ZIP code
79539
in O'Brien, TexasPopulation 220
34.27/ 100
Ranked #29,637 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 7.6%)
Ranked #1,749 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 6.4%)
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.
Nitrate in drinking water
94.3%
in the top 0.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Unemployment rate
29.2%
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
Full methodology ›Distance to a community health center
51.6 mi
in the top 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Dry extreme heat
95.8 days/year
in the top 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS98thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
46.8%
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
128.6 mi
in the top 2.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Diabetes
20%
in the top 3.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
11.3%
in the top 3.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
24.3%
in the top 4.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
11.8%
in the top 5.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›The read
On the composite measure, O'Brien, Texas (ZIP 79539) stands in the bottom 7.6% nationally (29,637th) and the bottom 6.4% of Texas (1,749th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
Several readings make the pressure on this area plain: modeled nitrate sits in the top 0.2% nationally, and unemployment resides in the top 0.9% nationally. Distance to a community health center stands in the top 1.0% nationally, and modeled extreme heat sits in the top 1.7% nationally. Poverty resides in the top 2.0% nationally, modeled diabetes stands in the top 3.8% nationally, and modeled coronary heart disease sits in the top 3.3% nationally. Modeled mobility disability resides in the top 4.4% nationally, and hearing disability stands in the top 5.2% nationally. On the encouraging side, distance to a Superfund site sits in the top 2.4% nationally.
Set beside the wider area around it, unemployment runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For clarity, nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. ZIP 79502, just across the boundary, ranks better overall among the ZIPs nearby.
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%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 45%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 8%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 6%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 19%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 29%
11%
Disability
healthier than 6%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 2%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 2%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 99%
14%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 58%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 43%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 43%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 2%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 1%
16%
Disability
healthier than 8%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 6%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.8%
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
79502
Texasshares a border
Score 41.02
Closest healthier
79529
Texasshares a border
Score 36.76
Similar health profile
77475
Texas98% similar profile
Score 38.26
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 | 35.2% | 31.1–39.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 47.2% | 42.3–51.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.3% | 9.2–11.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.4% | 9.1–11.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 11.3% | 9.9–12.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 12.0% | 10.0–14.2 |
| Depression among adults | 23.3% | 19.8–27.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 20.0% | 17.3–22.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 44.7% | 39.8–49.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.0% | 30.2–47.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.7% | 5.0–6.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.4% | 13.5–19.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 18.2% | 14.7–22.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 82.8% | 80.1–85.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.7% | 74.9–81.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.5% | 85.5–89.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 62.2% | 56.7–67.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 51.8% | 48.0–55.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 67.4% | 58.3–76.0 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.0% | 10.5–15.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 18.4% | 15.1–22.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 36.5% | 30.7–42.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.2% | 29.2–43.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 30.6% | 26.3–35.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.2% | 15.1–19.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 19.0% | 16.4–21.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.2% | 14.7–19.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 41.9% | 36.5–47.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.8% | 10.4–13.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.9% | 10.1–13.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 24.3% | 20.8–28.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.8% | 5.7–7.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 9.0% | 7.8–10.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 46.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 39.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 39.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 16.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 29.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 20.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 7.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 51.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 25.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 35.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $46,250 | $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 | $1,125 | $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 | 80.2 yr ± 1.93 | 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 1.93 years of 80.2, 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