ZIP code
81429
in Paradox, ColoradoPopulation 129
42.48/ 100
Ranked #24,848 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 23%)
Ranked #481 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (bottom 4.2%)
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.
Distance to a nursing home
27.6 mi
in the top 1.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Walkability
0.84 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 2.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST12thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
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 an emergency room
27.6 mi
in the top 2.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
6.3%
in the bottom 2.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & 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 ›Homeownership rate
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
4.4 days/year
in the bottom 2.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST27thUS3rdDefinition & 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 ›Hearing disability
12.4%
in the top 3.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
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 ›Coronary heart disease
11.3%
in the top 3.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›The read
Paradox, Colorado (ZIP 81429), overall, ranks in the bottom 23% nationally (24,848th) and the bottom 4.2% of Colorado (481st).
This area's pressures are easy to read across the measures: distance to a nursing home rests in the top 1.9% nationally, walkability registers in the bottom 2.0% nationally, and distance to an emergency room resides in the top 2.4% nationally. Modeled hearing disability settles in the top 3.3% nationally, and coronary heart disease is in the top 3.3% nationally. On the brighter side, modeled transportation noise sits at the national minimum, and pfas lands in the bottom 2.5% nationally. Homeownership lies at the national maximum, and modeled humid heat stands in the bottom 2.6% nationally. Modeled air-toxics cancer risk rests in the bottom 2.8% nationally.
Measured against the nearby ZIPs, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, 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. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. ZIP 81423, just across the boundary, comes out 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 81%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 80%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.4%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 51%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 8%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 12%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 38%
13%
Disability
healthier than 13%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 1%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 77%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 70%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 93%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 41%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
in the bottom 0.00%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 6%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 36%
8%
Disability
healthier than 1%
7%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.3%
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
81422
Coloradoshares a border
Score 42.47
Closest healthier
81423
Coloradoshares a border
Score 53.06
Similar health profile
87029
New Mexico97% similar profile
Score 44.88
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 | 39.8% | 35.9–44.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.2% | 38.7–48.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 13.1% | 11.8–14.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.2% | 10.8–13.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 11.3% | 9.8–13.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 12.6% | 10.4–15.3 |
| Depression among adults | 23.5% | 20.2–27.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.6% | 13.3–18.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.8% | 37.4–46.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 30.8% | 24.3–39.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.8% | 5.0–6.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.2% | 12.4–18.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.8% | 8.2–14.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.6% | 77.5–83.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 76.7% | 73.3–80.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.0% | 87.3–90.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.1% | 61.8–72.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 62.8% | 59.2–66.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 66.9% | 57.4–75.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.6% | 10.4–15.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 18.7% | 15.1–22.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.4% | 21.1–32.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 28.5% | 22.9–34.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.8% | 21.7–30.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.4% | 14.3–18.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 18.9% | 16.2–21.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.6% | 14.2–19.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.6% | 34.3–45.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 12.4% | 10.9–14.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.8% | 9.0–12.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.4% | 17.9–25.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.8% | 4.9–7.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.1% | 6.0–8.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.9% | 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+) | 10.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 12.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 10.4% | 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 | 72.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 27.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 100.0% | 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 | 86.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 72.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 66.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | — | $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 | 78.2 yr ± 0.90 | 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 0.90 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