ZIP code
79853
in Tornillo, TexasPopulation 2,686
36.98/ 100
Ranked #28,533 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 11.1%)
Ranked #1,652 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 11.6%)
Ranked #26 of 32 El Paso, TX ZIPs (bottom 19%)
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)
43.2%
in the top 0.08% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
13.9%
in the top 0.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
47.2%
in the bottom 1.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST3rdUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Fair or poor health
38.7%
in the top 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›Self-care disability
8.0%
in the top 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
23.3%
in the top 2.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Lithium in drinking water
110 µg/L
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Diabetes
19.3%
in the top 5.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Independent-living disability
13.4%
in the top 5.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
16.2 mi
in the top 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›The read
In overall standing, Tornillo, Texas (ZIP 79853) comes out in the bottom 11.1% nationally (28,533rd) and the bottom 11.6% of Texas (1,652nd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The data is direct about where this area carries real strain: modeled uninsured lies in the top 0.08% nationally, vision disability sits in the top 0.8% nationally, and colon screening settles in the bottom 1.2% nationally. Modeled fair or poor health registers in the top 1.0% nationally, self-care disability stands in the top 2.8% nationally, and cognitive disability lands in the top 2.1% nationally. Lithium in drinking water is in the top 2.0% nationally, and modeled diabetes resides in the top 5.0% nationally. Modeled independent living disability rests in the top 5.5% nationally, and distance to a nursing home lies in the top 4.8% nationally.
Relative to the ZIPs around it, arsenic runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain terms, lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. The nearest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 79838, 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 67%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 79%
14%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 10%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 2%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 7%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 28%
8%
Disability
healthier than 3%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 14%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 28%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 64%
14%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 78%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 55%
21%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 3%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 6%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 9%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 19%
8%
Disability
healthier than 3%
7%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
79838
Texasshares a border
Score 39.79
Closest healthier
79927
Texasabout 2.0 mi away
Score 43.06
Similar health profile
93640
California98% similar profile
Score 27.90
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 | 21.3% | 18.8–23.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.2% | 32.0–38.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 3.8% | 3.4–4.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.4% | 8.2–10.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.1% | 6.3–7.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.7% | 5.9–7.7 |
| Depression among adults | 21.5% | 18.6–24.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 19.3% | 17.1–21.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.5% | 32.1–38.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.8% | 32.9–42.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.0% | 3.6–4.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.5% | 13.0–18.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 43.2% | 37.8–49.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 74.1% | 71.1–76.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 72.7% | 69.1–76.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 78.2% | 75.2–81.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 47.2% | 42.9–51.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 46.4% | 43.3–49.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 67.8% | 60.8–74.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.3% | 12.9–18.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.6% | 14.1–19.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 44.4% | 39.4–49.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.3% | 34.3–42.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 38.7% | 34.5–42.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 20.5% | 18.1–23.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 19.7% | 17.3–22.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 23.3% | 20.3–26.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 43.3% | 38.5–47.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.1% | 7.2–9.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 13.4% | 11.7–15.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 22.0% | 19.4–24.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 8.0% | 7.1–9.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 13.9% | 12.4–15.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 33.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 58.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 54.5% | 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+) | 6.1% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 88.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 14.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 91.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 9.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 37.6% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 46.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 17.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 40.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $42,234 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $83,200 | $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 unavailable for this ZIP — fewer than 80% of the census tracts that make it up could be matched across the 2010→2020 tract-boundary revision, so no value is published rather than an unreliable one. See how coverage gaps are handled. | |||
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