ZIP code
76940
in Mereta, TexasPopulation 71
54.38/ 100
Ranked #10,215 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 32%)
Ranked #306 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (top 16%)
Ranked #4 of 14 San Angelo, TX ZIPs (top 29%)
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.
Lead in tap water
12 ppb
in the top 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
US99thDefinition & source ›
The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
119.9 mi
in the top 2.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Home broadband subscription
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Dry extreme heat
88.8 days/year
in the top 3.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST67thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Uninsured (under 65)
19.2%
in the top 5.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST64thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Lithium in drinking water
89 µg/L
in the top 3.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
16.4 mi
in the top 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›The read
Mereta, Texas (ZIP 76940), overall, ranks in the top 32% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,215th) and the top 16% of Texas (306th).
Reading the numbers as a whole, the picture lands somewhere in between: housing-cost burden rests at the national minimum, modeled transportation noise registers at the national minimum, and homeownership resides at the national maximum. Distance to a Superfund site settles in the top 2.7% nationally, and home broadband subscription is at the national maximum. On the other side, lead in tap water sits in the top 1.5% nationally, and modeled extreme heat lands in the top 3.4% nationally. Modeled uninsured lies in the top 5.2% nationally, and lithium in drinking water stands in the top 3.4% nationally. Distance to a nursing home rests in the top 4.7% nationally.
Defined simply, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. ZIP 76904, about 4.3 miles away, comes out 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the San Angelo, TX metro area.
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 86%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 80%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 70%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 72%
8%
Disability
healthier than 74%
7%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 45%
11%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 17%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 9%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 5%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 78%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 82%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 64%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 78%
8%
Disability
healthier than 79%
7%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 50%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 55%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 42%
5%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 3%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 80%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
in the top 0.00%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 80%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 80%
11%
Mental Health
in the top 0.00%
8%
Disability
healthier than 80%
7%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 40%
14%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the bottom 0.00%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.00%
5%
“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
76861
Texasshares a border
Score 50.95
Closest healthier
76904
Texasabout 4.3 mi away
Score 55.68
Similar health profile
79739
Texas95% similar profile
Score 54.53
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 | 22.0% | 19.1–25.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 31.6% | 27.6–36.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 6.4% | 5.7–7.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.9% | 7.8–10.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.1% | 4.4–6.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 4.8% | 3.9–6.0 |
| Depression among adults | 21.3% | 18.0–25.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.9% | 10.2–13.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.6% | 31.4–40.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.9% | 28.1–44.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.7% | 2.3–3.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.2% | 8.2–12.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 19.2% | 14.5–24.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 73.7% | 70.5–76.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 73.1% | 68.9–77.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.6% | 84.1–88.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.9% | 60.4–70.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.0% | 53.1–60.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.3% | 67.1–82.0 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.2% | 15.1–21.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 10.8% | 8.1–13.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.8% | 21.5–32.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.6% | 30.7–44.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.8% | 16.1–23.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.6% | 13.3–18.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.6% | 10.7–14.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.5% | 11.0–16.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.0% | 24.4–34.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.1% | 5.3–7.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.7% | 5.4–8.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.6% | 10.3–15.3 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.4% | 2.7–4.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.2–6.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 8.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 91.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 100.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 0.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 100.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 0.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 56.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 68.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | — | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | — | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 | 80.8 yr ± 1.45 | 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 1.45 years of 80.8, 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