ZIP code
78578
in Port Isabel, TexasPopulation 10,016
47.38/ 100
Ranked #19,692 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 39%)
Ranked #740 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (top 40%)
Ranked #7 of 16 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX ZIPs (top 44%)
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)
28.6%
in the top 1.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Outer-floodplain exposure
28.7%
in the top 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Slow internet speeds
5.7%
in the top 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
63.7%
in the top 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Diabetes
19%
in the top 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 8.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS8thDefinition & 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 ›Poverty rate
27%
in the top 8.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
257 units
in the top 9.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST84thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Dry extreme heat
0.5 days/year
in the bottom 30% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS30thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›The read
On the composite measure, Port Isabel, Texas (ZIP 78578) stands in the bottom 39% nationally (19,692nd) and the top 40% of Texas (740th).
A number of readings press hard on the profile and set its tone: modeled uninsured is in the top 1.4% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure registers in the top 1.5% nationally. Slow internet speeds lies in the top 2.2% nationally, and floodplain exposure is in the top 2.2% nationally. Modeled diabetes registers in the top 5.6% nationally, modeled vision disability lies in the top 6.9% nationally, and poverty is in the top 8.9% nationally. Crowded housing registers in the top 11.2% nationally. On the brighter side, modeled industrial-pollution burden lies in the bottom 8.3% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing is in the top 9.7% nationally.
Set beside the wider area around it, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For clarity, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Outer-floodplain exposure is land with a lower but real 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "500-year floodplain". Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". ZIP 78526, just across the boundary, ranks better overall among the ZIPs nearby.
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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 98%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 85%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 61%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 55%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 45%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 39%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 14%
13%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 7%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 98%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 63%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 93%
8%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 54%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 48%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 53%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 25%
21%
Disability
healthier than 21%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 36%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 93%
16%
Environmental Hazard
in the top 0.00%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 86%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 79%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 64%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 57%
8%
Disability
healthier than 57%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 7%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 29%
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.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 98.3 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 38.7 — 60 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,763 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
78521
Texasshares a border
Score 36.21
Closest healthier
78526
Texasshares a border
Score 51.78
Similar health profile
78870
Texas97% similar profile
Score 45.99
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 | 26.2% | 23.7–28.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 39.5% | 36.2–42.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.2% | 7.4–9.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.0% | 8.0–10.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.9–9.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.0% | 7.0–9.1 |
| Depression among adults | 19.2% | 16.7–21.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 19.0% | 16.9–21.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.2% | 37.8–44.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.5% | 33.9–43.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.5% | 4.1–5.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.8% | 12.3–17.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 28.6% | 25.4–32.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.0% | 78.5–83.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 76.0% | 73.0–78.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.0% | 85.4–88.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 60.8% | 56.3–64.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 53.6% | 50.5–56.6 |
| 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 | 14.1% | 11.9–16.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.1% | 11.3–15.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 33.2% | 29.4–37.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.8% | 33.6–41.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 27.8% | 24.9–30.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.0% | 13.4–16.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.1% | 14.4–18.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.6% | 13.9–17.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.7% | 32.0–39.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.4% | 8.5–10.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.2% | 9.1–11.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 19.5% | 17.2–21.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.3–6.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 9.2% | 8.4–10.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 27.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 45.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 18.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 28.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 81.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 30.1% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 5.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 22.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 50.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 27.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 49.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $51,880 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $196,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $749 | $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 | 78.3 yr ± 0.95 | 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 0.95 years of 78.3, 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