ZIP code
81052
in Lamar, ColoradoPopulation 9,045
43.62/ 100
Ranked #23,783 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 26%)
Ranked #475 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (bottom 5.4%)
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.
Energy-cost burden
6.3%
in the top 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Mental-health provider access
0.33 per 1,000 residents
in the top 1.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health clinics located inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.
Full methodology ›Mammography
65.3%
in the bottom 3.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST10thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Outpatient-care access
0.77 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of outpatient clinics located inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
95.8 mi
in the top 3.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
Full methodology ›Lithium in drinking water
77 µg/L
in the top 4.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Uninsured (under 65)
18.3%
in the top 6.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Walkability
1.8 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 6.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST29thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Civic-institution access
0.77 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST86thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of civic and social organizations inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 6.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST16thUS7thDefinition & 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
Overall, Lamar, Colorado (ZIP 81052) places in the bottom 26% nationally (23,783rd) and the bottom 5.4% of Colorado (475th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The measures that matter most for this area lead the way: modeled energy burden stands in the top 2.2% nationally, and mammography registers in the bottom 3.2% nationally. Lithium in drinking water settles in the top 4.9% nationally, and modeled uninsured sits in the top 6.2% nationally. Walkability lies in the bottom 6.2% nationally. On the better side, mental-health providers rests in the top 1.7% nationally, outpatient resides in the top 3.4% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site is in the top 3.9% nationally. Distance to an emergency room lands at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Civic stands in the top 6.7% nationally.
For readers new to these terms, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 81036, 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 77%
14%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 58%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 60%
11%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 6%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 5%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 36%
8%
Disability
healthier than 25%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 22%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 73%
14%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 23%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 2%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 7%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 13%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 15%
8%
Disability
healthier than 4%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
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 ›
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 77.2 ± 2.0 years. The 50 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 80.7 years — 3.5 years below them.
Ranked #2,723 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
81036
Coloradoshares a border
Score 48.26
Closest healthier
81047
Coloradoshares a border
Score 44.57
Similar health profile
88001
New Mexico96% similar profile
Score 41.77
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 | 27.6% | 24.4–30.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 32.2% | 28.3–36.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.2% | 7.4–9.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.5% | 10.2–12.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.4% | 6.7–8.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.3% | 7.4–9.5 |
| Depression among adults | 23.2% | 19.7–26.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.3% | 10.7–14.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.0% | 29.8–38.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 29.6% | 22.5–37.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.0% | 3.6–4.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.9% | 15.4–22.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 18.3% | 15.9–21.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 72.4% | 69.1–75.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 70.2% | 65.9–74.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 82.5% | 80.4–84.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 58.1% | 52.6–63.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 52.7% | 48.8–56.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 65.3% | 55.9–73.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.1% | 13.2–19.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.6% | 13.4–18.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.6% | 22.3–31.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.6% | 26.2–39.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 23.6% | 20.7–26.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.3% | 16.3–20.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.2% | 14.3–18.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.4% | 16.3–20.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.8% | 31.2–40.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.7% | 7.8–9.8 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.1% | 9.0–11.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.2% | 14.2–18.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.9% | 4.5–5.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.2% | 6.5–8.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 19.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 16.2% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 12.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 19.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.9% (0.0–9.4%) n=507 |
| Broadband subscription | 85.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 32.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.3% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 74.7% (51.5–93.8%) n=507 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.3%) n=507 |
| Foreign-born population | 10.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 44.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 16.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 34.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $58,875 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $158,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $458,400 ($191,360–$800,020) n=469 |
| Median gross rent | $856 | $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 | 77.2 yr ± 1.03 | 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 1.03 years of 77.2, 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