ZIP code
99786
in Ambler, AlaskaPopulation 182
21.58/ 100
Ranked #31,769 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 1.0%)
Ranked #178 of 211 Alaska ZIPs (bottom 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.
Energy-cost burden
9.8%
in the top 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST49thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Colon-cancer screening
46.8%
in the bottom 1.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST22ndUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Mammography
60%
in the bottom 0.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST43rdUS1stDefinition & 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
317.7 mi
in the top 0.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST87thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Households without a vehicle
94.6%
in the top 0.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
12.0%
in the top 2.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST79thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
126.7 mi
in the top 0.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST69thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Tooth loss
33%
in the top 1.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST74thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
291.4 mi
in the top 0.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST67thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Independent-living disability
16%
in the top 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST82ndUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.
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
- People without health insurance
- Food insecurity
- Housing insecurity
- Adults reporting fair or poor health
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
Overall, Ambler, Alaska (ZIP 99786) lands in the bottom 1.0% nationally (31,769th) and the bottom 16% of Alaska (178th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
What defines this place in the numbers is worth naming first: modeled energy burden stands in the top 0.5% nationally, and colon screening lies in the bottom 1.1% nationally. Modeled mammography lands in the bottom 0.8% nationally, and households without a vehicle sits in the top 0.2% nationally. Modeled vision disability is in the top 2.1% nationally, distance to a nursing home settles in the top 0.3% nationally, and modeled tooth loss resides in the top 1.8% nationally. Distance to an emergency room registers in the top 0.3% nationally, and modeled independent living disability rests in the top 1.7% nationally. More encouragingly, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility stands in the top 0.2% nationally.
Set beside the nearby areas, distance to a nursing home 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. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 99773, about 20 miles away, ranks better overall. The ZIP also shows documented health need overlapping with barriers to reaching care, sitting in the most-affected 10% of US ZIP codes on several need measures and several access barriers.
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%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 11%
22%
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.01%
17%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 0.3%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the bottom 0.9%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 14%
9%
Disability
healthier than 1%
8%
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
99773
Alaskaabout 20 mi away
Score 22.74
Closest healthier
99751
Alaskaabout 24 mi away
Score 26.55
Similar health profile
99681
Alaska100% similar profile
Score 19.74
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 | 27.7% | 24.5–30.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 40.5% | 36.3–44.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 6.0% | 5.3–6.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 14.5% | 12.8–16.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.2% | 8.1–10.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.7% | 9.9–13.5 |
| Depression among adults | 22.2% | 18.7–25.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 17.0% | 14.8–19.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 33.8% | 29.8–38.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 43.1% | 35.1–51.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.7% | 5.0–6.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 33.0% | 28.1–37.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 16.0% | 12.5–20.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 68.6% | 65.3–71.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 67.1% | 62.5–71.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 71.7% | 68.0–74.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 46.8% | 40.9–52.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 37.5% | 33.7–41.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 60.0% | 49.7–69.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.6% | 12.7–18.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 33.3% | 28.9–37.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 35.3% | 29.8–41.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 43.8% | 36.5–51.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 35.2% | 30.6–40.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 22.5% | 20.0–25.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 21.7% | 19.0–24.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 23.7% | 20.5–26.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 47.4% | 41.8–53.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 12.7% | 11.3–14.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 16.0% | 13.8–18.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 23.2% | 20.0–26.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 7.0% | 6.0–8.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 12.0% | 10.4–13.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 33.8% | 29.1–38.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 39.8% | 33.7–45.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 32.8% | 27.3–38.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 28.4% | 24.4–32.5 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 23.2% | 19.9–26.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 39.4% | 33.8–45.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 21.0% | 18.2–23.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AK median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 23.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.7% (1.4–38.0%) n=230 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 34.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 20.8% (8.5–50.0%) n=225 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 32.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 8.4% (1.4–25.1%) n=230 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 3.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 15.0% (0.0–37.4%) n=230 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 16.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 8.6% (0.0–29.5%) n=226 |
| Households without a vehicle | 94.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 31.1% (1.0–95.5%) n=228 |
| Broadband subscription | 43.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 84.8% (49.6–96.0%) n=228 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 13.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 17.0% (0.0–33.2%) n=228 |
| Homeownership rate | 85.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 71.7% (45.5–94.4%) n=228 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 31.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 8.5% (0.0–48.6%) n=228 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–11.1%) n=231 |
| Single-parent households | 18.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 44.2% (18.7–68.2%) n=221 |
| Population 65+ | 21.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 12.7% (3.0–29.7%) n=231 |
| Median age | 33.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 35.7 yr (22.6–53.6) n=226 |
| Median household income | $40,556 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $66,823 ($39,905–$108,850) n=197 |
| Median home value | $96,900 | $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 | 75.1 yr ± 0.51 | 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 0.51 years of 75.1, 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