ZIP code
81243
in Powderhorn, ColoradoPopulation 174
60.85/ 100
Ranked #4,230 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 13.2%)
Ranked #140 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (top 28%)
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.
Humid extreme heat
0.3 days/year
in the bottom 0.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Short sleep
26.4%
in the bottom 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
26.8 mi
in the top 2.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›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 ›Obesity
25%
in the bottom 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST32ndUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
7.6%
in the bottom 4.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
43.3%
in the top 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Walkability
2 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 7.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST33rdUS8thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
2.3%
in the bottom 7.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite health measure, Powderhorn, Colorado (ZIP 81243) ranks in the top 13.2% healthiest ZIPs nationally (4,230th) and the top 28% of Colorado (140th).
A number of measures pull each way for this area: modeled humid heat resides in the bottom 0.3% nationally, and short sleep registers in the bottom 1.0% nationally. Modeled transportation noise rests at the national minimum, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility stands in the top 2.6% nationally. Modeled air-toxics cancer risk lies in the bottom 2.8% nationally, obesity lands in the bottom 5.6% nationally, and pfas sits in the bottom 4.3% nationally. Unemployment is at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Set against that, housing-cost burden settles in the top 6.7% nationally, and walkability resides in the bottom 7.6% nationally.
Read against the ZIPs closest to it, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To spell things out, 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. 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. Close by, ZIP 81220, just across the boundary, ranks healthier 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
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 60%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 95%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 77%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 97%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 83%
8%
Disability
healthier than 77%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 99%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 43%
16%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 10%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 92%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 97%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 92%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 89%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 78%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 54%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 25%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 24%
16%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 18%
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
81220
Coloradoshares a border
Score 61.38
Closest healthier
81235
Coloradoshares a border
Score 62.44
Similar health profile
80425
Colorado98% similar profile
Score 64.02
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 | 31.3% | 27.0–35.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 34.0% | 29.4–38.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 12.3% | 11.0–13.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.0% | 9.6–12.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.6% | 6.5–8.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.7% | 5.2–8.2 |
| Depression among adults | 21.5% | 18.1–25.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.2% | 8.4–12.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.0% | 33.2–42.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 25.0% | 18.5–32.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.6% | 3.0–4.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.9% | 8.8–13.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 5.7% | 4.1–7.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.4% | 73.3–81.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 77.6% | 73.5–81.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 91.2% | 89.5–92.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.5% | 63.2–73.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 70.8% | 67.4–73.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.5% | 66.2–81.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.0% | 12.1–18.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 10.6% | 7.5–13.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 16.4% | 12.4–20.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 26.4% | 20.6–32.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 14.4% | 11.5–17.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 13.8% | 11.6–16.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.7% | 10.6–14.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.3% | 9.2–13.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 27.5% | 22.7–32.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.5–10.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.3% | 5.0–7.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.2% | 9.7–14.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.1% | 2.5–3.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.7% | 3.1–4.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 2.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 17.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 52.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 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) | 43.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.3% | 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 | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 87.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 59.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 66.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $73,636 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $463,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $458,400 ($191,360–$800,020) n=469 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 unavailable for this ZIP — fewer than 80% of the census tracts that make it up could be matched across the 2010→2020 tract-boundary revision, so no value is published rather than an unreliable one. See how coverage gaps are handled. | |||
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