ZIP code
80542
in Mead, ColoradoPopulation 5,155
58.19/ 100
Ranked #6,239 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 19%)
Ranked #195 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (top 39%)
Ranked #6 of 34 Greeley, CO ZIPs (top 18%)
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.
Air-toxics cancer risk
51.8 per million
in the top 0.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
0.00%
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Median household income
$133,500
in the top 6.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
98.3%
in the top 5.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance
1.6%
in the top 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of days in the year when modeled fine-particle (PM2.5) pollution was above the EPA’s daily limit of 35 micrograms per cubic meter.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
1.4%
in the bottom 5.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
27.6%
in the bottom 5.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST31stUS5thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
19.7%
in the top 7.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST84thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Mobility disability
9.2%
in the bottom 6.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST21stUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
4.7%
in the bottom 7.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST21stUS7thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, Mead, Colorado (ZIP 80542) sits in the top 19% healthiest ZIPs nationally (6,239th) and the top 39% of Colorado (195th).
A balanced showing across the data, with a few readings each side: household income lands in the top 6.3% nationally, homeownership rests in the top 5.6% nationally, and poverty settles in the bottom 5.7% nationally. Modeled high blood pressure lands in the bottom 5.4% nationally, mobility disability rests in the bottom 6.2% nationally, and coronary heart disease settles in the bottom 7.0% nationally. On the other hand, modeled air-toxics cancer risk lands in the top 0.6% nationally, and tree cover rests at the national minimum. Modeled fine-particle settles in the top 5.6% nationally, and binge drinking lands in the top 7.4% nationally.
Placed beside its immediate neighbors, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put plainly, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Fine-particle is fine airborne particles about one-thirtieth the width of a hair, counted on modeled days above the EPA standard. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 80504, 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Greeley, CO metro area.
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 90%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 81%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 77%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 65%
8%
Disability
healthier than 90%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 66%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 2%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 29%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 39%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 66%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 64%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 60%
8%
Disability
healthier than 76%
7%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 58%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 47%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 3%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 35%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 18%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 73%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 85%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 97%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 82%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 97%
8%
Disability
healthier than 88%
7%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 58%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 52%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 12%
14%
“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 ›
Findings that name this ZIP
One of our published findings lists this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 2.7 (bottom 10%); chronic-disease standing 89.6 — 87 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #17,689 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
80504
Coloradoshares a border
Score 59.41
Closest healthier
80513
Coloradoshares a border
Score 59.87
Similar health profile
60604
Illinois98% similar profile
Score 64.89
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 | 22.7% | 20.3–25.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 27.6% | 24.7–30.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.3% | 7.5–9.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.8% | 9.6–12.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 4.7% | 4.1–5.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.0% | 4.1–5.9 |
| Depression among adults | 22.3% | 19.5–25.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 8.4% | 7.2–9.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 32.4% | 29.2–35.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 31.3% | 27.0–36.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.5% | 2.2–2.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 6.7% | 5.5–8.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.0% | 6.4–9.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 69.5% | 65.7–73.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 69.8% | 66.2–73.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.9% | 84.9–88.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 63.5% | 59.5–67.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 68.9% | 66.1–71.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.1% | 71.4–82.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 19.7% | 16.9–23.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 11.2% | 8.9–13.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 16.0% | 13.3–19.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.8% | 29.0–36.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 13.2% | 11.0–15.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.7% | 13.9–17.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.5% | 10.0–13.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.0% | 11.2–15.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 25.2% | 21.8–29.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.7% | 5.0–6.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.0–6.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 9.2% | 7.6–11.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.6% | 2.2–3.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.3% | 2.8–3.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 1.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 6.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 50.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.9% (0.0–9.4%) n=507 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 25.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 98.3% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 74.7% (51.5–93.8%) n=507 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.3%) n=507 |
| Foreign-born population | 7.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 43.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 10.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 39.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $133,500 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $614,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $458,400 ($191,360–$800,020) n=469 |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,534 ($828–$2,196) n=401 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 82.5 yr ± 2.80 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 80.4 yr (76.8–83.2) n=466 |
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 2.80 years of 82.5, 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