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ZIP code

78938

in Ellinger, TexasPopulation 270

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

52.37/ 100

Ranked #12,940 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 40%)

Ranked #397 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (top 21%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

Humid extreme heat

147.8 days/year

in the top 5.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST67th
US95th
Definition & 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

74.1 days/year

in the top 5.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST44th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.

Full methodology ›

Floodplain exposure

34.8%

in the top 8.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST88th
US92nd
Definition & 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 ›

Crowded housing

6.5%

in the top 9.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST79th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.

Full methodology ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the bottom 10.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST5th
US11th
Definition & 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 ›

Expected annual disaster loss

$0

in the bottom 12.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST8th
US13th
Definition & 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 ›

Radon

0.8 pCi/L

in the bottom 8.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST48th
US9th
Definition & source ›

The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.

Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.

Full methodology ›

Cross-source signals

Combined exposures in this ZIP

More than one environmental exposure stands out in this ZIP. Each is established independently and shown on its own above; they are grouped here for context — not because one causes the other.

The read

Overall, Ellinger, Texas (ZIP 78938) lands in the top 40% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,940th) and the top 21% of Texas (397th).

continue reading

A handful of measures stand out most sharply across the profile here: unemployment resides at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Households without a vehicle registers at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled disaster risk rests in the bottom 10.9% nationally, expected annual loss stands in the bottom 12.7% nationally, and radon lies in the bottom 8.9% nationally. On the other side, modeled humid heat lands in the top 5.3% nationally, modeled extreme heat sits in the top 5.5% nationally, and floodplain exposure is in the top 8.0% nationally. Crowded housing settles in the top 9.5% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure resides in the top 13.9% nationally.

Set beside the nearby areas, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. A note on the terms: disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 78940, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 60%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 87%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 69%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 73%

8%

Disability

healthier than 65%

7%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 54%

21%

Preventive Care

healthier than 55%

13%

Holding it back

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 2%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 17%

5%

Lifting this score

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 60%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 78%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 91%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 85%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 80%

8%

Disability

healthier than 72%

7%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 41%

21%

Holding it back

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 8%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 19%

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.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults29.3%25.7–33.2
High blood pressure among adults38.3%33.8–43.0
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults10.1%9.0–11.3
Current asthma among adults9.8%8.6–11.1
Coronary heart disease among adults7.0%6.0–8.0
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.1%5.7–8.6
Depression among adults21.9%18.4–25.7
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.5%11.3–15.6
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened41.0%36.1–45.7
Obesity among adults34.7%26.6–43.5
Stroke among adults3.6%3.1–4.2
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years10.8%8.6–13.4
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years12.8%10.4–15.7
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure80.6%77.5–83.2
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults78.4%74.7–81.7
Cholesterol screening among adults90.5%88.7–92.0
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years67.8%62.4–72.9
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults63.3%59.4–66.9
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years72.3%63.8–79.7
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults15.5%12.8–18.6
Current cigarette smoking among adults12.2%9.5–15.0
No leisure-time physical activity among adults25.1%20.0–30.5
Short sleep duration among adults35.1%28.3–42.2
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults19.4%16.1–23.1
Frequent mental distress among adults15.0%13.0–17.3
Frequent physical distress among adults13.9%11.8–16.2
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults12.4%10.4–14.6
Any disability among adults30.8%25.8–35.9
Hearing disability among adults7.7%6.6–8.8
Independent living disability among adults7.3%6.1–8.8
Mobility disability among adults15.3%12.6–18.3
Self-care disability among adults3.6%3.0–4.3
Vision disability among adults4.7%4.0–5.5
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)TX median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate6.3%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36412.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869
Uninsured 18–6416.2%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28622.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862
No HS diploma (25+)10.2%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50512.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881
Bachelor's or higher (25+)13.2%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50521.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881
Unemployment rate (16+)0.0%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865
Households without a vehicle0.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868
Broadband subscription87.8%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32289.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)13.8%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32226.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868
Homeownership rate80.5%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32275.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868
Crowded housing (>1 per room)6.5%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3223.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868
Foreign-born population16.7%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5538.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886
Single-parent households26.1%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08748.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861
Population 65+23.7%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55316.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886
Median age38.7 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29238.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866
Median household income$61,250$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737
Median home value$201,400$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693
Median gross rent$688$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,154 ($764–$1,815) n=1,508
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)TX median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth81.4 yr ± 2.1578.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30878.2 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 2.15 years of 81.4, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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