ZIP code
79041
in Hale Center, TexasPopulation 2,861
39.80/ 100
Ranked #26,889 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 16%)
Ranked #1,470 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 21%)
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)
28.2%
in the top 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST84thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Fair or poor health
31.4%
in the top 6.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›Mammography
67%
in the bottom 5.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
55.8%
in the bottom 5.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST20thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
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 ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 5.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Nitrate in drinking water
0.83%
in the top 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of this area’s domestic-well groundwater at or above the federal nitrate limit of 10 milligrams per liter.
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 ›Dry extreme heat
54.9 days/year
in the top 8.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST26thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Pharmacy access
0.35 per 1,000 residents
in the top 10.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS89thDefinition & source ›
The number of pharmacies 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 ›Radon
1.2 pCi/L
in the bottom 33% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS33rdDefinition & 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 ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, Hale Center, Texas (ZIP 79041) sits in the bottom 16% nationally (26,889th) and the bottom 21% of Texas (1,470th).
An even profile, with readings pulling both ways: pharmacy is in the top 10.7% nationally, and modeled industrial-pollution burden lies in the bottom 11.0% nationally. Against that, modeled uninsured registers in the top 1.5% nationally, fair or poor health is in the top 6.1% nationally, and mammography lies in the bottom 5.5% nationally. Modeled colon screening registers in the bottom 5.8% nationally, and vision disability is in the top 6.9% nationally. Modeled disaster risk lies in the top 5.4% nationally, and nitrate registers in the top 6.7% nationally. Modeled extreme heat is in the top 8.1% nationally.
Put plainly, disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 79021, just across the boundary.
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 92%
14%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 41%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 38%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 22%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 4%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 11%
11%
Disability
healthier than 11%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 31%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 37%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 88%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 98%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 24%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 15%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 16%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 37%
8%
Disability
healthier than 12%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 35%
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 92.3 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 37.5 — 55 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #2,128 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
79021
Texasshares a border
Score 43.38
Closest healthier
79064
Texasshares a border
Score 43.44
Similar health profile
79107
Texas98% similar profile
Score 32.30
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 | 26.8% | 23.6–30.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.9% | 34.6–43.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.0% | 6.4–7.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.1% | 8.9–11.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.2% | 7.4–9.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.8–9.9 |
| Depression among adults | 22.2% | 18.8–25.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.9% | 14.9–19.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.9% | 35.3–44.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.2% | 29.7–47.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 4.1–4.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 20.1% | 16.6–23.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 28.2% | 24.3–32.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.1% | 74.2–79.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 73.6% | 69.5–77.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 83.0% | 80.7–85.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 55.8% | 50.0–61.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 43.4% | 39.6–47.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 67.0% | 57.7–75.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.0% | 12.2–18.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.7% | 14.4–19.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 37.6% | 32.3–43.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 40.6% | 33.2–48.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 31.4% | 27.9–35.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.4% | 16.3–20.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.9% | 15.9–20.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 19.3% | 17.0–21.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 40.5% | 35.7–45.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.1% | 8.2–10.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.5% | 10.2–12.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.0% | 18.6–23.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.1% | 5.5–6.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 9.2% | 8.3–10.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 16.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 28.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 31.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 10.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 8.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 79.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 22.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.5% | 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 | 13.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 63.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 18.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 47.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $61,832 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $101,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $587 | $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 | 77.6 yr ± 1.31 | 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 1.31 years of 77.6, 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