ZIP code
99686
in Valdez, AlaskaPopulation 3,862
52.48/ 100
Ranked #12,788 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 40%)
Ranked #42 of 211 Alaska ZIPs (top 20%)
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
7.6%
in the top 0.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST41stUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Walkability
0.21 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 0.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST29thUS1stDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
89.6 mi
in the top 4.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST32ndUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Elder-services access
0.25 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Fiber broadband
98.2%
in the top 6.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
18.4 mi
in the top 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST23rdUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
98.3%
in the top 6.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
19.9%
in the top 6.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
8.0%
in the bottom 4.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Unemployment rate
10.2%
in the top 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST56thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite health measure, Valdez, Alaska (ZIP 99686) ranks in the top 40% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,788th) and the top 20% of Alaska (42nd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
A number of measures pull each way for this area: distance to a Superfund site is in the top 4.3% nationally, and elder services settles in the top 5.6% nationally. Fiber broadband resides in the top 6.3% nationally, and home broadband subscription registers in the top 6.9% nationally. Modeled diabetes rests in the bottom 4.3% nationally. Set against that, modeled energy burden stands in the top 0.8% nationally, walkability lies in the bottom 0.6% nationally, and distance to an emergency room lands in the top 6.7% nationally. Modeled binge drinking sits in the top 6.6% nationally, and unemployment is in the top 9.2% nationally.
To spell things out, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. Close by, ZIP 99574, just across the boundary, ranks healthier 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 88%
22%
Environmental HazardPartial
healthier than 87%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 77%
9%
Disability
healthier than 80%
8%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 48%
11%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 7%
17%
Preventive Care
healthier than 6%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 10%
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
99566
Alaskashares a border
Score 46.90
Closest healthier
99574
Alaskashares a border
Score 54.51
Similar health profile
98950
Washington95% similar profile
Score 56.56
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 | 21.6% | 18.8–24.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 29.7% | 25.8–33.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 6.7% | 6.0–7.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.2–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.0% | 4.3–5.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.7% | 4.8–6.8 |
| Depression among adults | 20.1% | 16.9–23.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 8.0% | 6.7–9.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 32.0% | 28.0–36.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 32.1% | 25.4–39.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.7% | 2.4–3.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.9% | 9.6–14.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.9% | 7.1–11.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 65.9% | 61.6–69.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 65.5% | 60.7–70.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 79.8% | 77.0–82.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 58.7% | 53.5–63.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 63.9% | 60.1–67.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.2% | 60.7–77.0 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 19.9% | 16.4–23.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.5% | 12.5–18.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 19.6% | 15.8–24.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.2% | 28.1–40.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 16.7% | 14.0–19.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.7% | 13.5–18.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.6% | 10.9–14.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.5% | 11.5–15.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 26.3% | 22.2–31.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.5% | 5.7–7.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.0% | 6.0–8.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 10.2% | 8.5–12.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.1% | 2.7–3.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.0% | 3.5–4.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.3% | 19.7–27.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.1% | 9.6–14.8 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.2% | 6.3–10.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.8% | 8.8–13.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.8% | 6.6–9.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.6% | 26.8–36.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.4% | 6.1–8.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AK median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 5.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.7% (1.4–38.0%) n=230 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 15.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 20.8% (8.5–50.0%) n=225 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 3.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 8.4% (1.4–25.1%) n=230 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 31.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 15.0% (0.0–37.4%) n=230 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 10.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 8.6% (0.0–29.5%) n=226 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 31.1% (1.0–95.5%) n=228 |
| Broadband subscription | 98.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 84.8% (49.6–96.0%) n=228 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 19.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 17.0% (0.0–33.2%) n=228 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 71.7% (45.5–94.4%) n=228 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.4% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 8.5% (0.0–48.6%) n=228 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–11.1%) n=231 |
| Single-parent households | 48.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 44.2% (18.7–68.2%) n=221 |
| Population 65+ | 10.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 12.7% (3.0–29.7%) n=231 |
| Median age | 38.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 35.7 yr (22.6–53.6) n=226 |
| Median household income | $99,349 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $66,823 ($39,905–$108,850) n=197 |
| Median home value | $312,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,500 ($66,830–$395,940) n=178 |
| Median gross rent | $1,481 | $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 | 82.9 yr ± 3.55 | 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 3.55 years of 82.9, 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