ZIP code
81321
in Cortez, ColoradoPopulation 14,236
52.24/ 100
Ranked #13,139 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 41%)
Ranked #305 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (bottom 39%)
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
2.2 days/year
in the bottom 1.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST17thUS1stDefinition & 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 ›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 ›Mammography
67.5%
in the bottom 6.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST26thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Dental provider access
1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST90thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The number of dental offices located 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 ›Short sleep
29.6%
in the bottom 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST35thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›The read
Cortez, Colorado (ZIP 81321), in overall standing, comes out in the top 41% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,139th) and the bottom 39% of Colorado (305th).
A few readings each way define this mixed profile: modeled humid heat resides in the bottom 1.4% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk sits in the bottom 5.1% nationally. Distance to an emergency room stands at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Dental providers resides in the top 6.2% nationally, and modeled short sleep sits in the bottom 7.9% nationally. Modeled obesity stands in the bottom 12.7% nationally. Distance to a community health center resides at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Subsidized affordable housing sits in the top 11.6% nationally. Pulling the other way, modeled mammography stands in the bottom 6.5% nationally, and disaster risk resides in the top 10.8% nationally.
Defined simply, for reference, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 81323, 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 95%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 82%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 99%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 55%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 43%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 42%
8%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 15%
13%
Disability
healthier than 38%
7%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 92%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 80%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 43%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 18%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 24%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 34%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 22%
8%
Disability
healthier than 14%
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
2 of our published findings list 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.
Above what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 81.6 ± 1.8 years. A median household income of $59,506 predicts 78.0 years — 3.6 years above.
Ranked #260 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Above its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 81.6 ± 1.8 years. The 46 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 78.8 years — 2.9 years above them.
Ranked #917 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
81323
Coloradoshares a border
Score 52.53
Closest healthier
81327
Coloradoshares a border
Score 53.04
Similar health profile
81630
Colorado94% similar profile
Score 51.63
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 | 29.8% | 26.5–33.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.3% | 29.4–37.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.0% | 9.1–10.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.9% | 10.6–13.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.7% | 6.9–8.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.3% | 7.4–9.3 |
| Depression among adults | 23.9% | 20.4–27.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.7% | 10.1–13.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.6% | 30.4–39.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 28.5% | 22.1–36.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.1% | 3.7–4.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.3% | 10.6–16.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.6% | 10.0–13.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 75.0% | 71.6–78.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 72.9% | 68.9–76.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.6% | 83.8–87.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 63.1% | 57.3–68.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 59.7% | 55.7–63.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 67.5% | 57.8–75.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.0% | 12.3–18.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.1% | 13.1–17.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.7% | 19.0–26.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 29.6% | 23.5–35.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.5% | 18.0–23.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.1% | 15.2–19.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.3% | 13.6–17.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.0% | 14.3–17.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.4% | 31.2–39.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.2% | 8.2–10.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.0% | 8.1–10.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.6% | 13.7–17.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.2% | 3.8–4.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.8% | 5.3–6.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 15.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 9.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 26.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.9% (0.0–9.4%) n=507 |
| Broadband subscription | 84.9% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 30.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 74.7% (51.5–93.8%) n=507 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.3%) n=507 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 50.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 22.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 41.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $59,506 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $289,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $458,400 ($191,360–$800,020) n=469 |
| Median gross rent | $969 | $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 | 81.6 yr ± 0.94 | 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 0.94 years of 81.6, 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