ZIP code
77617
in Gilchrist, TexasPopulation 44
41.53/ 100
Ranked #25,641 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 20%)
Ranked #1,332 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 29%)
Ranked #179 of 237 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX ZIPs (bottom 24%)
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.
Floodplain exposure
82.4%
in the top 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
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 ›Home broadband subscription
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
18.7 mi
in the top 3.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Lead in tap water
0 ppb
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
US1stDefinition & 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 ›Tree cover
0.00%
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
19.1 mi
in the top 5.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS95thDefinition & 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
18 mi
in the top 7.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
138.2 days/year
in the top 7.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST59thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Cross-source signals
Combined exposures in this ZIP
More than one environmental exposure stands out in this ZIP. Each is established independently and shown on its own above; they are grouped here for context — not because one causes the other.
This area ranks among the highest 10% of US ZIP codes for both humid-heat days and flood exposure.
See the full flooding, evacuation & humid-heat analysis →
The read
Gilchrist, Texas (ZIP 77617), overall, ranks in the bottom 20% nationally (25,641st) and the bottom 29% of Texas (1,332nd).
Several serious readings shape the profile and deserve first mention: floodplain exposure settles in the top 1.0% nationally, distance to a nursing home is in the top 3.8% nationally, and modeled tree cover sits at the national minimum. Distance to an emergency room lands in the top 7.2% nationally. On the better side, poverty lies at the national minimum, and homeownership stands at the national maximum. Home broadband subscription rests at the national maximum, and lead in tap water registers at the national minimum. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility resides in the top 5.3% nationally. Unemployment settles at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs.
Measured against the nearby ZIPs, outer-floodplain exposure runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. 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 hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". ZIP 77623, just across the boundary, 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 70%
14%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 51%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 30%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 34%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 18%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 21%
8%
Disability
healthier than 33%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 2%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 5%
5%
Lifting this score
Preventive Care
healthier than 79%
13%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 49%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 50%
14%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 17%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 27%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 10%
8%
Disability
healthier than 40%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 8%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 3%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 85%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 82%
13%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 8%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 39%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 34%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 6%
8%
Disability
healthier than 37%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 14%
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
77623
Texasshares a border
Score 43.43
Closest healthier
77650
Texasshares a border
Score 43.58
Similar health profile
16730
Pennsylvania98% similar profile
Score 44.66
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 | 32.5% | 28.5–36.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.4% | 38.7–48.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.2% | 8.1–10.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.2% | 9.9–12.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.0% | 6.9–9.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.0% | 8.1–12.0 |
| Depression among adults | 25.6% | 21.9–29.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.4% | 13.1–17.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.4% | 36.7–46.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.9% | 30.3–46.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 3.8–5.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 7.6% | 5.9–9.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.7% | 7.6–12.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.1% | 76.4–83.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 76.9% | 72.9–80.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.9% | 86.9–90.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 63.8% | 58.5–68.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 55.5% | 51.7–59.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 70.0% | 61.9–77.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.9% | 13.9–20.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 18.7% | 14.7–22.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 28.0% | 22.6–33.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.9% | 33.8–44.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 23.2% | 19.3–27.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.7% | 16.2–21.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.9% | 14.3–19.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.6% | 13.2–18.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.0% | 28.9–39.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.0% | 7.0–9.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.6% | 7.9–11.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.5% | 15.2–21.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.2% | 4.3–6.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.7% | 4.8–6.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 0.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 17.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 23.7% | 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) | 39.1% | 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 | 100.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 20.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 58.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $75,703 | $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 | 80.9 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 80.9, 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