Skip to main content
ZipVitals

ZIP code

87323

in Thoreau, New MexicoPopulation 4,245

23.03/ 100

Ranked #31,657 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 1.3%)

Ranked #322 of 337 New Mexico ZIPs (bottom 4.5%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

Vision disability

14.6%

in the top 0.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST95th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.

Full methodology ›

Colon-cancer screening

41.4%

in the bottom 0.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST2nd
US1st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.

Full methodology ›

Independent-living disability

18.6%

in the top 0.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.

Full methodology ›

Tooth loss

38.7%

in the top 0.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.

Full methodology ›

Mammography

59.2%

in the bottom 0.7% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST7th
US1st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.

Full methodology ›

Self-care disability

9.1%

in the top 1.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST95th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.

Full methodology ›

Cognitive disability

25.5%

in the top 0.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.

Full methodology ›

Fair or poor health

38.4%

in the top 1.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.

Full methodology ›

Lack of transportation

25.7%

in the top 0.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Utility shut-off threat

25.5%

in the top 0.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST95th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Cross-source signals

Health need and barriers to care documented here

On our reading, this ZIP code carries the overlap at its severe level: severe means at least four of the six health-need readings and at least four of the six access barriers apply to the same place.

These are two separate readings of public data that both apply to this place — never a claim that one causes the other, never a severity score, and never a statement about any person who lives here.

Health need documented here

  • People without health insurance
  • People living in poverty
  • Food insecurity
  • Housing insecurity
  • Adults reporting fair or poor health
  • Chronic conditions

Barriers to reaching care

  • Distance to the nearest emergency room
  • Thin local supply of doctors
  • Thin local supply of pharmacies
  • Households with no vehicle

A reading appears below only where this ZIP code is among the most-affected 10% of US ZIP codes on it — one national bar, the same for every ZIP in the country.

See the full care-deserts analysis →

The read

Thoreau, New Mexico (ZIP 87323), by its composite score, sits in the bottom 1.3% nationally (31,657th) and the bottom 4.5% of New Mexico (322nd).

continue reading

The data opens plainly on what marks this place: modeled vision disability stands in the top 0.6% nationally, and colon screening registers in the bottom 0.3% nationally. Modeled independent living disability settles in the top 0.4% nationally, and tooth loss sits in the top 0.6% nationally. Modeled mammography lies in the bottom 0.7% nationally, self-care disability rests in the top 1.4% nationally, and cognitive disability resides in the top 0.9% nationally. Modeled fair or poor health is in the top 1.1% nationally, transportation lands in the top 0.5% nationally, and utility shutoff stands in the top 0.7% nationally.

For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 87312, just across the boundary. The area further shows documented health need overlapping with barriers to reaching care, sitting in the most-affected 10% of US ZIP codes on several need measures and several access barriers.

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.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 98%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 98%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 6%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 1%

16%

Preventive Care

in the bottom 0.4%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 4%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 5%

8%

Disability

in the bottom 0.4%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 24%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 73%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 73%

5%

About typical

Healthcare Access

healthier than 44%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 10%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 12%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 3%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 5%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 6%

8%

Disability

healthier than 7%

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

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 98.2 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 6.4 (bottom 10%) — 92 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #75 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.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults28.1%25.4–31.0
High blood pressure among adults39.3%35.8–42.9
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults6.2%5.6–6.8
Current asthma among adults14.5%12.9–16.2
Coronary heart disease among adults10.4%9.5–11.5
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults13.1%11.8–14.5
Depression among adults25.4%22.1–29.0
Diagnosed diabetes among adults19.7%17.8–21.9
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened35.0%31.6–38.7
Obesity among adults41.5%35.8–47.6
Stroke among adults6.5%6.0–7.1
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years38.7%34.0–43.2
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years16.2%13.9–19.0
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure72.1%69.2–74.9
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults65.6%61.6–69.6
Cholesterol screening among adults75.0%72.4–77.6
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years41.4%36.6–46.0
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults40.1%36.7–43.4
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years59.2%51.0–66.8
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults12.3%10.3–14.7
Current cigarette smoking among adults29.4%26.4–33.2
No leisure-time physical activity among adults33.9%29.8–38.8
Short sleep duration among adults41.5%36.0–46.9
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults38.4%34.9–42.4
Frequent mental distress among adults24.1%21.8–26.8
Frequent physical distress among adults23.6%21.4–26.2
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults25.5%22.8–28.5
Any disability among adults46.5%42.4–51.2
Hearing disability among adults12.8%11.6–14.2
Independent living disability among adults18.6%16.8–20.7
Mobility disability among adults24.8%22.4–27.5
Self-care disability among adults9.1%8.3–10.0
Vision disability among adults14.6%13.3–16.0
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults33.4%29.4–37.6
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults45.4%41.3–49.8
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults42.6%38.5–47.1
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults30.7%27.5–34.2
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults25.7%23.2–28.4
Loneliness among adults38.8%34.1–43.6
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults25.5%22.9–28.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NM median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate40.2%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36415.0% (0.0–39.0%) n=347
Uninsured 18–6422.9%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28612.5% (0.0–35.5%) n=339
No HS diploma (25+)23.8%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5059.2% (0.0–28.5%) n=350
Bachelor's or higher (25+)18.0%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50519.3% (0.0–51.7%) n=350
Unemployment rate (16+)9.1%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.8% (0.0–15.2%) n=339
Households without a vehicle13.8%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.3% (0.0–12.4%) n=347
Broadband subscription65.7%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32283.1% (53.2–100.0%) n=347
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)8.6%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.6% (0.0–41.4%) n=347
Homeownership rate90.7%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32283.2% (59.9–100.0%) n=347
Crowded housing (>1 per room)6.7%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.4% (0.0–11.2%) n=347
Foreign-born population1.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.9% (0.0–15.7%) n=352
Single-parent households52.6%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08755.0% (28.8–100.0%) n=339
Population 65+25.0%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55322.8% (7.9–55.9%) n=352
Median age39.8 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29245.0 yr (31.2–67.3) n=339
Median household income$51,616$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$55,329 ($33,023–$90,174) n=265
Median home value$138,200$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$185,100 ($77,100–$382,920) n=255
Median gross rent$485$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$917 ($549–$1,408) n=173
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NM median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth75.6 yr ± 0.4478.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30879.5 yr (76.1–83.2) n=357

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 0.44 years of 75.6, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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