ZIP code
79021
in Cotton Center, TexasPopulation 46
43.38/ 100
Ranked #24,032 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 25%)
Ranked #1,161 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 38%)
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)
24%
in the top 2.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST78thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Fiber broadband
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
52.9%
in the bottom 1.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
23.5%
in the bottom 2.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST3rdUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
43.5%
in the top 2.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
11.8%
in the top 3.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
19.2%
in the top 5.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
10.9%
in the top 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
0.00%
in the bottom 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›The read
Cotton Center, Texas (ZIP 79021), in overall standing, comes out in the bottom 25% nationally (24,032nd) and the bottom 38% of Texas (1,161st).
A few readings account for most of this area's strain: modeled uninsured rests in the top 2.6% nationally, home broadband subscription settles in the bottom 1.9% nationally, and homeownership lands in the bottom 2.3% nationally. Poverty rests in the top 2.4% nationally, crowded housing settles in the top 3.5% nationally, and modeled diabetes lands in the top 5.2% nationally. Modeled coronary heart disease rests in the top 4.7% nationally. On the better side, fiber broadband settles at the national maximum, and housing-cost burden lands at the national minimum. Modeled transportation noise rests in the bottom 4.8% nationally.
Defined simply, for reference, transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 79311, about 2.0 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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 96%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 88%
8%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 47%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 19%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 22%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 10%
13%
Disability
healthier than 13%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 30%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 6%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 96%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 67%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 96%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 98%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 8%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 37%
13%
Disability
healthier than 14%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 4%
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
79041
Texasshares a border
Score 39.80
Closest healthier
79311
Texasabout 2.0 mi away
Score 53.38
Similar health profile
85192
Arizona97% similar profile
Score 42.17
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 | 30.4% | 26.8–34.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.7% | 39.2–48.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.3% | 8.3–10.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.8% | 7.7–10.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.9% | 9.3–12.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.3% | 7.3–11.2 |
| Depression among adults | 18.5% | 15.5–21.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 19.2% | 16.5–22.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 44.3% | 39.5–49.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.1% | 27.9–44.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.2% | 4.4–6.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 19.9% | 16.3–23.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 24.0% | 18.2–30.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 82.2% | 79.2–84.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 77.6% | 73.7–81.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.4% | 85.0–89.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 56.8% | 50.8–62.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 49.8% | 46.1–53.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 68.5% | 59.1–76.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.3% | 10.8–16.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.2% | 10.4–16.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 35.6% | 29.5–41.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.7% | 29.7–44.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 29.7% | 24.7–34.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.6% | 12.6–16.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.5% | 14.9–20.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.6% | 12.9–18.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.6% | 33.9–45.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.8% | 10.2–13.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.7% | 8.0–11.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 22.2% | 18.4–26.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.0% | 4.9–7.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.1–10.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 43.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 36.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 3.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 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 | 52.9% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 0.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 23.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 11.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 6.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 60.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 4.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 29.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $51,094 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | — | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $625 | $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 | 78.0 yr ± 1.05 | 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 1.05 years of 78.0, 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