ZIP code
81050
in La Junta, ColoradoPopulation 9,894
43.59/ 100
Ranked #23,815 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 26%)
Ranked #476 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (bottom 5.2%)
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)
18.6%
in the top 5.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Mammography
66.8%
in the bottom 5.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST18thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
5.6%
in the top 4.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Nitrate in drinking water
1.6%
in the top 5.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 6.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST79thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
18.3 per million
in the bottom 6.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST45thUS7thDefinition & 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 ›Park land
15.3%
in the top 8.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST66thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Dry extreme heat
45.5 days/year
in the top 10.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS89thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
22.6%
in the top 13.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS86thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
7.7%
in the top 14.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS86thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›The read
La Junta, Colorado (ZIP 81050), on the composite measure, lands in the bottom 26% nationally (23,815th) and the bottom 5.2% of Colorado (476th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The profile cuts both ways, and the readings bear that out: distance to an emergency room lands at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Modeled air-toxics cancer risk resides in the bottom 6.8% nationally, park land lies in the top 8.7% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site settles in the top 11.3% nationally. Working the other way, modeled uninsured stands in the top 5.8% nationally, and mammography is in the bottom 5.1% nationally. Modeled energy burden rests in the top 4.2% nationally, and nitrate sits in the top 5.9% nationally. Modeled disaster risk registers in the top 6.5% nationally, and extreme heat lands in the top 10.6% nationally.
Set against the neighboring ZIPs, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In everyday language, nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 81030, 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 72%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 90%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 50%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 59%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 43%
8%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 6%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 6%
13%
Disability
healthier than 22%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 25%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 68%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 90%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 14%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 2%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 11%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 12%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 22%
8%
Disability
healthier than 3%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the bottom 0.04%
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 ›
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.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 76.5 ± 1.7 years. The 50 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 79.5 years — 3.0 years below them.
Ranked #2,345 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
81030
Coloradoshares a border
Score 52.97
Closest healthier
81049
Coloradoshares a border
Score 51.38
Similar health profile
92368
California96% similar profile
Score 40.71
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 | 28.5% | 25.4–32.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.9% | 30.0–38.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.3% | 7.6–9.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.5% | 10.2–13.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.8% | 7.0–8.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.3% | 7.3–9.4 |
| Depression among adults | 22.8% | 19.4–26.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.5% | 11.8–15.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.9% | 31.8–40.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.9% | 26.4–42.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.2% | 3.9–4.6 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.3% | 12.6–18.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 18.6% | 16.0–21.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 73.8% | 70.6–76.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 72.0% | 67.7–76.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 83.2% | 81.1–85.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 59.8% | 54.3–64.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 54.1% | 50.2–57.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 66.8% | 57.8–74.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.0% | 13.1–19.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.7% | 12.7–17.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.4% | 22.2–31.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.0% | 27.7–40.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.2% | 21.4–27.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.8% | 15.7–20.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.5% | 14.7–18.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.9% | 15.9–20.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 36.4% | 32.0–41.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.2% | 8.3–10.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.1% | 9.0–11.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.1% | 15.0–19.3 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.2% | 4.8–5.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.7% | 7.0–8.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 22.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 11.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 14.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 18.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | 7.7% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.9% (0.0–9.4%) n=507 |
| Broadband subscription | 86.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 27.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.8% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 74.7% (51.5–93.8%) n=507 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.3%) n=507 |
| Foreign-born population | 5.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 42.2% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 20.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 40.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $57,180 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $199,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $458,400 ($191,360–$800,020) n=469 |
| Median gross rent | $783 | $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 | 76.5 yr ± 0.87 | 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 0.87 years of 76.5, 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