ZIP code
78503
in McAllen, TexasPopulation 22,621
40.64/ 100
Ranked #26,312 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 18%)
Ranked #1,408 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 25%)
Ranked #9 of 27 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX ZIPs (top 33%)
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.
Uninsured (under 65)
35.3%
in the top 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
11.6%
in the top 2.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
191.6 days/year
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Dry extreme heat
114.4 days/year
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
51.9%
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST9thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Physician access
5.2 per 1,000 residents
in the top 1.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of physicians’ offices located 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 ›Fair or poor health
33%
in the top 4.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
11.3%
in the top 3.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Pharmacy access
0.51 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The number of pharmacies located 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 ›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 ›The read
Overall, ZIP 78503, one of several in McAllen, Texas lands in the bottom 18% nationally (26,312th) and the bottom 25% of Texas (1,408th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
A number of measures mark where this area is under strain: modeled uninsured rests in the top 0.5% nationally, and vision disability stands in the top 2.6% nationally. Modeled humid heat lies in the top 0.9% nationally, and extreme heat lands in the top 0.9% nationally. Modeled colon screening sits in the bottom 2.8% nationally, modeled fair or poor health is in the top 4.3% nationally, and crowded housing settles in the top 3.7% nationally. PFAS in drinking water resides at the national maximum. On the brighter side, physicians registers in the top 1.2% nationally, and pharmacy rests in the top 4.9% nationally.
Set beside the nearby areas, physicians runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. A note on the 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. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 78501, just across the boundary, ranks better 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.
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 64%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 71%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 68%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 59%
14%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 38%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 4%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 22%
11%
Disability
healthier than 9%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the bottom 0.01%
5%
Lifting this score
Mental Health
healthier than 77%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 60%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 53%
21%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 31%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 40%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 14%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 35%
11%
Disability
healthier than 10%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the bottom 0.02%
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 ›
Findings that name this ZIP
One of our published findings lists 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 82.1 ± 1.4 years. A median household income of $53,322 predicts 77.6 years — 4.6 years above.
Ranked #103 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
78501
Texasshares a border
Score 40.89
Closest healthier
78557
Texasshares a border
Score 42.19
Similar health profile
78389
Texas98% similar profile
Score 44.75
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 | 21.5% | 19.4–23.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 34.6% | 31.8–37.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 4.9% | 4.5–5.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.6% | 7.7–9.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.1% | 6.5–7.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.9% | 5.3–6.6 |
| Depression among adults | 19.4% | 17.1–22.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 18.3% | 16.6–20.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.6% | 33.6–39.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 43.3% | 39.0–47.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.9% | 3.6–4.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.4% | 15.7–21.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 35.3% | 32.1–38.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 75.9% | 73.6–78.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 73.2% | 70.2–76.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 82.3% | 80.4–84.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 51.9% | 47.8–56.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 44.0% | 41.0–46.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 70.1% | 63.2–76.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.1% | 13.8–18.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.3% | 10.9–14.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 36.7% | 33.4–40.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.0% | 34.9–43.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 33.0% | 30.3–35.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.0% | 15.3–18.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.6% | 15.0–18.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.5% | 16.7–20.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 38.9% | 35.6–42.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.5% | 7.7–9.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.3% | 10.2–12.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.1% | 18.3–22.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.8% | 6.2–7.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 11.6% | 10.7–12.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 25.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 36.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 28.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 25.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 7.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 94.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 31.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 11.3% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 30.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 35.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 13.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 32.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $53,322 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $150,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $1,110 | $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 | 82.1 yr ± 0.71 | 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 0.71 years of 82.1, 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