ZIP code
81253
in Wetmore, ColoradoPopulation 524
48.66/ 100
Ranked #18,129 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 43%)
Ranked #394 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (bottom 22%)
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.
Home broadband subscription
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
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 ›Park land
38.6%
in the top 3.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST79thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Walkability
1.9 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 7.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST32ndUS7thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Unemployment rate
11.3%
in the top 7.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
10.4%
in the top 14.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS86thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
9.3%
in the top 17% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS83rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
13.6%
in the bottom 20% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS20thDefinition & 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
Judged by its overall standing, Wetmore, Colorado (ZIP 81253) sits in the bottom 43% nationally (18,129th) and the bottom 22% of Colorado (394th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
An even profile, with readings pulling both ways: home broadband subscription lies at the national maximum, modeled air-toxics cancer risk registers in the bottom 2.8% nationally, and park land is in the top 3.5% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise lies at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility registers in the top 12.6% nationally. Against that, walkability is in the bottom 7.0% nationally, and unemployment lies in the top 7.4% nationally. Fiber broadband registers at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Slow internet speeds is in the top 10.2% nationally, and distance to an emergency room lies in the top 12.1% nationally.
Placed beside its immediate neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put plainly, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. 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. Loud transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to road, rail, and air noise at or above 65 decibels, near conversation volume. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 81005, 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 86%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 82%
11%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 97%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 53%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 49%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 24%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 13%
16%
Disability
healthier than 30%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 11%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 82%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 81%
13%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 68%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 42%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 3%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 7%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 32%
8%
Disability
healthier than 8%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 20%
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
81005
Coloradoshares a border
Score 53.56
Closest healthier
81023
Coloradoshares a border
Score 54.30
Similar health profile
81320
Colorado95% similar profile
Score 50.06
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 | 36.7% | 32.9–40.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 39.1% | 35.0–43.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 12.2% | 11.1–13.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.2% | 10.9–13.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.3% | 8.2–10.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.1% | 8.5–11.7 |
| Depression among adults | 23.8% | 20.6–27.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.4% | 11.5–15.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.7% | 35.5–44.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 29.1% | 22.7–36.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.8% | 4.2–5.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.4% | 9.3–13.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.4% | 6.8–10.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.3% | 75.2–81.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 77.1% | 73.9–80.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.2% | 87.7–90.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.4% | 64.8–73.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 61.6% | 58.2–64.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 71.2% | 63.9–77.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.6% | 11.4–16.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.6% | 12.9–18.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.5% | 18.6–26.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.9% | 26.5–37.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.9% | 17.9–24.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.4% | 14.6–18.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.7% | 14.5–18.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.1% | 13.2–17.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.2% | 30.7–39.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.4% | 9.2–11.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.2% | 8.0–10.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.6% | 15.1–20.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.2–5.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.8% | 5.0–6.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 16.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 1.6% | 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+) | 35.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 11.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | 6.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.9% (0.0–9.4%) n=507 |
| Broadband subscription | 100.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 17.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.5% | 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 | 1.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 81.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 19.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 55.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $76,346 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $285,000 | $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 at birth | 81.1 yr ± 1.35 | 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 1.35 years of 81.1, 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