ZIP code
85321
in Ajo, ArizonaPopulation 3,555
47.17/ 100
Ranked #19,954 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 38%)
Ranked #244 of 394 Arizona ZIPs (bottom 38%)
Ranked #33 of 46 Tucson, AZ ZIPs (bottom 28%)
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
0.59 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 1.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST2ndUS1stDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
33.2 mi
in the top 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
29.2 mi
in the top 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS98thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
29 mi
in the top 2.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
53.4 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Dry extreme heat
88.3 days/year
in the top 3.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST54thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Grocery access
0.27 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets 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. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›Slow internet speeds
2.5%
in the top 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
11.4%
in the top 7.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST70thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
19.9 per million
in the bottom 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST30thUS8thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Overall, Ajo, Arizona (ZIP 85321) lands in the bottom 38% nationally (19,954th) and the bottom 38% of Arizona (244th).
What defines this place in the numbers is worth naming first: walkability lands in the bottom 1.3% nationally, and distance to an emergency room sits in the top 1.5% nationally. Distance to a nursing home is in the top 1.7% nationally, and fatal road crashes settles in the top 3.2% nationally. Modeled extreme heat resides in the top 3.5% nationally, slow internet speeds registers in the top 4.7% nationally, and modeled hearing disability rests in the top 7.0% nationally. More encouragingly, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility stands in the top 2.2% nationally, grocery lies in the top 4.3% nationally, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk lands in the bottom 7.9% nationally.
Set beside the nearby areas, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. A note on the terms: distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 85139, about 3.2 miles away, ranks better 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 Tucson, AZ metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
in the top 0.9%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 78%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 70%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 26%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 17%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 30%
13%
Disability
healthier than 24%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 19%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 10%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 88%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 66%
13%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 57%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 49%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 37%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 23%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 35%
8%
Disability
healthier than 35%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 20%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 95%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 60%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 65%
8%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 51%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 44%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 19%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Disability
healthier than 21%
7%
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 ›
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 99.1 (top 1%); chronic-disease standing 25.9 — 73 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #865 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
85634
Arizonashares a border
Score 14.46
Closest healthier
85139
Arizonaabout 3.2 mi away
Score 46.36
Similar health profile
99918
Alaska92% similar profile
Score 42.69
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 | 31.9% | 29.4–34.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 40.7% | 37.7–43.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.6% | 10.5–12.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.3% | 10.1–12.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.9% | 7.9–10.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.4–10.3 |
| Depression among adults | 21.6% | 19.2–24.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.1% | 12.5–15.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 43.0% | 40.0–45.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 32.1% | 28.0–36.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.7% | 4.2–5.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.5% | 12.1–17.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 13.2% | 11.0–15.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.1% | 75.6–80.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.7% | 76.1–80.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.4% | 85.9–88.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 64.4% | 60.7–67.9 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 56.1% | 53.1–58.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 70.7% | 65.1–75.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.0% | 10.4–13.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.7% | 10.8–14.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.3% | 21.9–28.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.0% | 33.4–40.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 23.3% | 20.5–26.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.6% | 14.0–17.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.0% | 14.1–17.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.2% | 13.4–17.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 38.6% | 35.0–42.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.4% | 10.2–12.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.0% | 7.8–10.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.6% | 16.1–21.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.6% | 4.0–5.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.1% | 6.3–8.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 26.2% | 23.3–29.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.6% | 14.4–19.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 12.5% | 10.7–14.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.7% | 10.2–13.4 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.8% | 8.7–11.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.4% | 28.4–34.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.2% | 7.2–9.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AZ median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 17.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.8% (4.6–36.9%) n=396 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 23.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.0% (5.0–32.9%) n=394 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 15.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.3% (2.0–25.9%) n=397 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 25.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 23.8% (6.0–53.1%) n=397 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 8.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.8% (0.0–14.3%) n=395 |
| Households without a vehicle | 9.7% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–14.3%) n=394 |
| Broadband subscription | 84.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 90.4% (57.1–97.2%) n=394 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 19.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 25.5% (8.5–37.5%) n=394 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 76.3% (44.6–92.8%) n=394 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 5.7% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 3.3% (0.0–15.7%) n=394 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 7.6% (0.0–20.4%) n=397 |
| Single-parent households | 75.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.4% (30.6–79.7%) n=388 |
| Population 65+ | 39.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.0% (8.0–46.8%) n=397 |
| Median age | 58.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 40.9 yr (30.0–62.5) n=394 |
| Median household income | $53,180 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $69,137 ($39,000–$114,111) n=371 |
| Median home value | $119,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $326,300 ($73,560–$591,760) n=363 |
| Median gross rent | $875 | $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 unavailable for this ZIP — fewer than 80% of the census tracts that make it up could be matched across the 2010→2020 tract-boundary revision, so no value is published rather than an unreliable one. See how coverage gaps are handled. | |||
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