ZIP code
77968
in Inez, TexasPopulation 2,605
53.25/ 100
Ranked #11,718 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 37%)
Ranked #358 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (top 19%)
Ranked #1 of 12 Victoria, TX ZIPs (top 8.4%)
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.
Humid extreme heat
159.3 days/year
in the top 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Fatal road crashes
53.7 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 3.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 3.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›Dry extreme heat
61.2 days/year
in the top 7.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST34thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Civic-institution access
0.59 per 1,000 residents
in the top 10.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS90thDefinition & source ›
The number of civic and social organizations inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.
Full methodology ›Radon
0.7 pCi/L
in the bottom 2.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST19thUS3rdDefinition & 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 ›The read
Inez, Texas (ZIP 77968), on the composite measure, lands in the top 37% healthiest ZIPs nationally (11,718th) and the top 19% of Texas (358th).
Reading across the measures, this area's clearest strengths come through: civic lies in the top 10.1% nationally, and modeled radon settles in the bottom 2.7% nationally. Crowded housing stands at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. Poverty is in the bottom 16% nationally, and modeled energy burden rests in the bottom 16% nationally. By contrast, modeled humid heat sits in the top 2.8% nationally, and fatal road crashes registers in the top 3.1% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden lands in the top 3.5% nationally, and extreme heat resides in the top 7.2% nationally. Walkability lies in the bottom 17% nationally.
Set against the neighboring ZIPs, industrial-pollution burden runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In everyday language, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. No nearby ZIP ranks healthier overall than this one.
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 Victoria, 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 73%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 72%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 71%
14%
Disability
healthier than 69%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 63%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 48%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 52%
8%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 30%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 11%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 62%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 73%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 74%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 68%
11%
Disability
healthier than 76%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 61%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 52%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 54%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 54%
5%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 91%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 82%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 73%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 82%
13%
Disability
in the top 0.00%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 82%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 73%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 45%
11%
Holding it back
Mental Health
healthier than 27%
8%
“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
77904
Texasshares a border
Score 52.72
Similar health profile
75068
Texas99% similar profile
Score 56.65
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 | 25.4% | 22.3–28.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 34.5% | 30.3–38.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.5% | 7.7–9.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.8% | 8.7–11.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.3% | 5.7–7.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.5% | 5.7–7.5 |
| Depression among adults | 22.9% | 19.5–26.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.8% | 10.2–13.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.0% | 32.6–41.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.8% | 26.1–42.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.2% | 3.0–3.6 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.8% | 9.0–12.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.5% | 10.7–14.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.0% | 73.8–79.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 74.7% | 70.7–78.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.6% | 85.9–89.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.0% | 60.5–69.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 62.0% | 58.9–65.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.3% | 64.8–79.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.3% | 15.1–21.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.2% | 11.0–15.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 24.1% | 19.9–28.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.0% | 29.9–42.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.7% | 16.2–21.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.7% | 14.8–18.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.2% | 11.5–15.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.6% | 12.0–15.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.6% | 25.5–34.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.1% | 6.4–8.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.3% | 6.4–8.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.4% | 11.5–15.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.4% | 3.1–3.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.5% | 4.0–5.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 4.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 14.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 34.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 85.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 15.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.8% | 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 | 2.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 62.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 22.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 46.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $76,083 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $252,300 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $847 | $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 | 81.6 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 81.6, 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