ZIP code
99685
in Unalaska, AlaskaPopulation 3,747
53.79/ 100
Ranked #10,977 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 34%)
Ranked #38 of 211 Alaska ZIPs (top 18%)
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
15.8%
in the top 0.01% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a nursing home
498.9 mi
in the top 0.02% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & 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
602.2 mi
in the top 0.06% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
7.4 per million
in the bottom 0.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST16thUS1stDefinition & 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
48%
in the bottom 1.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST28thUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
439.8 mi
in the top 0.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST81stUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Mental-health provider access
0.28 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health 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 ›Mammography
65.4%
in the bottom 3.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST75thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
34.1%
in the bottom 3.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›The read
Unalaska, Alaska (ZIP 99685), in overall standing, comes out in the top 34% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,977th) and the top 18% of Alaska (38th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
A few readings each way define this mixed profile: modeled air-toxics cancer risk registers in the bottom 0.2% nationally, distance to a Superfund site is in the top 0.2% nationally, and mental-health providers lies in the top 2.3% nationally. Pulling the other way, modeled energy burden registers in the top 0.01% nationally, distance to a nursing home is in the top 0.02% nationally, and distance to an emergency room lies in the top 0.06% nationally. Modeled colon screening registers in the bottom 1.4% nationally, and disaster risk is in the top 1.7% nationally. Modeled mammography lies in the bottom 3.3% nationally, and homeownership registers in the bottom 3.9% nationally.
Set within its surrounding area, distance to a nursing home runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, for reference, 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. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 99692, 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 96%
22%
Environmental HazardPartial
in the top 0.00%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 97%
9%
Disability
healthier than 89%
8%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 3%
17%
Preventive Care
healthier than 1%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 16%
11%
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
99692
Alaskashares a border
Score 57.61
Closest healthier
99615
Alaskaabout 506 mi away
Score 57.97
Similar health profile
69211
Nebraska97% similar profile
Score 51.89
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 | 15.0% | 12.9–17.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 28.6% | 24.8–32.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 3.7% | 3.3–4.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.2% | 7.2–9.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 4.0% | 3.5–4.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 4.1% | 3.5–4.7 |
| Depression among adults | 14.8% | 12.5–17.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 9.5% | 8.2–11.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 31.8% | 27.8–36.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 32.8% | 26.2–39.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.3% | 2.1–2.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.5% | 10.9–16.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.6% | 10.5–15.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 60.9% | 56.6–65.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 62.1% | 57.2–66.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 76.9% | 74.0–79.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 48.0% | 42.3–53.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 53.9% | 49.8–57.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 65.4% | 56.0–73.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 20.2% | 16.7–24.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.2% | 13.6–19.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.8% | 19.7–28.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.6% | 33.0–46.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.4% | 14.8–20.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.0% | 12.3–15.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.2% | 9.8–12.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.5% | 10.7–14.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 23.4% | 19.8–27.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.3% | 4.7–6.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.0% | 5.2–6.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 8.7% | 7.4–10.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.9% | 2.6–3.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.8–4.8 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 32.8% | 28.3–37.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.2% | 13.6–19.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.1% | 7.5–11.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.7% | 11.7–15.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.8% | 7.7–10.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 37.2% | 31.9–42.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.2% | 7.0–9.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AK median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.7% (1.4–38.0%) n=230 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 22.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 20.8% (8.5–50.0%) n=225 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 8.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 8.4% (1.4–25.1%) n=230 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 19.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 15.0% (0.0–37.4%) n=230 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 8.6% (0.0–29.5%) n=226 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 31.1% (1.0–95.5%) n=228 |
| Broadband subscription | 87.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 84.8% (49.6–96.0%) n=228 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 26.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 17.0% (0.0–33.2%) n=228 |
| Homeownership rate | 34.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 71.7% (45.5–94.4%) n=228 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 10.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 8.5% (0.0–48.6%) n=228 |
| Foreign-born population | 46.7% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–11.1%) n=231 |
| Single-parent households | 57.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 44.2% (18.7–68.2%) n=221 |
| Population 65+ | 5.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 12.7% (3.0–29.7%) n=231 |
| Median age | 39.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 35.7 yr (22.6–53.6) n=226 |
| Median household income | $135,759 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $66,823 ($39,905–$108,850) n=197 |
| Median home value | $462,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,500 ($66,830–$395,940) n=178 |
| Median gross rent | $2,066 | $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 | 79.5 yr ± 1.82 | 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 1.82 years of 79.5, 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