ZIP code
81240
in Penrose, ColoradoPopulation 4,800
53.11/ 100
Ranked #11,922 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 37%)
Ranked #285 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (bottom 43%)
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.
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 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST32ndUS5thDefinition & 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 ›Fatal road crashes
43.8 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Radon
3 pCi/L
in the top 9.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS90thDefinition & 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 ›The read
By its overall health score, Penrose, Colorado (ZIP 81240) lands in the top 37% healthiest ZIPs nationally (11,922nd) and the bottom 43% of Colorado (285th).
The profile opens on a set of genuinely favorable readings: elder services lies in the top 2.7% nationally, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk resides in the bottom 5.1% nationally. Modeled obesity lands in the bottom 14.2% nationally. Outer-floodplain exposure registers at the national minimum, shared with about 36% of ZIPs. Modeled short sleep sits in the bottom 21% nationally. On the other side, fatal road crashes rests in the top 5.6% nationally, and modeled radon is in the top 9.8% nationally. Fiber broadband stands at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Physicians settles at the national minimum, shared with about 38% of ZIPs. Childcare lies at the national minimum, shared with about 42% of ZIPs.
Weighed against the ZIPs nearby, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To translate a couple of terms, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Outer-floodplain exposure is land with a lower but real 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "500-year floodplain". Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 80926, 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%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 83%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 81%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 55%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 51%
8%
Disability
healthier than 58%
7%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 24%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 38%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 36%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 69%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 70%
13%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 44%
11%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 45%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 18%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 12%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 35%
8%
Disability
healthier than 31%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 37%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
80860
Coloradoshares a border
Score 52.06
Closest healthier
80926
Coloradoshares a border
Score 60.04
Similar health profile
81328
Colorado95% similar profile
Score 58.56
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 | 31.8% | 28.3–35.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.0% | 29.2–37.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.8% | 9.8–11.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.5% | 10.2–12.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.6% | 6.6–8.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.8% | 6.5–9.1 |
| Depression among adults | 24.1% | 20.7–27.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.3% | 9.7–13.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.6% | 32.3–40.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 29.0% | 22.9–35.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.4–4.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.2% | 9.7–14.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.5% | 7.0–10.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 76.9% | 73.5–80.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 75.1% | 71.3–78.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.9% | 86.1–89.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.6% | 60.4–70.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.1% | 60.4–67.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 71.2% | 63.2–78.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.6% | 12.9–18.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.2% | 10.7–15.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 20.2% | 16.3–24.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.1% | 26.3–38.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.1% | 15.3–21.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.0% | 14.0–18.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.6% | 12.7–16.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.1% | 12.2–16.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 31.3% | 26.9–35.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.5% | 7.5–9.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.6% | 6.6–8.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.3% | 12.0–16.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.7% | 3.2–4.2 |
| 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 | 9.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 10.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 6.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 34.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.2% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.9% (0.0–9.4%) n=507 |
| Broadband subscription | 90.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 29.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 74.7% (51.5–93.8%) n=507 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.3%) n=507 |
| Foreign-born population | 1.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 47.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 19.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 43.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $90,417 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $341,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $458,400 ($191,360–$800,020) n=469 |
| Median gross rent | $1,252 | $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 | 75.0 yr ± 1.20 | 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 1.20 years of 75.0, 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