the top 4.9% nationally.
Set beside the nearby areas, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. A note on the terms: 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. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 99664, just across the boundary, 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 64%
22%
Environmental HazardPartial
in the top 0.00%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 79%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 84%
9%
Disability
healthier than 64%
8%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
6%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 49%
17%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 7%
13%
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
99556
Alaskashares a border
Score 47.78
Closest healthier
99664
Alaskashares a border
Score 56.28
Similar health profile
99833
Alaska95% similar profile
Score 54.33
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 | 27.4% | 24.6–30.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.4% | 32.1–38.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.7% | 8.8–10.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.3–11.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.0% | 6.2–7.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.4% | 6.4–8.4 |
| Depression among adults | 20.1% | 17.3–23.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 9.7% | 8.4–11.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.4% | 34.8–41.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 32.0% | 27.3–36.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.6% | 3.3–3.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.1% | 9.2–13.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.9% | 7.5–10.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 72.4% | 69.0–75.4 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 66.9% | 63.2–70.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 81.5% | 79.4–83.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 62.6% | 58.7–66.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 61.9% | 59.0–65.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 61.7% | 55.3–68.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.8% | 14.2–19.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.4% | 13.1–18.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 20.6% | 17.5–23.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 29.3% | 25.7–33.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.2% | 15.9–20.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.5% | 12.8–16.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.1% | 12.4–15.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.7% | 11.1–14.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.4% | 26.1–33.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.9–9.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.4% | 6.5–8.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.0% | 11.3–14.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.6% | 3.2–4.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.5% | 4.1–5.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.2% | 17.5–23.0 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.0% | 10.0–14.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.9% | 7.3–10.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.6% | 8.1–11.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.3% | 6.4–8.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.8% | 27.2–34.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.8% | 5.8–7.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AK median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.7% (1.4–38.0%) n=230 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 17.2% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 20.8% (8.5–50.0%) n=225 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 8.4% (1.4–25.1%) n=230 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 39.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 15.0% (0.0–37.4%) n=230 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 8.6% (0.0–29.5%) n=226 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 31.1% (1.0–95.5%) n=228 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 84.8% (49.6–96.0%) n=228 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 29.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 17.0% (0.0–33.2%) n=228 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 71.7% (45.5–94.4%) n=228 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 4.4% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 8.5% (0.0–48.6%) n=228 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.7% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–11.1%) n=231 |
| Single-parent households | 56.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 44.2% (18.7–68.2%) n=221 |
| Population 65+ | 20.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 12.7% (3.0–29.7%) n=231 |
| Median age | 40.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 35.7 yr (22.6–53.6) n=226 |
| Median household income | $78,767 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $66,823 ($39,905–$108,850) n=197 |
| Median home value | $373,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,500 ($66,830–$395,940) n=178 |
| Median gross rent | $1,219 | $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 | 79.1 yr ± 0.84 | 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 0.84 years of 79.1, 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