ZIP code
79536
in Merkel, TexasPopulation 5,047
44.92/ 100
Ranked #22,494 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 30%)
Ranked #986 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 47%)
Ranked #15 of 24 Abilene, TX 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.
Distance to a Superfund site
113.2 mi
in the top 3.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
Full methodology ›Nitrate in drinking water
9.8%
in the top 3.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS97thDefinition & 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
88.1 days/year
in the top 3.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST64thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
47.6 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 4.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS95thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Grocery access
0.19 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets 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. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Merkel, Texas (ZIP 79536) places in the bottom 30% nationally (22,494th) and the bottom 47% of Texas (986th).
The measures fall on both sides for this area, fairly evenly: distance to a Superfund site registers in the top 3.0% nationally, and grocery settles in the top 7.7% nationally. Distance to a community health center sits at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Distance to a nursing home lies at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Lead in tap water rests in the bottom 15% nationally, and modeled radon resides in the bottom 19% nationally. Pulling the other way, modeled nitrate is in the top 3.1% nationally, modeled extreme heat lands in the top 3.6% nationally, and fatal road crashes stands in the top 4.6% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility registers at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs.
For readers new to these terms, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 79525, 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Abilene, TX metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 94%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 77%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 45%
21%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 32%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 15%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 26%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 28%
8%
Disability
healthier than 35%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 13%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 91%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 69%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 71%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 49%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 41%
11%
Disability
healthier than 43%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 31%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 23%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 18%
8%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 89%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 44%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 56%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 44%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 22%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 22%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 22%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 22%
8%
Disability
healthier than 33%
7%
“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
79501
Texasshares a border
Score 44.06
Closest healthier
79525
Texasshares a border
Score 47.22
Similar health profile
31553
Georgia99% similar profile
Score 45.03
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 | 28.7% | 25.8–31.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.7% | 35.1–42.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.7% | 8.0–9.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.4% | 9.3–11.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.6% | 6.8–8.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.6% | 7.6–9.7 |
| Depression among adults | 24.3% | 21.2–27.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.7% | 12.1–15.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.3% | 35.5–43.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.5% | 29.7–43.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.0% | 3.7–4.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.2% | 12.7–17.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 14.4% | 12.5–16.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.9% | 75.4–80.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 74.9% | 71.6–78.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.5% | 83.8–87.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 60.5% | 55.8–65.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 52.8% | 49.3–56.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 70.5% | 63.0–77.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.9% | 14.3–19.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.4% | 14.3–18.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 29.1% | 25.1–33.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.5% | 31.9–43.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 23.0% | 20.4–26.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.6% | 16.7–20.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.5% | 13.9–17.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.3% | 14.6–18.3 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.7% | 30.8–39.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.4% | 7.6–9.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.5% | 8.6–10.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.0% | 15.0–19.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.5% | 4.1–5.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.4–6.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 13.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 17.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 6.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 14.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 26.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.6% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 38.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 16.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 32.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $71,131 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $136,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $1,198 | $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 unavailable for this ZIP — fewer than 80% of the census tracts that make it up could be matched across the 2010→2020 tract-boundary revision, so no value is published rather than an unreliable one. See how coverage gaps are handled. | |||
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