ZIP code
79538
in Novice, TexasPopulation 185
44.48/ 100
Ranked #22,939 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 28%)
Ranked #1,034 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 45%)
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
114.9 mi
in the top 2.9% 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 ›Dry extreme heat
84.4 days/year
in the top 4.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST56thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Lithium in drinking water
9.6 µg/L
in the bottom 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS4thDefinition & source ›
The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Distance to a community health center
27.4 mi
in the top 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS95thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
44.8%
in the top 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Slow internet speeds
1.3%
in the top 8.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
11.1 mi
in the top 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS91stDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
40.3%
in the top 9.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
10.1%
in the top 9.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
94%
in the top 10.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS90thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›The read
Novice, Texas (ZIP 79538), by its composite score, sits in the bottom 28% nationally (22,939th) and the bottom 45% of Texas (1,034th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The data opens on a genuinely even set of readings: distance to a Superfund site resides in the top 2.9% nationally, and lithium in drinking water is in the bottom 4.5% nationally. Unemployment lands at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. On the other side, modeled extreme heat stands in the top 4.3% nationally, distance to a community health center registers in the top 4.8% nationally, and modeled high cholesterol settles in the top 4.8% nationally. Slow internet speeds sits in the top 8.6% nationally, and distance to a nursing home lies in the top 9.2% nationally. Fiber broadband rests at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Housing-cost burden resides in the top 9.7% nationally.
For anyone unfamiliar, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. 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 79519, 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 99%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 64%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 61%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 65%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 15%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 27%
16%
Disability
healthier than 26%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 2%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 3%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 99%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 95%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 79%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 71%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 5%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 18%
16%
Disability
healthier than 32%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 8%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.9%
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
76834
Texasshares a border
Score 41.95
Closest healthier
79519
Texasshares a border
Score 45.34
Similar health profile
78609
Texas98% similar profile
Score 43.33
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 | 35.7% | 31.9–39.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 45.6% | 41.1–49.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 12.1% | 11.0–13.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.1% | 9.0–11.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.1% | 8.9–11.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.4% | 8.9–12.2 |
| Depression among adults | 22.5% | 19.3–25.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.2% | 14.1–18.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 44.8% | 40.4–49.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.0% | 28.6–43.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.1% | 4.5–5.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.3% | 10.3–14.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.8% | 8.7–13.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.2% | 80.6–85.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.8% | 76.4–82.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.2% | 88.6–91.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.8% | 65.1–74.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 62.2% | 58.9–65.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 70.4% | 66.4–74.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.0% | 11.7–16.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.4% | 12.8–18.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 29.1% | 24.6–33.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.3% | 28.5–40.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 23.5% | 20.3–27.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.5% | 13.7–17.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.5% | 14.5–18.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.0% | 12.2–16.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 36.6% | 32.2–41.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.7% | 9.6–12.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.4% | 8.1–10.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.2% | 17.5–23.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.3–5.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.0% | 5.2–6.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 24.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 63.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 12.7% | 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 | 7.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 85.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 40.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 94.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 87.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 36.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 59.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | — | $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 | — | $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 | 78.4 yr ± 1.17 | 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 1.17 years of 78.4, 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