ZIP code
87517
in Carson, New MexicoPopulation 388
53.02/ 100
Ranked #12,048 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 38%)
Ranked #75 of 337 New Mexico ZIPs (top 22%)
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.
Unemployment rate
26.4%
in the top 1.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
Full methodology ›Slow internet speeds
16.3%
in the top 1.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
2.1 days/year
in the bottom 1.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
6.2%
in the bottom 2.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
43.6%
in the top 2.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
10 per million
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS3rdDefinition & 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
In overall standing, Carson, New Mexico (ZIP 87517) comes out in the top 38% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,048th) and the top 22% of New Mexico (75th).
The profile opens on the readings that matter most locally: unemployment sits in the top 1.2% nationally, slow internet speeds settles in the top 1.2% nationally, and poverty registers in the top 2.4% nationally. More positively, modeled humid heat stands in the bottom 1.3% nationally, housing-cost burden lands at the national minimum, and modeled transportation noise is at the national minimum. Modeled pfas resides in the bottom 2.3% nationally, and homeownership rests at the national maximum. Home broadband subscription lies at the national maximum, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk sits in the bottom 2.8% nationally.
Relative to the ZIPs around it, slow internet speeds runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain terms, pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. 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. The nearest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 87529, 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.
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 0.8%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 93%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 70%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 98%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 50%
13%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 27%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 33%
16%
Disability
healthier than 32%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 22%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 62%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 83%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 90%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 86%
11%
Disability
healthier than 67%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 75%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 59%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 42%
5%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
87529
New Mexicoshares a border
Score 60.77
Closest healthier
87577
New Mexicoshares a border
Score 53.01
Similar health profile
88028
New Mexico99% similar profile
Score 52.49
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 | 35.5% | 31.3–39.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 42.1% | 37.2–46.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.9% | 10.7–13.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.3% | 9.0–11.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.3% | 8.9–11.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.6% | 7.8–11.8 |
| Depression among adults | 23.3% | 19.6–27.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.9% | 12.6–17.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.8% | 35.2–44.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 27.6% | 21.1–34.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.0% | 4.3–5.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.4% | 9.9–14.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.3% | 6.5–10.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.3% | 75.6–82.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 73.7% | 69.5–77.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.7% | 86.8–90.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.4% | 62.3–71.9 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 67.1% | 63.4–70.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.7% | 64.0–79.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.7% | 10.3–15.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.1% | 11.0–17.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.3% | 17.8–27.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 28.5% | 23.0–34.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 21.7% | 18.1–26.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.4% | 12.4–16.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.1% | 13.8–18.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.4% | 11.2–15.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.0% | 28.8–39.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.1% | 9.5–12.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.4–10.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.2% | 14.3–20.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.9% | 4.2–5.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.1–7.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.0% | 17.6–25.0 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.9% | 10.1–16.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.7% | 8.9–14.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.3% | 7.6–11.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.3% | 6.1–8.6 |
| Loneliness among adults | 29.7% | 25.1–35.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.6% | 6.3–8.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NM median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 43.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 15.0% (0.0–39.0%) n=347 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 12.5% (0.0–35.5%) n=339 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.2% (0.0–28.5%) n=350 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 36.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.3% (0.0–51.7%) n=350 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 26.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.8% (0.0–15.2%) n=339 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.3% (0.0–12.4%) n=347 |
| Broadband subscription | 100.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 83.1% (53.2–100.0%) n=347 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 0.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.6% (0.0–41.4%) n=347 |
| Homeownership rate | 100.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 83.2% (59.9–100.0%) n=347 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.4% (0.0–11.2%) n=347 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.9% (0.0–15.7%) n=352 |
| Single-parent households | 0.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 55.0% (28.8–100.0%) n=339 |
| Population 65+ | 0.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 22.8% (7.9–55.9%) n=352 |
| Median age | 45.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 45.0 yr (31.2–67.3) n=339 |
| Median household income | — | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $55,329 ($33,023–$90,174) n=265 |
| Median home value | — | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $185,100 ($77,100–$382,920) n=255 |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $917 ($549–$1,408) n=173 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NM median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.0 yr ± 2.88 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 79.5 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 2.88 years of 81.0, 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