ZIP code
78535
in Combes, TexasPopulation 425
50.02/ 100
Ranked #16,225 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 49%)
Ranked #535 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (top 29%)
Ranked #4 of 16 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX ZIPs (top 25%)
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)
31.7%
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 ›PFAS in drinking water
93.7%
in the top 0.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
192 days/year
in the top 0.8% 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 ›Floodplain exposure
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›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 ›Vision disability
9.2%
in the top 6.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST84thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
32.2%
in the top 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
18.5%
in the top 6.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the bottom 7.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS7thDefinition & 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 ›Dry extreme heat
57.3 days/year
in the top 7.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST29thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›The read
Combes, Texas (ZIP 78535), in overall standing, comes out in the bottom 49% nationally (16,225th) and the top 29% of Texas (535th).
A demanding profile, and several measures drive it: modeled uninsured sits in the top 0.9% nationally, pfas stands in the top 0.2% nationally, and humid heat resides in the top 0.8% nationally. Modeled tree cover sits at the national minimum, modeled vision disability stands in the top 6.9% nationally, and poverty resides in the top 5.6% nationally. Modeled diabetes sits in the top 6.8% nationally, and extreme heat stands in the top 7.8% nationally. On the stronger side, floodplain exposure resides at the national minimum, and modeled expected annual loss sits in the bottom 7.5% nationally.
Set within its surrounding area, walkability runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, for reference, pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 78575, about 15 miles away.
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 64%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 91%
8%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 58%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 55%
11%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 32%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 14%
13%
Disability
healthier than 23%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 16%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 33%
5%
Lifting this score
Risk Behavior
healthier than 76%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 97%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 85%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 52%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 47%
13%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 23%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 39%
14%
Disability
healthier than 28%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 31%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 71%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 79%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 86%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 86%
8%
Disability
healthier than 79%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 50%
16%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 14%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 14%
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
78550
Texasshares a border
Score 44.28
Closest healthier
78575
Texasabout 15 mi away
Score 57.40
Similar health profile
33013
Florida97% similar profile
Score 47.20
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 | 22.3% | 19.9–24.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.8% | 32.5–39.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 6.4% | 5.7–7.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.4% | 7.4–9.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.7% | 6.8–8.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.9% | 5.0–6.9 |
| Depression among adults | 17.6% | 15.1–20.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 18.5% | 16.3–20.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.2% | 35.7–42.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.9% | 33.0–42.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.0% | 3.5–4.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.7% | 10.4–15.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 31.7% | 26.6–37.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.5% | 76.9–81.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 74.7% | 71.5–77.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.1% | 85.1–89.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 57.7% | 53.0–62.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.0% | 53.8–60.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.0% | 70.8–82.0 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.5% | 12.3–17.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 10.7% | 8.8–12.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 33.8% | 29.2–38.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.4% | 32.1–40.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 27.4% | 23.7–31.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.4% | 12.4–16.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.3% | 13.3–17.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.2% | 12.9–17.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.4% | 30.2–38.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.6–9.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.2% | 7.9–10.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.2% | 15.6–20.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.4% | 4.6–6.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 9.2% | 8.0–10.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 32.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 16.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 19.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 14.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.7% | 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 | 81.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 18.1% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 20.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 32.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 27.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 53.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $39,000 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $107,300 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $778 | $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 | 86.0 yr ± 3.11 | 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 3.11 years of 86.0, 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