ZIP code
85120
in Apache Junction, ArizonaPopulation 31,191
46.62/ 100
Ranked #20,611 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 36%)
Ranked #250 of 394 Arizona ZIPs (bottom 37%)
Ranked #126 of 159 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ ZIPs (bottom 21%)
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.
Lithium in drinking water
690 µg/L
in the top 0.03% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Dry extreme heat
130.1 days/year
in the top 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST71stUS99thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Outer-floodplain exposure
20.6%
in the top 1.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST67thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
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 ›High cholesterol
46%
in the top 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
11.9%
in the top 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST73rdUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
0.00%
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
338 units
in the top 7.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 8.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Radon
0.6 pCi/L
in the bottom 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Binge drinking
12.4%
in the bottom 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST27thUS9thDefinition & 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
ZIP 85120, one of several in Apache Junction, Arizona, overall, ranks in the bottom 36% nationally (20,611th) and the bottom 37% of Arizona (250th).
Several serious readings shape the profile and deserve first mention: lithium in drinking water stands in the top 0.03% nationally, modeled extreme heat rests in the top 0.5% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure registers in the top 1.9% nationally. Modeled high cholesterol resides in the top 2.8% nationally, hearing disability settles in the top 4.8% nationally, and tree cover is at the national minimum. Modeled industrial-pollution burden sits in the top 8.5% nationally. On the better side, distance to an emergency room lands at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Subsidized affordable housing lies in the top 7.2% nationally, and modeled radon stands in the bottom 1.5% nationally.
Measured against the nearby ZIPs, lithium in drinking water runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. ZIP 85119, 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 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 67%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 83%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 72%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 77%
8%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 11%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 37%
13%
Disability
healthier than 22%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 16%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 61%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 70%
13%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 56%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 49%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 46%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 23%
21%
Disability
healthier than 33%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 36%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 87%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 66%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 65%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 45%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 44%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 6%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 35%
8%
Disability
healthier than 15%
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
3 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.
Below what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 76.2 ± 1.3 years. A median household income of $57,786 predicts 77.9 years — 1.7 years below.
Ranked #2,156 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 76.2 ± 1.3 years. The 40 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 79.1 years — 3.0 years below them.
Ranked #2,337 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 85.2; chronic-disease standing 11.1 — 74 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #816 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
85119
Arizonashares a border
Score 50.36
Closest healthier
85140
Arizonashares a border
Score 55.16
Similar health profile
34606
Florida97% similar profile
Score 46.24
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 | 36.5% | 34.0–38.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.1% | 40.3–45.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 13.2% | 12.3–14.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.2% | 10.2–12.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.8% | 8.9–10.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.7% | 9.7–11.6 |
| Depression among adults | 20.4% | 18.2–22.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.3% | 13.8–16.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 46.0% | 43.1–48.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.7% | 32.6–40.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.1% | 4.8–5.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.9% | 13.6–18.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.0% | 10.7–13.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.4% | 79.3–83.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.0% | 76.7–81.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.6% | 86.3–88.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.9% | 62.5–69.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.8% | 55.0–60.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.0% | 63.5–74.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.4% | 10.8–14.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.5% | 12.0–15.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 27.4% | 24.5–30.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.5% | 33.0–40.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 23.9% | 21.8–26.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.5% | 14.1–17.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.9% | 15.4–18.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.4% | 14.0–16.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 38.5% | 35.6–41.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.9% | 10.9–12.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.4% | 8.6–10.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 19.9% | 18.1–21.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.4–5.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.3% | 5.9–6.8 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.1% | 21.7–26.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 15.3% | 13.7–17.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.0% | 9.8–12.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.1% | 9.0–11.4 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.8% | 7.0–8.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.4% | 28.4–34.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.0% | 6.2–7.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AZ median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.8% (4.6–36.9%) n=396 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 15.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.0% (5.0–32.9%) n=394 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 13.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.3% (2.0–25.9%) n=397 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 15.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 23.8% (6.0–53.1%) n=397 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.8% (0.0–14.3%) n=395 |
| Households without a vehicle | 7.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–14.3%) n=394 |
| Broadband subscription | 85.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 90.4% (57.1–97.2%) n=394 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 29.1% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 25.5% (8.5–37.5%) n=394 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 76.3% (44.6–92.8%) n=394 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.3% (0.0–15.7%) n=394 |
| Foreign-born population | 8.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 7.6% (0.0–20.4%) n=397 |
| Single-parent households | 57.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.4% (30.6–79.7%) n=388 |
| Population 65+ | 36.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.0% (8.0–46.8%) n=397 |
| Median age | 56.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 40.9 yr (30.0–62.5) n=394 |
| Median household income | $57,786 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,137 ($39,000–$114,111) n=371 |
| Median home value | $161,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $326,300 ($73,560–$591,760) n=363 |
| Median gross rent | $1,117 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,303 ($683–$2,093) n=323 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AZ median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.2 yr ± 0.67 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 78.5 yr (75.1–82.8) n=354 |
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 0.67 years of 76.2, 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