ZIP code
99768
in Ruby, AlaskaPopulation 237
31.33/ 100
Ranked #30,469 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 5.0%)
Ranked #123 of 211 Alaska ZIPs (bottom 42%)
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
9.4%
in the top 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST46thUS99thDefinition & 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
0.0081 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 0.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
14.2%
in the top 0.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
105.7 mi
in the top 0.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST61stUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
104.8 mi
in the top 0.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST60thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to an emergency room
105.4 mi
in the top 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST46thUS99thDefinition & 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
10 per million
in the bottom 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST59thUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Households without a vehicle
41.1%
in the top 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST56thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Mammography
64.6%
in the bottom 2.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST70thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
10.3%
in the top 4.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST65thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
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
- 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
Ruby, Alaska (ZIP 99768), by its overall standing, sits in the bottom 5.0% nationally (30,469th) and the bottom 42% of Alaska (123rd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The clearest local signals in the data come through up front: modeled energy burden settles in the top 0.5% nationally, walkability registers in the bottom 0.3% nationally, and modeled hearing disability stands in the top 0.8% nationally. Distance to a nursing home lands in the top 0.3% nationally, distance to an emergency room is in the top 0.5% nationally, and households without a vehicle resides in the top 1.5% nationally. Modeled mammography rests in the bottom 2.5% nationally, and vision disability lies in the top 4.3% nationally. On the brighter side, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility sits in the top 0.4% nationally, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk settles in the bottom 0.5% nationally.
Held up against its neighbors, distance to a nursing home runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain 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. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 99741, about 10 miles away.
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 56%
9%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 9%
22%
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.6%
17%
Preventive Care
healthier than 6%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 8%
11%
Disability
healthier than 4%
8%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.4%
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
99741
Alaskaabout 10 mi away
Score 34.11
Closest healthier
99777
Alaskaabout 14 mi away
Score 32.65
Similar health profile
99764
Alaska99% similar profile
Score 30.70
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 | 32.0% | 28.4–35.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 44.0% | 39.7–48.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.6% | 6.7–8.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 13.4% | 11.8–15.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.7% | 9.2–12.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.1% | 9.1–13.1 |
| Depression among adults | 19.7% | 16.6–23.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 19.0% | 16.3–21.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.2% | 34.9–43.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.6% | 31.2–46.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 6.1% | 5.3–7.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 22.2% | 18.1–26.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.4% | 9.5–15.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 74.1% | 70.8–77.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 71.5% | 67.3–75.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 79.8% | 77.0–82.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 61.3% | 55.4–66.9 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 48.5% | 44.7–52.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 64.6% | 55.2–73.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.8% | 11.2–16.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 28.7% | 23.7–33.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 29.6% | 24.4–35.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.4% | 31.9–45.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 31.6% | 27.1–36.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.6% | 16.2–21.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 20.6% | 17.8–23.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.3% | 15.6–21.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 43.1% | 37.5–48.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 14.2% | 12.4–15.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 12.9% | 11.0–15.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 22.5% | 19.2–26.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.5% | 5.5–7.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 10.3% | 8.9–12.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 30.7% | 26.1–35.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 31.5% | 25.9–37.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 23.5% | 18.8–28.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 22.1% | 18.5–26.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 18.3% | 15.5–21.5 |
| Loneliness among adults | 35.6% | 30.2–41.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 16.3% | 13.8–19.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AK median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 3.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.7% (1.4–38.0%) n=230 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 40.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 20.8% (8.5–50.0%) n=225 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 24.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 8.4% (1.4–25.1%) n=230 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 8.7% | 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 | 41.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 31.1% (1.0–95.5%) n=228 |
| Broadband subscription | 68.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 84.8% (49.6–96.0%) n=228 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 10.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 17.0% (0.0–33.2%) n=228 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.3% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 71.7% (45.5–94.4%) n=228 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 4.5% | 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 | 53.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 44.2% (18.7–68.2%) n=221 |
| Population 65+ | 32.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 12.7% (3.0–29.7%) n=231 |
| Median age | 50.6 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 | $205,000 | $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 | 75.9 yr ± 0.53 | 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 0.53 years of 75.9, 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