ZIP code
78596
in Weslaco, TexasPopulation 39,518
41.85/ 100
Ranked #25,344 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 21%)
Ranked #1,307 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 30%)
Ranked #6 of 27 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX ZIPs (top 22%)
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)
34.9%
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
11.3%
in the top 2.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
186.5 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 ›Dry extreme heat
98.8 days/year
in the top 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS98thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Fair or poor health
32.9%
in the top 4.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
631 units
in the top 3.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
18.7%
in the top 6.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
9.0%
in the top 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Physician access
2.3 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Self-care disability
6.7%
in the top 7.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Full methodology ›The read
Weslaco, Texas (ZIP 78596), overall, ranks in the bottom 21% nationally (25,344th) and the bottom 30% of Texas (1,307th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
This area's pressures are easy to read across the measures: modeled uninsured lands in the top 0.5% nationally, vision disability lies in the top 2.9% nationally, and humid heat stands in the top 1.2% nationally. Modeled extreme heat rests in the top 1.6% nationally, fair or poor health registers in the top 4.4% nationally, and diabetes resides in the top 6.3% nationally. Crowded housing settles in the top 5.6% nationally. On the brighter side, subsidized affordable housing is in the top 3.3% nationally. Distance to an emergency room sits at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Physicians lands in the top 5.9% nationally.
Measured against the nearby ZIPs, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, 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. Subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. ZIP 78557, about 8.0 miles away, comes out healthier 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 98%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 71%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 73%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 53%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 43%
16%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 6%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 27%
11%
Disability
healthier than 8%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the bottom 0.01%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 97%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 77%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 66%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 40%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 41%
11%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 37%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 22%
13%
Disability
healthier than 9%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the bottom 0.04%
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
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 82.4 ± 1.1 years. A median household income of $58,411 predicts 78.0 years — 4.4 years above.
Ranked #130 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 82.4 ± 1.1 years. The 47 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 79.9 years — 2.5 years above them.
Ranked #1,138 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
78537
Texasshares a border
Score 28.42
Closest healthier
78557
Texasabout 8.0 mi away
Score 42.19
Similar health profile
78389
Texas99% 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 | 23.7% | 21.6–25.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 36.5% | 33.7–39.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 5.9% | 5.4–6.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.7% | 7.8–9.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.8% | 7.1–8.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.8% | 6.1–7.5 |
| Depression among adults | 19.6% | 17.3–22.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 18.7% | 16.9–20.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.0% | 35.0–41.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 43.0% | 38.6–47.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.2% | 4.0–4.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 17.0% | 14.3–19.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 34.9% | 32.2–37.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.9% | 75.6–80.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 74.2% | 71.2–77.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 82.9% | 81.1–84.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 56.4% | 52.1–60.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 45.9% | 42.8–48.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 71.8% | 65.1–77.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.5% | 13.3–17.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.5% | 11.1–14.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 37.0% | 33.6–40.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.1% | 34.1–42.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 32.9% | 30.3–35.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.9% | 15.3–18.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.9% | 15.3–18.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.3% | 16.7–20.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.9% | 36.6–43.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.2% | 8.4–10.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.4% | 10.4–12.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.0% | 19.2–23.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.7% | 6.2–7.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 11.3% | 10.5–12.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 22.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 33.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 23.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 21.2% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.7% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 10.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 87.9% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 25.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 9.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 17.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 41.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 15.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 31.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $58,411 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $104,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $936 | $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 | 82.4 yr ± 0.56 | 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 0.56 years of 82.4, 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