ZIP code
81055
in La Veta, ColoradoPopulation 1,559
58.07/ 100
Ranked #6,336 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 20%)
Ranked #199 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (top 40%)
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.
Recreation access
3.4 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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 hazardous-chemical facility
45 mi
in the top 1.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
64.1 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 1.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Civic-institution access
1.3 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Short sleep
26.9%
in the bottom 1.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST12thUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
10 per million
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST17thUS3rdDefinition & 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 ›Dental provider access
1.3 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of dental offices 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 ›Humid extreme heat
5.8 days/year
in the bottom 3.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST30thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.
Full methodology ›Obesity
25.4%
in the bottom 6.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST36thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Park land
27.7%
in the top 5.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST75thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, La Veta, Colorado (ZIP 81055) lands in the top 20% healthiest ZIPs nationally (6,336th) and the top 40% of Colorado (199th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The signals balance out across the profile, strengths against concerns: recreation settles in the top 0.5% nationally, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility resides in the top 1.0% nationally. Civic registers in the top 2.4% nationally, and modeled short sleep rests in the bottom 1.4% nationally. Modeled air-toxics cancer risk stands in the bottom 2.8% nationally, dental providers lies in the top 3.3% nationally, and modeled humid heat lands in the bottom 3.7% nationally. Modeled obesity sits in the bottom 6.2% nationally, and park land is in the top 5.1% nationally. Set against that, fatal road crashes settles in the top 1.9% nationally.
Set beside the nearby areas, recreation runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. A note on the terms: distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 87512, about 21 miles away, ranks better overall.
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 99%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 82%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 98%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 88%
8%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 56%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 32%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 18%
16%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 97%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 97%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 93%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 97%
8%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 55%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 6%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 9%
16%
Disability
healthier than 30%
7%
“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
81020
Coloradoshares a border
Score 41.07
Closest healthier
87512
New Mexicoabout 21 mi away
Score 57.58
Similar health profile
80827
Colorado97% similar profile
Score 55.34
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 | 36.2% | 32.1–40.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 39.0% | 34.3–43.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 14.0% | 12.7–15.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.8% | 9.5–12.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.2% | 8.0–10.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.3% | 7.0–9.7 |
| Depression among adults | 20.5% | 17.3–24.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.7% | 10.8–14.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 42.1% | 37.1–46.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 25.4% | 18.8–32.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 3.9–5.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.6% | 9.4–14.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.4% | 6.1–8.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.6% | 77.1–83.4 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.1% | 75.6–82.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 91.4% | 90.1–92.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 73.5% | 68.7–78.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 68.5% | 65.0–71.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 71.4% | 62.7–79.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.2% | 10.7–15.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 10.8% | 8.7–13.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 19.1% | 15.3–23.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 26.9% | 21.2–33.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.2% | 14.5–20.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 13.2% | 11.4–15.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.3% | 12.4–16.3 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.8% | 10.2–13.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.0% | 27.4–36.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.3% | 9.1–11.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.1% | 6.2–8.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.3% | 12.9–18.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.7% | 3.2–4.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.1–5.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 17.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 38.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.5% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.9% (0.0–9.4%) n=507 |
| Broadband subscription | 78.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 24.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.7% | 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 | 0.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 80.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 56.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 68.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $55,080 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $398,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $458,400 ($191,360–$800,020) n=469 |
| Median gross rent | $740 | $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 | 81.4 yr ± 1.89 | 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 1.89 years of 81.4, 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