ZIP code
81223
in Cotopaxi, ColoradoPopulation 2,457
48.08/ 100
Ranked #18,822 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 41%)
Ranked #411 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (bottom 18%)
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
6.4%
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Mammography
65.7%
in the bottom 3.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST12thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Elder-services access
0.46 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities 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 ›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 ›Humid extreme heat
13.1 days/year
in the bottom 10.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST44thUS10thDefinition & 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 ›Poverty rate
25.1%
in the top 10.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS89thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
9.8%
in the top 11.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS89thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
10.5%
in the top 13.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS87thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
13.3%
in the bottom 17% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS17thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Stroke
4.8%
in the top 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS82ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›The read
Cotopaxi, Colorado (ZIP 81223) ranks in the bottom 41% nationally (18,822nd) and the bottom 18% of Colorado (411th).
Several signals sit on each side of the ledger here: elder services is in the top 2.7% nationally, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk registers in the bottom 2.8% nationally. Modeled extreme heat lies at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled humid heat is in the bottom 10.0% nationally, and pfas registers in the bottom 11.7% nationally. Working the other way, modeled energy burden lies in the top 2.0% nationally, modeled mammography is in the bottom 3.6% nationally, and poverty registers in the top 10.8% nationally. Modeled coronary heart disease lies in the top 11.4% nationally, and radon is in the top 15.0% nationally.
Against its neighbors, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 81143, 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 87%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 85%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 64%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 96%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 47%
13%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 19%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 4%
16%
Disability
healthier than 35%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 35%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 84%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 78%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 64%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 50%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 57%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 44%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 2%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.8%
16%
Disability
healthier than 10%
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 ›
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.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 87.1; chronic-disease standing 18.6 — 69 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,158 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
81143
Coloradoshares a border
Score 49.77
Closest healthier
81212
Coloradoshares a border
Score 49.08
Similar health profile
05905
Vermont90% similar profile
Score 46.45
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 | 38.1% | 34.1–42.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.8% | 34.3–43.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 13.3% | 11.9–14.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.8% | 10.4–13.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.8% | 8.5–11.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.2% | 8.4–12.2 |
| Depression among adults | 23.4% | 20.0–27.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.7% | 11.6–15.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.4% | 36.7–46.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 29.5% | 23.1–36.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.8% | 4.2–5.6 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.0% | 12.1–18.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.4% | 6.4–10.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.1% | 76.6–83.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.2% | 74.7–81.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.3% | 88.9–91.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.9% | 63.8–73.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 60.8% | 57.2–64.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 65.7% | 56.5–73.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.3% | 10.9–16.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.6% | 11.8–18.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 21.9% | 17.7–26.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.0% | 26.4–38.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.9% | 17.3–25.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.0% | 13.1–17.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.8% | 14.4–19.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.1% | 12.0–16.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.9% | 29.9–40.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.5% | 9.2–12.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.5% | 7.2–10.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.8% | 14.8–21.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.6% | 3.9–5.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.3% | 4.6–6.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 25.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 11.5% | 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+) | 1.5% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.9% (0.0–9.4%) n=507 |
| Broadband subscription | 87.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 27.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 91.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 74.7% (51.5–93.8%) n=507 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.6% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.3%) n=507 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 72.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 36.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 59.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $51,889 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $355,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $458,400 ($191,360–$800,020) n=469 |
| Median gross rent | $1,699 | $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 | 81.3 yr ± 2.76 | 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 2.76 years of 81.3, 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