ZIP code
81522
in Gateway, ColoradoPopulation 0
57.00/ 100
Ranked #7,273 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 23%)
Ranked #217 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (top 43%)
Ranked #5 of 17 Grand Junction, CO ZIPs (top 29%)
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.
Walkability
0.81 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 ›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 ›Distance to a nursing home
18.8 mi
in the top 3.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
19.2 mi
in the top 6.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
29%
in the bottom 5.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST30thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 7.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST77thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
0.11%
in the bottom 7.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST14thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Distance to a community health center
17.6 mi
in the top 9.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.
Full methodology ›Tooth loss
7.3%
in the bottom 9.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST23rdUS10thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›The read
Gateway, Colorado (ZIP 81522), by its composite score, sits in the top 23% healthiest ZIPs nationally (7,273rd) and the top 43% of Colorado (217th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The data opens on a genuinely even set of readings: modeled transportation noise registers at the national minimum, and air-toxics cancer risk settles in the bottom 2.8% nationally. Modeled short sleep sits in the bottom 5.8% nationally, and floodplain exposure lies in the bottom 7.6% nationally. Modeled extreme heat rests at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. On the other side, walkability resides in the bottom 2.0% nationally, distance to a nursing home is in the top 3.7% nationally, and distance to an emergency room lands in the top 6.1% nationally. Modeled disaster risk stands in the top 7.4% nationally, and distance to a community health center registers in the top 9.8% nationally.
Next to the surrounding area, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, 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. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 81523, 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Grand Junction, CO metro area.
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 63%
21%
Social Need / SDOHPartial
healthier than 64%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 89%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 88%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 77%
8%
Disability
healthier than 71%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 95%
5%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 36%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 5%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 85%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 67%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 79%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 60%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOHPartial
healthier than 44%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 60%
11%
Disability
healthier than 44%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 27%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 8%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 85%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 78%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 86%
8%
Disability
healthier than 70%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 73%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 44%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 43%
11%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOHPartial
healthier than 33%
16%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.00%
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
81523
Coloradoshares a border
Score 57.51
Similar health profile
80428
Colorado97% similar profile
Score 55.39
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 | 31.1% | 27.5–34.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.0% | 31.0–39.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.0% | 9.9–12.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.8% | 9.5–12.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.4% | 6.3–8.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.4% | 5.8–9.2 |
| Depression among adults | 21.6% | 18.5–25.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.9% | 9.0–12.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.1% | 31.3–39.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 30.2% | 24.9–36.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.7% | 3.1–4.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 7.3% | 5.9–9.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.1% | 5.8–10.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 73.3% | 69.4–76.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 73.9% | 70.4–77.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.2% | 86.2–90.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 64.4% | 60.2–68.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 67.7% | 64.3–70.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.2% | 65.0–78.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.6% | 14.0–19.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.2% | 10.0–16.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 18.0% | 14.1–22.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 29.0% | 24.6–33.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 16.5% | 13.3–20.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.7% | 12.4–16.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.9% | 11.7–16.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.7% | 10.5–15.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 28.8% | 24.0–34.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.4% | 7.1–9.8 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.6% | 5.5–8.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.7% | 10.3–15.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.5% | 2.8–4.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.2% | 3.5–5.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | — | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | — | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | — | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | — | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | — | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.6% (0.0–7.7%) n=505 |
| Households without a vehicle | — | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.9% (0.0–9.4%) n=507 |
| Broadband subscription | — | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | — | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | — | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 74.7% (51.5–93.8%) n=507 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | — | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.3%) n=507 |
| Foreign-born population | — | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | — | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | — | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | — | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | — | $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 | 79.9 yr ± 1.34 | 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 1.34 years of 79.9, 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