ZIP code
81428
in Paonia, ColoradoPopulation 3,788
52.48/ 100
Ranked #12,782 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 40%)
Ranked #300 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (bottom 40%)
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.
Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 1.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS1stDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›Park land
52.3%
in the top 2.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST84thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
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 ›Pharmacy access
0.55 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The number of pharmacies 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 ›Elder-services access
0.28 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Radon
3.2 pCi/L
in the top 7.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Distance to an emergency room
20 mi
in the top 5.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Outpatient-care access
0.55 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST86thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The number of outpatient clinics 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 ›Obesity
26.7%
in the bottom 8.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST47thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Recreation access
1.1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST84thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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 ›The read
Paonia, Colorado (ZIP 81428), on the composite measure, lands in the top 40% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,782nd) and the bottom 40% of Colorado (300th).
The profile cuts both ways, and the readings bear that out: modeled industrial-pollution burden sits in the bottom 1.4% nationally, park land registers in the top 2.3% nationally, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk lands in the bottom 2.8% nationally. Pharmacy resides in the top 4.2% nationally, elder services lies in the top 5.1% nationally, and outpatient settles in the top 6.5% nationally. Modeled obesity stands in the bottom 8.5% nationally, and recreation is in the top 7.2% nationally. Working the other way, modeled radon rests in the top 7.7% nationally, and distance to an emergency room sits in the top 5.5% nationally.
Set against the neighboring ZIPs, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In everyday language, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. 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. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 81415, 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
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 72%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 67%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 86%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 98%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 41%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 53%
8%
Disability
healthier than 42%
7%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 35%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 8%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 62%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 67%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 71%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 52%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 51%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 39%
8%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 14%
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
81415
Coloradoshares a border
Score 53.67
Closest healthier
81434
Coloradoshares a border
Score 59.86
Similar health profile
99122
Washington97% similar profile
Score 51.47
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 | 34.4% | 30.8–38.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.6% | 33.3–42.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.8% | 10.7–13.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.7% | 10.3–13.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.5% | 7.5–9.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.0% | 7.5–10.6 |
| Depression among adults | 24.2% | 20.6–28.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.0% | 10.3–14.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.6% | 34.1–43.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 26.7% | 20.6–33.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 3.9–4.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 8.5% | 6.5–10.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.8% | 7.0–10.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.0% | 73.4–80.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 75.2% | 71.0–78.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.0% | 86.1–89.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.6% | 59.8–70.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.8% | 60.7–68.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.0% | 59.8–77.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.9% | 12.1–17.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.7% | 11.0–16.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 20.4% | 16.6–24.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.2% | 24.9–37.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.5% | 16.4–22.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.7% | 13.8–17.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.2% | 13.2–17.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.3% | 12.4–16.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.9% | 28.4–37.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.7% | 8.6–10.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.5% | 7.3–9.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.6% | 13.2–18.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.7–4.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.3% | 4.6–6.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 13.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 24.2% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 6.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 41.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.5% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.7% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.9% (0.0–9.4%) n=507 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 25.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 74.7% (51.5–93.8%) n=507 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.6% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.3%) n=507 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 65.2% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 29.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 50.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $75,799 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $432,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $458,400 ($191,360–$800,020) n=469 |
| Median gross rent | $988 | $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 | 78.2 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 78.2, 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