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ZipVitals

ZIP code

79377

in Welch, TexasPopulation 230

48.49/ 100

Ranked #18,322 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 43%)

Ranked #644 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (top 34%)

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.

Arsenic in groundwater

81.5%

in the top 0.04% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms 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 ›

Nitrate in drinking water

96.9%

in the top 0.09% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & 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 ›

Uninsured (under 65)

21.6%

in the top 3.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST73rd
US96th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.

Full methodology ›

Slow internet speeds

5.1%

in the top 2.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.

Full methodology ›

Home broadband subscription

58.9%

in the bottom 2.7% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST3rd
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Full methodology ›

Housing-cost burden

1.1%

in the bottom 3.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST5th
US4th
Definition & source ›

The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.

Full methodology ›

Dry extreme heat

71.3 days/year

in the top 5.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST42nd
US94th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Distance to a nursing home

12 mi

in the top 8.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US92nd
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.

Full methodology ›

Distance to an emergency room

16.3 mi

in the top 9.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST90th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.

Full methodology ›

Expected annual disaster loss

$0

in the bottom 10.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST6th
US11th
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 ›

The read

Welch, Texas (ZIP 79377), by its composite score, sits in the bottom 43% nationally (18,322nd) and the top 34% of Texas (644th).

continue reading

The measures that define this area's challenges come through directly: modeled arsenic lies in the top 0.04% nationally, and nitrate rests in the top 0.09% nationally. Modeled uninsured resides in the top 3.6% nationally, and slow internet speeds is in the top 2.4% nationally. Home broadband subscription lands in the bottom 2.7% nationally, modeled extreme heat stands in the top 5.8% nationally, and distance to a nursing home registers in the top 8.0% nationally. Distance to an emergency room settles in the top 9.2% nationally. On the stronger side, housing-cost burden sits in the bottom 3.8% nationally. Households without a vehicle lies at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs.

Next to the surrounding area, slow internet speeds runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 79738, about 24 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 75%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 76%

8%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 51%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 41%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 47%

11%

Holding it back

Preventive Care

healthier than 13%

13%

Disability

healthier than 36%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 31%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 10%

5%

Lifting this score

Risk Behavior

healthier than 66%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 84%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 98%

5%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 57%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 46%

13%

Disability

healthier than 45%

7%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 37%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 35%

16%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 10%

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 adults27.2%23.8–30.7
High blood pressure among adults38.0%33.5–42.4
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults8.8%8.0–9.8
Current asthma among adults9.3%8.2–10.6
Coronary heart disease among adults7.9%6.9–9.0
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.6%6.2–9.1
Depression among adults20.6%17.3–24.0
Diagnosed diabetes among adults14.7%12.6–16.8
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened40.2%35.6–44.7
Obesity among adults34.4%26.3–43.2
Stroke among adults4.0%3.5–4.5
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years16.5%13.5–19.8
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years21.6%17.5–26.2
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure79.0%76.2–81.6
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults75.1%71.2–78.9
Cholesterol screening among adults86.3%84.0–88.5
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years61.2%55.7–66.4
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults50.8%47.1–54.3
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years73.9%65.7–80.8
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults15.9%13.1–19.1
Current cigarette smoking among adults12.9%10.4–15.7
No leisure-time physical activity among adults30.3%24.8–35.8
Short sleep duration among adults36.5%29.4–43.8
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults24.1%20.3–28.2
Frequent mental distress among adults15.5%13.4–17.6
Frequent physical distress among adults15.1%12.9–17.4
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults14.9%12.7–17.3
Any disability among adults35.1%29.8–40.2
Hearing disability among adults9.0%7.9–10.2
Independent living disability among adults8.6%7.3–10.0
Mobility disability among adults17.3%14.5–20.3
Self-care disability among adults4.4%3.7–5.2
Vision disability among adults6.5%5.6–7.4
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)TX median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate7.8%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36412.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869
Uninsured 18–6424.6%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28622.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862
No HS diploma (25+)43.4%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50512.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881
Bachelor's or higher (25+)20.4%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50521.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881
Unemployment rate (16+)2.1%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 subscription58.9%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32289.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)1.1%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32226.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868
Homeownership rate68.9%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32275.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868
Crowded housing (>1 per room)2.2%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3223.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868
Foreign-born population27.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5538.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886
Single-parent households42.7%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08748.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861
Population 65+13.5%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55316.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886
Median age26.7 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29238.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866
Median household income$44,000$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737
Median home value$144,100$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693
Median gross rent$725$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 birth85.8 yr ± 3.1078.9 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 3.10 years of 85.8, 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