ZIP code
85209
in Mesa, ArizonaPopulation 43,150
57.83/ 100
Ranked #6,550 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 20%)
Ranked #98 of 394 Arizona ZIPs (top 25%)
Ranked #61 of 159 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ ZIPs (top 38%)
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.
Dry extreme heat
133.5 days/year
in the top 0.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST80thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Outer-floodplain exposure
84.1%
in the top 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST80thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Lithium in drinking water
140 µg/L
in the top 1.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›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 ›PFAS in drinking water
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFAS — man-made “forever chemicals” that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down — were detected in EPA testing.
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 ›Floodplain exposure
0.00%
in the bottom 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST13thUS7thDefinition & 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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Walkability
130 intersections/sq mi
in the top 6.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite health measure, ZIP 85209, one of several in Mesa, Arizona ranks in the top 20% healthiest ZIPs nationally (6,550th) and the top 25% of Arizona (98th).
A number of measures pull each way for this area: floodplain exposure stands in the bottom 6.7% nationally, and walkability lies in the top 6.9% nationally. Set against that, modeled extreme heat lands in the top 0.4% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure sits in the top 0.5% nationally. Lithium in drinking water is in the top 1.1% nationally, modeled tree cover settles at the national minimum, and PFAS in drinking water resides at the national maximum. Modeled industrial-pollution burden registers in the top 6.7% nationally, modeled loud transportation noise rests in the top 10.4% nationally, and lead in tap water stands in the top 10.6% nationally.
Read against the ZIPs closest to it, outer-floodplain exposure runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To spell things out, lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. PFAS in drinking water is the family of man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Close by, ZIP 85212, just across the boundary, ranks 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 81%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 90%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 90%
8%
Disability
healthier than 61%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 83%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 59%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 57%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 52%
13%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 18%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 75%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 78%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 75%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 74%
8%
Disability
healthier than 70%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 81%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 58%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 45%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 33%
14%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 63%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 73%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 75%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 72%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 82%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 72%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 58%
16%
Disability
healthier than 49%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 30%
21%
“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.
Above what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 80.6 ± 1.2 years. A median household income of $84,432 predicts 79.4 years — 1.2 years above.
Ranked #1,385 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
85120
Arizonashares a border
Score 46.62
Closest healthier
85212
Arizonashares a border
Score 63.73
Similar health profile
85382
Arizona100% similar profile
Score 59.06
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 | 28.9% | 26.9–30.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 34.8% | 32.5–37.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.7% | 10.8–12.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.2% | 9.2–11.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.3% | 6.6–8.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.9% | 6.1–7.7 |
| Depression among adults | 18.7% | 16.9–20.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.2% | 10.0–12.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.0% | 37.6–42.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 28.6% | 25.3–32.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.7% | 3.4–4.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.0% | 10.2–13.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.4% | 9.2–11.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.8% | 75.6–79.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 76.4% | 74.1–78.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.8% | 86.5–89.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.4% | 63.4–69.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.7% | 62.1–67.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.7% | 72.3–80.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.7% | 13.0–16.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 10.1% | 8.9–11.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 19.9% | 17.6–22.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.6% | 29.5–36.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.4% | 15.7–19.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.0% | 12.8–15.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.2% | 11.1–13.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.6% | 11.4–13.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 31.0% | 28.5–33.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.3% | 8.4–10.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.2% | 6.4–7.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.4% | 12.9–15.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.4% | 3.1–3.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.3–5.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.5% | 21.4–25.7 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.7% | 10.4–13.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.1% | 7.1–9.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.7% | 7.7–9.7 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.7% | 6.0–7.4 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.8% | 28.4–33.3 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.0% | 4.5–5.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AZ median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.8% (4.6–36.9%) n=396 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 8.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.0% (5.0–32.9%) n=394 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 6.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.3% (2.0–25.9%) n=397 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 35.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 23.8% (6.0–53.1%) n=397 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.8% (0.0–14.3%) n=395 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–14.3%) n=394 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 90.4% (57.1–97.2%) n=394 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 26.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 25.5% (8.5–37.5%) n=394 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 76.3% (44.6–92.8%) n=394 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.3% (0.0–15.7%) n=394 |
| Foreign-born population | 8.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 7.6% (0.0–20.4%) n=397 |
| Single-parent households | 61.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.4% (30.6–79.7%) n=388 |
| Population 65+ | 27.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.0% (8.0–46.8%) n=397 |
| Median age | 45.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 40.9 yr (30.0–62.5) n=394 |
| Median household income | $84,432 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,137 ($39,000–$114,111) n=371 |
| Median home value | $402,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $326,300 ($73,560–$591,760) n=363 |
| Median gross rent | $1,864 | $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 | 80.6 yr ± 0.60 | 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 0.60 years of 80.6, 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