ZIP code
78266
in Garden Ridge, TexasPopulation 7,338
62.56/ 100
Ranked #3,198 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 10.0%)
Ranked #102 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (top 5.5%)
Ranked #12 of 117 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX ZIPs (top 10.3%)
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.
Median household income
$146,792
in the top 4.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Dry extreme heat
86.2 days/year
in the top 3.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST60thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFAS — man-made “forever chemicals” that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down — were detected in EPA testing.
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 ›Humid extreme heat
145.5 days/year
in the top 5.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST64thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Poverty rate
1.6%
in the bottom 6.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
0.9 mi
in the bottom 6.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST5thUS7thDefinition & 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 ›Energy-cost burden
1.4%
in the bottom 4.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS4thDefinition & 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 ›Cognitive disability
10.2%
in the bottom 5.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Tooth loss
5.6%
in the bottom 3.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
97.3%
in the top 9.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST90thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›The read
Garden Ridge, Texas (ZIP 78266), by its overall standing, sits in the top 10.0% healthiest ZIPs nationally (3,198th) and the top 5.5% of Texas (102nd).
The measures fall on both sides of the ledger for this area: household income is in the top 4.2% nationally, poverty resides in the bottom 6.2% nationally, and modeled energy burden rests in the bottom 4.1% nationally. Modeled cognitive disability lies in the bottom 5.9% nationally, modeled tooth loss sits in the bottom 3.5% nationally, and home broadband subscription settles in the top 9.3% nationally. Set against that, modeled extreme heat registers in the top 3.9% nationally, and PFAS in drinking water stands at the national maximum. Modeled humid heat lands in the top 5.9% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site is in the bottom 6.9% nationally.
Held up against its neighbors, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, PFAS in drinking water is the family of man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 78259, just across the boundary.
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 Antonio-New Braunfels, 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 77%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 92%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 65%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 78%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 86%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 93%
8%
Disability
healthier than 87%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 67%
5%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 8%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 68%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 94%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 98%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 95%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 99%
8%
Disability
healthier than 87%
7%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 45%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 59%
5%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 38%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 93%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 98%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 97%
11%
Mental Health
in the top 0.00%
8%
Disability
healthier than 86%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 59%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 43%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 26%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 39%
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
78132
Texasshares a border
Score 61.88
Closest healthier
78259
Texasshares a border
Score 63.12
Similar health profile
32779
Florida99% similar profile
Score 64.71
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 | 26.5% | 23.9–29.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.2% | 34.0–40.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.5% | 8.7–10.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.2% | 8.3–10.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.1% | 5.4–6.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.1% | 4.4–5.9 |
| Depression among adults | 18.7% | 16.5–21.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.1% | 10.7–13.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.3% | 33.1–39.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 32.6% | 28.2–37.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.1% | 2.8–3.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 5.6% | 4.5–6.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.1% | 8.7–11.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.2% | 77.5–82.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.8% | 77.4–82.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 91.1% | 90.2–92.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.7% | 64.7–72.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 69.0% | 66.2–71.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.2% | 68.6–80.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.0% | 13.8–18.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 8.8% | 7.5–10.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 20.5% | 17.8–23.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.9% | 29.7–38.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 15.6% | 13.8–17.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 12.9% | 11.6–14.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.5% | 10.2–12.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 10.2% | 9.1–11.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 24.5% | 21.8–27.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.7% | 6.0–7.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 5.7% | 5.1–6.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.0% | 10.5–13.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.9% | 2.6–3.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.5–4.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 1.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 3.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 1.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 60.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.2% | 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 | 97.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 22.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 94.3% | 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 | 5.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 65.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 20.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 49.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $146,792 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $586,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $2,306 | $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 | 79.6 yr ± 1.17 | 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 1.17 years of 79.6, 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