ZIP code
78526
in Brownsville, TexasPopulation 60,012
51.78/ 100
Ranked #13,733 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 43%)
Ranked #433 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (top 23%)
Ranked #3 of 16 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX ZIPs (top 19%)
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)
31.4%
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
186.4 days/year
in the top 1.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Colon-cancer screening
52.4%
in the bottom 3.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST10thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Outer-floodplain exposure
26%
in the top 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
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 ›Subsidized affordable housing
873 units
in the top 1.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & source ›
FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
9.9%
in the top 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
9.1%
in the top 7.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST83rdUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 8.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST84thUS91stDefinition & source ›
This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.
Full methodology ›PFOA in drinking water
80.8%
in the top 11.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS88thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFOA, one of the man-made “forever chemicals,” was 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
ZIP 78526, one of several in Brownsville, Texas, on the composite measure, lands in the top 43% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,733rd) and the top 23% of Texas (433rd).
The profile cuts both ways, and the readings bear that out: subsidized affordable housing resides in the top 1.9% nationally. Distance to an emergency room lies at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Working the other way, modeled uninsured settles in the top 0.9% nationally, and humid heat stands in the top 1.2% nationally. Modeled colon screening is in the bottom 3.1% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure rests in the top 1.6% nationally. Modeled expected annual loss sits in the top 3.2% nationally, and crowded housing registers in the top 4.7% nationally. Modeled vision disability lands in the top 7.2% nationally, and disaster risk resides in the top 8.6% nationally.
Set against the neighboring ZIPs, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In everyday language, expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 78575, 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 Brownsville-Harlingen, 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 89%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 88%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 85%
8%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 54%
16%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 5%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 34%
11%
Disability
healthier than 34%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 9%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 81%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 79%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 93%
8%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 52%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 50%
11%
Disability
healthier than 41%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 44%
5%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 19%
13%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
in the top 0.00%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 86%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 64%
8%
Disability
healthier than 86%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 71%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 50%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 50%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 57%
11%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
“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
2 of our published findings list 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 83.8 ± 1.5 years. A median household income of $70,565 predicts 78.7 years — 5.1 years above.
Ranked #54 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Above its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 83.8 ± 1.5 years. The 45 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 80.1 years — 3.8 years above them.
Ranked #427 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
78520
Texasshares a border
Score 42.26
Closest healthier
78575
Texasshares a border
Score 57.40
Similar health profile
33033
Florida99% similar profile
Score 50.54
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 | 17.0% | 15.1–19.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 29.6% | 26.8–32.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 4.2% | 3.8–4.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.4% | 7.4–9.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.3% | 4.8–5.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 4.6% | 4.1–5.1 |
| Depression among adults | 18.3% | 15.9–20.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.4% | 13.8–17.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.0% | 30.9–37.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.3% | 33.7–43.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.0% | 2.8–3.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.6% | 9.7–13.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 31.4% | 28.3–34.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 73.2% | 70.4–76.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 71.0% | 67.6–74.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 83.8% | 81.9–85.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 52.4% | 48.0–56.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 53.2% | 50.1–56.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.1% | 67.7–79.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.1% | 14.5–20.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 10.9% | 9.5–12.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 31.7% | 28.2–35.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.8% | 34.5–43.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 26.0% | 23.6–28.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.6% | 13.9–17.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.0% | 12.5–15.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.2% | 14.6–17.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 31.4% | 28.2–34.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.2% | 5.6–7.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.1% | 8.2–10.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.8% | 13.3–16.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.7–5.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 9.1% | 8.4–9.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 16.9% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 29.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 19.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 33.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.1% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.3% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 28.1% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 9.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 24.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 36.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 9.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 29.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $70,565 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $185,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $1,095 | $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 | 83.8 yr ± 0.79 | 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 0.79 years of 83.8, 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