ZIP code
79556
in Sweetwater, TexasPopulation 12,532
35.91/ 100
Ranked #29,035 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 9.5%)
Ranked #1,697 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 9.2%)
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)
22.6%
in the top 3.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST75thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
95.2 mi
in the top 3.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS96thDefinition & 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
81.9 days/year
in the top 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST52ndUS95thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
9.3%
in the top 6.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST84thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Fair or poor health
30.3%
in the top 7.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST84thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›Self-care disability
6.6%
in the top 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
58.1%
in the bottom 9.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST31stUS9thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
4.2%
in the top 23% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS77thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›The read
Sweetwater, Texas (ZIP 79556), by its overall standing, sits in the bottom 9.5% nationally (29,035th) and the bottom 9.2% of Texas (1,697th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The measures fall on both sides of the ledger for this area: distance to a Superfund site sits in the top 3.9% nationally. Distance to an emergency room settles at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Set against that, modeled uninsured registers in the top 3.1% nationally, and extreme heat stands in the top 4.8% nationally. Modeled vision disability lands in the top 6.6% nationally, and fair or poor health is in the top 7.8% nationally. Modeled self-care disability resides in the top 7.9% nationally, and colon screening rests in the bottom 9.5% nationally. Modeled mobility disability lies in the top 11.0% nationally, and diabetes sits in the top 10.2% nationally.
Defined in plain terms, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 79506, 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 96%
14%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 23%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 7%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 11%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 29%
8%
Disability
healthier than 8%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 3%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 27%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 94%
14%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 6%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 26%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 16%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 19%
8%
Disability
healthier than 9%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 11%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 28%
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
2 of our published findings list 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.
Below what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 74.6 ± 1.5 years. A median household income of $49,393 predicts 77.3 years — 2.7 years below.
Ranked #3,692 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 74.6 ± 1.5 years. The 45 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 77.8 years — 3.2 years below them.
Ranked #2,501 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
79506
Texasshares a border
Score 41.72
Closest healthier
79535
Texasshares a border
Score 44.80
Similar health profile
76681
Texas99% similar profile
Score 38.70
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 | 29.4% | 26.1–32.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 41.4% | 37.1–45.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.0% | 7.3–8.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.3–11.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.0% | 8.1–9.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.1% | 9.1–11.2 |
| Depression among adults | 23.6% | 20.2–27.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 17.4% | 15.3–19.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.1% | 35.7–44.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.8% | 32.1–49.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.9% | 4.5–5.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 20.0% | 16.8–23.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 22.6% | 20.0–25.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.3% | 75.6–80.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 74.9% | 71.0–78.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 83.6% | 81.7–85.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 58.1% | 53.0–63.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 47.9% | 44.5–51.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.0% | 65.1–73.0 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.1% | 12.4–17.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 18.1% | 15.8–20.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 36.6% | 31.6–41.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.7% | 32.9–47.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 30.3% | 27.2–33.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.9% | 16.9–20.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 18.1% | 16.1–20.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.9% | 17.0–20.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 40.6% | 36.1–45.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.7% | 8.7–10.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 12.1% | 10.9–13.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.6% | 19.3–24.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.6% | 6.0–7.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 9.3% | 8.6–10.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 23.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 17.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 15.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 15.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 9.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 82.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 29.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 5.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 48.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 19.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 39.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $49,393 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $94,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $903 | $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 | 74.6 yr ± 0.75 | 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 0.75 years of 74.6, 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