ZIP code
79851
in Sierra Blanca, TexasPopulation 1,198
35.33/ 100
Ranked #29,262 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 8.8%)
Ranked #1,719 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 8.0%)
Ranked #29 of 32 El Paso, TX ZIPs (bottom 9.4%)
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.
Colon-cancer screening
38.9%
in the bottom 0.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
342.2 per 100,000 residents per year
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Uninsured (under 65)
30.2%
in the top 1.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
24.7%
in the top 1.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
50.8 mi
in the top 0.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
48 mi
in the top 0.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
26.9%
in the bottom 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
21.5%
in the top 2.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Tooth loss
28%
in the top 4.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 3.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›The read
Sierra Blanca, Texas (ZIP 79851), in overall standing, comes out in the bottom 8.8% nationally (29,262nd) and the bottom 8.0% of Texas (1,719th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
A rural profile defined by a handful of clear readings: modeled colon screening resides in the bottom 0.2% nationally, fatal road crashes sits at the national maximum, and modeled uninsured stands in the top 1.1% nationally. Modeled cognitive disability resides in the top 1.2% nationally, distance to a nursing home sits in the top 0.6% nationally, and distance to an emergency room stands in the top 0.8% nationally. Modeled binge drinking resides in the top 2.4% nationally, and tooth loss sits in the top 4.4% nationally. On the stronger side, modeled high cholesterol stands in the bottom 1.7% nationally, and industrial-pollution burden resides in the bottom 3.3% nationally.
Set within its surrounding area, fatal road crashes runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, for reference, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 79839, 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
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 93%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 97%
14%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 3%
16%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 0.02%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 2%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 3%
8%
Disability
healthier than 23%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 30%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 3%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 88%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 96%
14%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 98%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.3%
16%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 0.00%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 2%
11%
Mental Health
in the bottom 0.7%
8%
Disability
healthier than 28%
7%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 1.0%
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
79839
Texasshares a border
Score 36.06
Closest healthier
79855
Texasshares a border
Score 37.83
Similar health profile
72427
Arkansas97% similar profile
Score 42.90
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 | 14.2% | 13.1–15.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 25.0% | 23.2–27.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 2.9% | 2.7–3.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.3% | 9.5–11.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 3.9% | 3.6–4.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.9% | 5.1–6.8 |
| Depression among adults | 27.1% | 25.0–29.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 8.9% | 8.2–9.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 26.9% | 25.0–29.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.9% | 33.1–41.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.3% | 2.1–2.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 28.0% | 23.6–32.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 30.2% | 25.3–35.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 56.9% | 54.8–59.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 64.2% | 61.2–67.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 69.4% | 65.9–72.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 38.9% | 33.7–44.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 34.2% | 30.9–37.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 66.8% | 57.1–74.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 21.5% | 19.5–23.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 19.3% | 16.3–22.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 32.8% | 29.1–36.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 40.9% | 33.2–48.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 28.2% | 24.6–31.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 24.3% | 22.1–26.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.9% | 13.3–16.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 24.7% | 21.5–27.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 38.1% | 34.0–42.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.6% | 5.0–6.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 12.2% | 10.5–13.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.3% | 10.9–13.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.5% | 3.9–5.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.9% | 7.0–8.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 32.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 8.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 49.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 6.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 14.7% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 11.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 21.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 4.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 37.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 32.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 9.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 33.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $55,500 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $62,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $1,000 | $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 | 77.2 yr ± 1.06 | 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 1.06 years of 77.2, 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