ZIP code
75839
in Elkhart, TexasPopulation 6,796
44.98/ 100
Ranked #22,425 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 30%)
Ranked #973 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 48%)
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.
Dry extreme heat
68.1 days/year
in the top 6.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST40thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
136.9 days/year
in the top 8.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST58thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
61 mi
in the top 8.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST87thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Radon
0.7 pCi/L
in the bottom 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST28thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.
Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
40.7%
in the top 28% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS72ndDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›The read
Elkhart, Texas (ZIP 75839), in overall standing, comes out in the bottom 30% nationally (22,425th) and the bottom 48% of Texas (973rd).
A few readings each way define this mixed profile: distance to a Superfund site is in the top 8.5% nationally, and modeled radon lies in the bottom 4.5% nationally. Distance to a nursing home registers at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Modeled pfas is in the bottom 15% nationally, and arsenic lies in the bottom 16% nationally. Outer-floodplain exposure registers at the national minimum, shared with about 36% of ZIPs. Pulling the other way, modeled extreme heat is in the top 6.1% nationally, and humid heat lies in the top 8.1% nationally. Poverty registers in the top 17% nationally. Recreation is at the national minimum, shared with about 35% of ZIPs.
Defined simply, for reference, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 75803, about 2.8 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 Hazard
healthier than 95%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 63%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 50%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 35%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 25%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 28%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 25%
8%
Disability
healthier than 32%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 11%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 92%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 67%
13%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 46%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 43%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 55%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 55%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 22%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 15%
8%
Disability
healthier than 39%
7%
“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 ›
Findings that name this ZIP
3 of our published findings list this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.
Above what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 82.6 ± 2.5 years. A median household income of $67,404 predicts 78.5 years — 4.1 years above.
Ranked #175 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Above its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 82.6 ± 2.5 years. The 45 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 78.9 years — 3.7 years above them.
Ranked #468 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 94.5 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 35.0 — 60 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,776 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
75785
Texasshares a border
Score 42.50
Closest healthier
75803
Texasabout 2.8 mi away
Score 45.48
Similar health profile
31553
Georgia99% similar profile
Score 45.03
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 | 30.5% | 27.0–34.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 40.0% | 35.5–44.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.4% | 8.5–10.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.8% | 9.5–12.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.1% | 7.2–9.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.3% | 8.1–10.6 |
| Depression among adults | 25.2% | 21.5–29.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.1% | 12.2–16.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.9% | 35.3–44.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.0% | 28.7–45.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.3% | 3.9–4.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.2% | 11.5–17.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.2% | 10.4–14.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.2% | 76.4–81.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 76.0% | 72.3–79.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.3% | 84.6–88.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 63.7% | 57.9–68.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 55.6% | 51.7–59.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 70.8% | 61.8–78.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.4% | 13.6–19.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.4% | 13.9–19.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 28.3% | 23.6–33.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.4% | 31.2–45.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 23.1% | 20.0–26.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.3% | 16.2–20.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.7% | 13.7–17.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.0% | 14.0–18.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.9% | 31.2–40.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.7% | 7.7–9.8 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.8% | 8.6–11.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.9% | 15.5–20.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.2–5.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.8% | 5.2–6.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 20.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 22.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 19.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.2% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 90.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 18.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 37.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 20.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 39.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $67,404 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $165,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $1,216 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,154 ($764–$1,815) n=1,508 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 82.6 yr ± 1.28 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 78.2 yr (75.1–81.7) n=1,772 |
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 1.28 years of 82.6, 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