ZIP code
99672
in Sterling, AlaskaPopulation 4,091
54.49/ 100
Ranked #10,091 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 31%)
Ranked #33 of 211 Alaska ZIPs (top 16%)
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
60.7%
in the bottom 0.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST48thUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
30.3%
in the bottom 11.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS11thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
11.6%
in the bottom 14.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS14thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Housing insecurity
8.2%
in the bottom 19% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS19thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Food insecurity
10.0%
in the bottom 20% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS20thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Loneliness
29.9%
in the bottom 22% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS22ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Utility shut-off threat
5.6%
in the bottom 23% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS23rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Lack of transportation
6.1%
in the bottom 24% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS24thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Obesity
31.6%
in the bottom 23% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS23rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20 per million
in the bottom 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS25thDefinition & 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 ›The read
In its overall standing, Sterling, Alaska (ZIP 99672) lands in the top 31% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,091st) and the top 16% of Alaska (33rd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
Taken together, the data gives a genuinely mixed reading: distance to a Superfund site rests in the top 10.3% nationally, poverty registers in the bottom 10.6% nationally, and modeled short sleep resides in the bottom 11.0% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden settles in the bottom 11.4% nationally, cognitive disability is in the bottom 14.4% nationally, and expected annual loss sits in the bottom 17% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility lands in the top 18% nationally, and modeled housing insecurity lies in the bottom 19% nationally. On the other side, modeled mammography stands in the bottom 0.9% nationally, and fiber broadband rests in the bottom 19% nationally.
Put simply, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. On the overall standing, ZIP 99572, just across the boundary, 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
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 65%
17%
Environmental HazardPartial
healthier than 97%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 81%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 92%
9%
Disability
healthier than 67%
8%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 52%
22%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 9%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 37%
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
99572
Alaskashares a border
Score 61.67
Closest healthier
99631
Alaskaabout 20 mi away
Score 60.04
Similar health profile
87051
New Mexico95% similar profile
Score 54.41
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 | 29.2% | 26.2–32.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.1% | 34.6–41.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.9% | 9.8–12.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.0% | 8.8–11.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.7% | 6.7–8.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.5% | 6.2–8.9 |
| Depression among adults | 18.7% | 16.0–21.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.4% | 8.8–12.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.8% | 37.2–44.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 31.6% | 26.9–36.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.3–4.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.4% | 12.9–18.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.3% | 6.4–10.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 74.6% | 71.2–77.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 68.7% | 65.1–72.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.2% | 82.0–86.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 62.6% | 58.6–66.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 60.1% | 57.0–63.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 60.7% | 54.0–67.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.1% | 13.6–18.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.8% | 11.8–17.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 20.4% | 16.7–24.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 30.3% | 26.6–34.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.7% | 14.9–20.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 13.4% | 11.6–15.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.1% | 12.1–16.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.6% | 9.9–13.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.2% | 25.2–33.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.6% | 8.3–10.8 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.8% | 5.8–7.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.2% | 11.1–15.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.5% | 2.9–4.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.2% | 3.6–4.9 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.3% | 17.3–23.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.0% | 7.9–12.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 6.9% | 5.3–8.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.2% | 6.7–9.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.1% | 5.2–7.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 29.9% | 26.2–33.8 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.6% | 4.7–6.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AK median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 3.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.7% (1.4–38.0%) n=230 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 20.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 20.8% (8.5–50.0%) n=225 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 1.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 8.4% (1.4–25.1%) n=230 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 25.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 15.0% (0.0–37.4%) n=230 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 8.6% (0.0–29.5%) n=226 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.2% | 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) | 18.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 17.0% (0.0–33.2%) n=228 |
| Homeownership rate | 86.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 71.7% (45.5–94.4%) n=228 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 8.5% (0.0–48.6%) n=228 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–11.1%) n=231 |
| Single-parent households | 58.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 44.2% (18.7–68.2%) n=221 |
| Population 65+ | 24.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 12.7% (3.0–29.7%) n=231 |
| Median age | 45.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 35.7 yr (22.6–53.6) n=226 |
| Median household income | $100,642 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $66,823 ($39,905–$108,850) n=197 |
| Median home value | $316,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,500 ($66,830–$395,940) n=178 |
| Median gross rent | $1,171 | $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 ± 1.62 | 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 1.62 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