ZIP code
79718
in Balmorhea, TexasPopulation 629
31.97/ 100
Ranked #30,319 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 5.5%)
Ranked #1,793 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 4.1%)
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)
34.4%
in the top 0.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
12.8%
in the top 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Fair or poor health
38.3%
in the top 1.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›Pharmacy access
1.5 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of pharmacies located 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.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
22.6%
in the top 1.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Self-care disability
8.3%
in the top 2.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
27.1%
in the top 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Dry extreme heat
102 days/year
in the top 1.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
53.3%
in the bottom 3.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST13thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
57.8%
in the bottom 2.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST2ndUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Cross-source signals
Health need and barriers to care documented here
On our reading, this ZIP code carries the overlap at its acute level: acute means at least three of the six health-need readings and at least three of the six access barriers apply to the same place.
These are two separate readings of public data that both apply to this place — never a claim that one causes the other, never a severity score, and never a statement about any person who lives here.
Health need documented here
- People without health insurance
- People living in poverty
- Adults reporting fair or poor health
- Chronic conditions
Barriers to reaching care
- Distance to the nearest emergency room
- Distance to the nearest community health center
- Thin local supply of doctors
A reading appears below only where this ZIP code is among the most-affected 10% of US ZIP codes on it — one national bar, the same for every ZIP in the country.
See the full care-deserts analysis →The read
By its overall health score, Balmorhea, Texas (ZIP 79718) lands in the bottom 5.5% nationally (30,319th) and the bottom 4.1% of Texas (1,793rd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The readings that matter most locally set the tone for the profile: modeled uninsured sits in the top 0.6% nationally, and vision disability rests in the top 1.5% nationally. Modeled fair or poor health is in the top 1.1% nationally, and diabetes stands in the top 1.3% nationally. Modeled self-care disability settles in the top 2.3% nationally, mobility disability lies in the top 1.6% nationally, and extreme heat resides in the top 1.4% nationally. Modeled colon screening lands in the bottom 3.6% nationally, and home broadband subscription registers in the bottom 2.6% nationally. On the encouraging side, pharmacy sits in the top 0.3% nationally.
Weighed against the ZIPs nearby, pharmacy runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To translate a couple of terms, extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 79734, just across the boundary. On a broader view, the area also shows documented health need overlapping with barriers to reaching care, sitting in the most-affected 10% of US ZIP codes on several need measures and several access barriers.
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 57%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 12%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 5%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 10%
11%
Disability
healthier than 2%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 3%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 1%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
in the top 1.0%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 61%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 4%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 6%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 21%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 13%
11%
Disability
healthier than 1%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 12%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.4%
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
79734
Texasshares a border
Score 45.27
Closest healthier
79772
Texasshares a border
Score 37.67
Similar health profile
79322
Texas98% similar profile
Score 38.95
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 | 30.0% | 26.6–33.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 44.1% | 39.7–48.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.2% | 6.4–7.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.6% | 8.5–10.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.6% | 9.6–11.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.1% | 8.9–11.4 |
| Depression among adults | 20.8% | 17.6–24.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 22.6% | 20.0–25.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 42.8% | 38.2–47.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 41.3% | 32.5–50.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.7% | 5.2–6.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 24.2% | 20.4–28.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 34.4% | 29.6–39.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.1% | 77.2–82.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 75.0% | 70.8–78.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.0% | 81.7–86.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 53.3% | 47.8–58.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 43.8% | 40.1–47.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.5% | 60.8–77.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.8% | 10.3–15.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.9% | 15.5–20.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 45.6% | 40.0–51.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.7% | 31.4–46.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 38.3% | 34.6–42.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.7% | 15.7–19.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 20.8% | 18.5–23.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 20.2% | 18.1–22.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 46.2% | 41.3–51.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.6% | 10.4–12.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 13.3% | 11.8–14.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 27.1% | 24.3–30.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 8.3% | 7.4–9.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 12.8% | 11.6–14.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 29.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 43.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 26.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 9.0% | 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 | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 57.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 36.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 14.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 40.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 28.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 45.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $58,750 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $52,800 | $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 | 78.3 yr ± 1.85 | 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 1.85 years of 78.3, 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