ZIP code
81211
in Buena Vista, ColoradoPopulation 8,302
51.70/ 100
Ranked #13,835 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 43%)
Ranked #322 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (bottom 36%)
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.
Radon
4.1 pCi/L
in the top 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.
Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
9.9 per million
in the bottom 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS1stDefinition & 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
76.6%
in the top 0.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
2.5 days/year
in the bottom 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST18thUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Loud transportation noise
3.9%
in the top 2.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 65 decibels — around the volume of normal conversation.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 6.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST14thUS6thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a nursing home
13.2 mi
in the top 6.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST77thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
15.5 mi
in the top 7.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST84thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Obesity
27.4%
in the bottom 10.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST51stUS10thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 8.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST74thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›The read
By its overall health score, Buena Vista, Colorado (ZIP 81211) lands in the top 43% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,835th) and the bottom 36% of Colorado (322nd).
Neither strongly one way nor the other, the measures sit mixed: modeled air-toxics cancer risk stands in the bottom 0.5% nationally, and park land settles in the top 0.9% nationally. Modeled humid heat lies in the bottom 1.5% nationally, and industrial-pollution burden resides in the bottom 6.1% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility lands in the top 7.6% nationally, and modeled obesity registers in the bottom 10.0% nationally. Against that, modeled radon sits in the top 1.5% nationally, modeled loud transportation noise rests in the top 2.3% nationally, and distance to a nursing home is in the top 6.8% nationally. Modeled disaster risk stands in the top 8.5% nationally.
Weighed against the ZIPs nearby, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To translate a couple of terms, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 80440, 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
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 63%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 76%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 65%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.6%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 42%
16%
Disability
healthier than 49%
7%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 16%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 15%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 34%
5%
Lifting this score
Mental Health
healthier than 61%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 88%
5%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 43%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 27%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 22%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 23%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 33%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 34%
11%
Disability
healthier than 23%
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
80440
Coloradoshares a border
Score 58.87
Closest healthier
80449
Coloradoshares a border
Score 54.69
Similar health profile
83217
Idaho95% similar profile
Score 52.75
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 | 29.0% | 25.7–32.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.3% | 29.3–37.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.9% | 9.0–10.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.9% | 9.7–12.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.5% | 6.7–8.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.0% | 7.0–9.1 |
| Depression among adults | 21.8% | 18.4–25.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.9% | 9.4–12.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.6% | 31.3–40.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 27.4% | 20.9–34.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.5–4.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.6% | 11.1–16.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.6% | 10.5–14.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 73.5% | 69.9–76.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 72.3% | 68.1–76.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.1% | 83.1–86.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.0% | 59.8–69.9 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 58.0% | 54.4–61.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.7% | 61.0–77.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.4% | 13.4–19.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.0% | 12.8–17.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 20.5% | 16.9–24.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.6% | 25.5–38.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.6% | 17.0–22.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.0% | 14.1–18.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.4% | 12.7–16.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.2% | 13.4–17.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 31.3% | 27.1–35.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.6–9.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.2% | 7.3–9.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.0% | 12.1–15.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.1% | 3.7–4.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.4% | 4.8–6.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 6.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 39.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 10.1% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.9% (0.0–9.4%) n=507 |
| Broadband subscription | 88.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 35.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.0% | 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 | 3.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 73.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 24.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 48.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $88,083 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $677,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $458,400 ($191,360–$800,020) n=469 |
| Median gross rent | $1,849 | $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 | 79.6 yr ± 0.97 | 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 0.97 years of 79.6, 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