ZIP code
81039
in Fowler, ColoradoPopulation 1,597
43.77/ 100
Ranked #23,642 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 26%)
Ranked #472 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (bottom 6.0%)
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.
Mammography
65.9%
in the bottom 3.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST13thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Walkability
1.6 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 5.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST28thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
68.8%
in the bottom 5.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST4thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
18.6 per million
in the bottom 7.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST46thUS7thDefinition & 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 ›Nitrate in drinking water
0.30%
in the top 7.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST83rdUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of this area’s domestic-well groundwater at or above the federal nitrate limit of 10 milligrams 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 ›Fatal road crashes
37.6 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 8.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Dry extreme heat
38.1 days/year
in the top 12.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS88thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Median household income
$47,143
in the bottom 11.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS11thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›The read
By its overall health score, Fowler, Colorado (ZIP 81039) lands in the bottom 26% nationally (23,642nd) and the bottom 6.0% of Colorado (472nd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
Strengths and concerns sit side by side across the measures here: modeled air-toxics cancer risk stands in the bottom 7.0% nationally. Distance to a nursing home settles at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. On the other hand, modeled mammography lies in the bottom 3.8% nationally, walkability resides in the bottom 5.4% nationally, and home broadband subscription lands in the bottom 5.6% nationally. Modeled nitrate registers in the top 7.6% nationally, fatal road crashes sits in the top 8.0% nationally, and distance to an emergency room rests in the top 10.9% nationally. Modeled extreme heat is in the top 12.3% nationally, and radon stands in the top 16% nationally.
Weighed against the ZIPs nearby, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To translate a couple of terms, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 81022, 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
Risk Behavior
healthier than 72%
11%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 42%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 38%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 10%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 13%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 15%
13%
Disability
healthier than 30%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 32%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 28%
5%
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 8%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 5%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 19%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 33%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 26%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 22%
8%
Disability
healthier than 8%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 1%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 40%
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
81022
Coloradoshares a border
Score 49.84
Closest healthier
81058
Coloradoshares a border
Score 48.92
Similar health profile
83656
Idaho86% similar profile
Score 40.69
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 | 31.9% | 28.7–35.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.7% | 32.0–39.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.4% | 9.5–11.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.7% | 10.5–13.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.5% | 7.6–9.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.9% | 7.7–10.1 |
| Depression among adults | 23.8% | 20.6–27.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.6% | 10.9–14.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.7% | 32.8–40.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 31.7% | 25.3–38.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 4.0–4.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 17.7% | 15.0–20.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.7% | 9.9–13.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 76.4% | 73.6–79.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 74.3% | 70.8–77.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.5% | 83.7–87.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 62.5% | 57.7–66.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.9% | 54.4–61.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 65.9% | 57.7–72.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.8% | 13.3–18.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.2% | 12.1–16.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.4% | 19.7–27.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.0% | 27.5–38.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.9% | 18.4–23.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.2% | 15.4–19.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.7% | 14.0–17.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.1% | 14.3–17.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.2% | 31.2–39.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.0% | 9.0–11.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.4% | 8.3–10.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.6% | 14.4–18.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.6% | 4.1–5.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.2% | 5.6–6.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 16.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 13.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 26.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | 6.3% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.9% (0.0–9.4%) n=507 |
| Broadband subscription | 68.8% | 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 | 66.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 74.7% (51.5–93.8%) n=507 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.3%) n=507 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 63.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 36.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 54.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $47,143 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $155,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $458,400 ($191,360–$800,020) n=469 |
| Median gross rent | $816 | $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 | 78.0 yr ± 1.20 | 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 1.20 years of 78.0, 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