ZIP code
81643
in Mesa, ColoradoPopulation 1,133
52.39/ 100
Ranked #12,917 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 40%)
Ranked #303 of 502 Colorado ZIPs (bottom 40%)
Ranked #12 of 17 Grand Junction, CO ZIPs (bottom 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.
Mammography
64.5%
in the bottom 2.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
61.8 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 2.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
6.2 days/year
in the bottom 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST31stUS4thDefinition & 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 ›Recreation access
1.3 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Walkability
1.6 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 5.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST26thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
10.2 per million
in the bottom 5.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST34thUS5thDefinition & 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
26.7%
in the top 5.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST74thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
29.2%
in the bottom 6.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST32ndUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
0.07%
in the bottom 7.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST12thUS7thDefinition & 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 ›Binge drinking
13.7%
in the bottom 21% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS21stDefinition & 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 ›The read
In overall standing, Mesa, Colorado (ZIP 81643) comes out in the top 40% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,917th) and the bottom 40% of Colorado (303rd).
The profile opens balanced, with readings on either hand: modeled humid heat registers in the bottom 4.0% nationally, recreation stands in the top 4.6% nationally, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk lands in the bottom 5.2% nationally. Park land is in the top 5.3% nationally, modeled short sleep resides in the bottom 6.5% nationally, and floodplain exposure rests in the bottom 7.3% nationally. Households without a vehicle lies at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. By contrast, modeled mammography sits in the bottom 2.5% nationally, and fatal road crashes settles in the top 2.1% nationally. Walkability registers in the bottom 5.0% nationally.
Relative to the ZIPs around it, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain terms, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". The nearest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 81526, 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
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 63%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 92%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 89%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 67%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.7%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 42%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 27%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 31%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 19%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 88%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 62%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 62%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 65%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 87%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 43%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 4%
21%
Disability
healthier than 16%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 31%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 87%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 67%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 80%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 87%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 47%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
in the bottom 0.00%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 27%
16%
Disability
healthier than 7%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 27%
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 ›
Findings that name this ZIP
One of our published findings lists 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.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 92.2 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 27.1 — 65 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,390 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
81526
Coloradoshares a border
Score 55.52
Closest healthier
81527
Coloradoshares a border
Score 56.38
Similar health profile
81251
Colorado95% similar profile
Score 52.47
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 | 36.4% | 32.5–40.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.7% | 34.7–42.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 12.5% | 11.3–13.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.7% | 10.3–13.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.5–10.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.4% | 7.5–11.5 |
| Depression among adults | 22.6% | 19.5–26.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.5% | 10.5–14.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.5% | 33.6–41.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 31.4% | 26.0–37.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.5% | 3.8–5.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.7% | 13.7–20.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.7% | 6.7–11.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 76.6% | 73.0–80.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 76.7% | 73.3–79.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.5% | 87.7–91.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.0% | 60.6–69.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 63.8% | 60.3–67.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 64.5% | 56.4–71.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.7% | 11.4–16.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.7% | 11.6–18.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 21.8% | 17.4–26.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 29.2% | 24.8–33.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.8% | 16.2–23.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.2% | 13.1–17.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.3% | 13.8–19.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.9% | 11.7–16.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 33.3% | 28.3–38.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.9% | 8.6–11.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.3% | 6.9–9.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.5% | 13.5–19.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.6–5.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.2% | 4.3–6.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | CO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 3.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.1% (2.3–21.1%) n=507 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 7.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.9% (1.9–21.6%) n=503 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.0% (0.0–16.3%) n=508 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 33.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 33.9% (14.8–65.1%) n=508 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.4% | 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 | 96.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 92.5% (79.4–98.7%) n=507 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 16.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 29.9% (15.9–42.9%) n=507 |
| Homeownership rate | 92.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 74.7% (51.5–93.8%) n=507 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 5.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.3%) n=507 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–14.6%) n=508 |
| Single-parent households | 45.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.4% (40.1–81.1%) n=500 |
| Population 65+ | 19.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.6% (9.2–36.4%) n=508 |
| Median age | 37.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.0 yr (33.4–58.2) n=502 |
| Median household income | $106,813 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $84,602 ($48,743–$134,919) n=470 |
| Median home value | $605,300 | $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 | 83.8 yr ± 2.11 | 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 2.11 years of 83.8, 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