ZIP code
79854
in Valentine, TexasPopulation 86
42.38/ 100
Ranked #24,917 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 22%)
Ranked #1,260 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (bottom 33%)
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.
Distance to a nursing home
67.2 mi
in the top 0.5% 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
37.3 mi
in the top 1.3% 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 ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
38.6 mi
in the top 1.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
20.9%
in the top 2.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Walkability
0.64 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 1.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Slow internet speeds
8.8%
in the top 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Arsenic in groundwater
38%
in the top 1.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms 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 ›Housing-cost burden
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Uninsured (under 65)
20%
in the top 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST67thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 2.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS2ndDefinition & 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
On balance, and by the composite measure, Valentine, Texas (ZIP 79854) ranks in the bottom 22% nationally (24,917th) and the bottom 33% of Texas (1,260th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
Plainly stated, a few measures mark out this area: distance to a nursing home settles in the top 0.5% nationally, and distance to an emergency room lies in the top 1.3% nationally. Modeled diabetes resides in the top 2.6% nationally, and walkability lands in the bottom 1.5% nationally. Slow internet speeds registers in the top 1.6% nationally, modeled arsenic sits in the top 1.9% nationally, and modeled uninsured rests in the top 4.5% nationally. Better still, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is in the top 1.3% nationally, housing-cost burden stands at the national minimum, and modeled industrial-pollution burden settles in the bottom 2.5% nationally.
Compared with the ZIPs it borders, distance to a nursing home runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plainer terms, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 79734, 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 97%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 76%
8%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 91%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 55%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 38%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 26%
13%
Disability
healthier than 9%
7%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.10%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 97%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 70%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 75%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 83%
8%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.00%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 3%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 31%
16%
Disability
healthier than 10%
7%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.00%
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
79830
Texasabout 29 mi away
Score 56.56
Similar health profile
87820
New Mexico98% similar profile
Score 41.22
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 | 34.3% | 30.6–37.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 46.4% | 41.8–50.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.3% | 9.2–11.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.0% | 8.8–11.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 11.4% | 10.1–12.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.1% | 8.5–11.8 |
| Depression among adults | 20.9% | 17.7–24.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 20.9% | 18.3–23.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 45.3% | 40.4–49.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.8% | 30.6–46.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.6% | 5.0–6.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.3% | 13.5–19.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 20.0% | 16.4–24.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.7% | 81.2–85.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.7% | 76.2–82.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.1% | 87.4–90.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 63.4% | 58.2–68.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 53.0% | 49.6–56.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 70.0% | 61.6–77.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.2% | 9.9–14.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.9% | 11.3–16.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 35.0% | 29.6–40.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.4% | 29.9–43.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 29.6% | 25.7–33.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.4% | 13.5–17.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 18.2% | 15.9–20.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.5% | 13.4–17.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 40.5% | 35.6–45.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.9% | 10.6–13.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.6% | 9.1–12.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 23.6% | 20.5–27.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.7% | 5.7–7.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 9.1% | 7.8–10.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 19.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 30.2% | 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 | 100.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 0.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 100.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 100.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 97.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 70.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $33,672 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $84,700 | $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 | 81.6 yr ± 1.07 | 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 1.07 years of 81.6, 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