ZIP code
79938
in El Paso, TexasPopulation 99,621
54.48/ 100
Ranked #10,101 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 32%)
Ranked #302 of 1,868 Texas ZIPs (top 16%)
Ranked #6 of 32 El Paso, TX ZIPs (top 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)
25.6%
in the top 2.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST81stUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
50.9%
in the bottom 2.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
28.5%
in the bottom 2.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
843 units
in the top 2.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
3.6%
in the bottom 2.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 3.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & source ›
This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
26%
in the bottom 3.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Stroke
2.1%
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
4.6%
in the bottom 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
20.2%
in the top 5.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Overall, ZIP 79938, one of several in El Paso, Texas places in the top 32% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,101st) and the top 16% of Texas (302nd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The measures fall on both sides for this area, fairly evenly: modeled high cholesterol settles in the bottom 2.3% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing sits in the top 2.0% nationally. Modeled coronary heart disease lies in the bottom 2.3% nationally, and high blood pressure rests in the bottom 3.6% nationally. Modeled stroke resides in the bottom 2.8% nationally, and hearing disability is in the bottom 4.0% nationally. Pulling the other way, modeled uninsured lands in the top 2.1% nationally, colon screening stands in the bottom 2.4% nationally, and disaster risk registers in the top 3.3% nationally. Modeled binge drinking settles in the top 5.5% nationally.
Beside the areas that surround it, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For readers new to these terms, disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 79934, 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 97%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 63%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 66%
14%
Disability
healthier than 69%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 94%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 56%
8%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 4%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 27%
11%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 16%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 96%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 63%
16%
Disability
healthier than 76%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 87%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 94%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 46%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 42%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 59%
8%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 14%
13%
“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
79847
Texasshares a border
Score 29.92
Closest healthier
79934
Texasshares a border
Score 57.02
Similar health profile
78412
Texas98% similar profile
Score 51.70
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 | 14.6% | 12.9–16.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 26.0% | 23.3–28.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 3.2% | 2.8–3.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.5% | 7.5–9.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 3.6% | 3.2–4.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 3.4% | 3.0–3.8 |
| Depression among adults | 20.5% | 17.7–23.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.0% | 9.7–12.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 28.5% | 25.6–31.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 32.1% | 27.7–36.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.1% | 1.9–2.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.1% | 10.1–14.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 25.6% | 22.9–28.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 67.0% | 63.6–70.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 72.0% | 68.3–75.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 82.4% | 80.3–84.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 50.9% | 46.7–55.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 54.9% | 51.8–57.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 73.6% | 67.5–79.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 20.2% | 17.2–23.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 10.9% | 9.5–12.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 27.7% | 24.5–31.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.2% | 34.2–42.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 21.6% | 19.3–24.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.0% | 16.1–20.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.4% | 11.0–13.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.9% | 14.3–17.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 28.0% | 25.0–31.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 4.6% | 4.1–5.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.4% | 6.7–8.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 10.9% | 9.6–12.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.7% | 3.4–4.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.4% | 5.8–7.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TX median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.4% (3.5–26.4%) n=1,869 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 21.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 22.3% (8.2–41.5%) n=1,862 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 14.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.2% (2.5–30.0%) n=1,881 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 27.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (9.0–51.4%) n=1,881 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.7% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.4%) n=1,865 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–10.8%) n=1,868 |
| Broadband subscription | 95.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (75.0–97.3%) n=1,868 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 35.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 26.2% (8.8–40.3%) n=1,868 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.3% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (46.4–92.3%) n=1,868 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.1% (0.0–9.0%) n=1,868 |
| Foreign-born population | 20.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.1% (0.1–26.4%) n=1,886 |
| Single-parent households | 31.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.5% (34.3–70.6%) n=1,861 |
| Population 65+ | 6.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 16.1% (8.6–30.1%) n=1,886 |
| Median age | 30.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 38.3 yr (30.9–52.3) n=1,866 |
| Median household income | $77,272 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,983 ($46,006–$112,413) n=1,737 |
| Median home value | $214,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $210,500 ($97,060–$429,760) n=1,693 |
| Median gross rent | $1,466 | $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 | 80.4 yr ± 0.98 | 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 0.98 years of 80.4, 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