ZIP code
87712
in Buena Vista, New MexicoPopulation 397
51.62/ 100
Ranked #13,943 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 43%)
Ranked #102 of 337 New Mexico ZIPs (top 30%)
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.
Humid extreme heat
0 days/year
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Poverty rate
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
7.3%
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
46.4 mi
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
45%
in the bottom 1.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
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 ›Median household income
$12,274
in the bottom 0.07% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
6.3%
in the bottom 2.4% 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 ›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 ›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
Buena Vista, New Mexico (ZIP 87712) ranks in the top 43% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,943rd) and the top 30% of New Mexico (102nd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
A profile of give and take, with clear readings each way: modeled humid heat lies at the national minimum, and housing-cost burden is at the national minimum. Modeled pfas registers in the bottom 2.4% nationally, and homeownership lies at the national maximum. Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is in the bottom 2.8% nationally. On the other side, poverty registers at the national maximum, modeled energy burden lies in the top 0.9% nationally, and distance to an emergency room is in the top 0.9% nationally. Home broadband subscription registers in the bottom 1.1% nationally, and household income lies in the bottom 0.07% nationally.
Against its neighbors, poverty runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, 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 closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 87732, 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 0.07%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 80%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 93%
8%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 53%
21%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 3%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 12%
13%
Disability
healthier than 26%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 16%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
in the top 0.6%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 97%
8%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 56%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 60%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 60%
11%
Disability
healthier than 57%
7%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 17%
16%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 30%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
87732
New Mexicoshares a border
Score 51.91
Closest healthier
87736
New Mexicoshares a border
Score 53.46
Similar health profile
81124
Colorado96% similar profile
Score 53.94
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 | 28.5% | 24.7–32.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 39.0% | 34.1–43.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.5% | 6.7–8.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.6% | 7.5–9.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.1% | 6.9–9.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.4% | 5.2–7.6 |
| Depression among adults | 18.7% | 15.5–22.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 17.4% | 14.7–20.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.7% | 33.7–43.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 34.3% | 26.2–43.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.3% | 3.7–4.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.1% | 13.0–19.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 16.9% | 12.7–22.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.1% | 74.4–81.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 73.0% | 68.4–77.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.6% | 85.4–89.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 55.3% | 49.4–61.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 59.3% | 55.4–63.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.8% | 60.8–77.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 11.9% | 9.5–14.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 11.9% | 9.2–14.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 29.7% | 24.0–35.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.2% | 27.6–41.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 26.5% | 22.1–31.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 13.1% | 11.2–15.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.5% | 14.0–19.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.6% | 11.2–16.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.0% | 29.8–40.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.2% | 7.9–10.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.2–10.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.6% | 15.4–21.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.6% | 4.7–6.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 8.5% | 7.1–10.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.7% | 18.6–27.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 21.0% | 16.2–26.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 16.7% | 12.5–21.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.3% | 12.9–20.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.9% | 8.0–11.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.2% | 24.8–36.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 11.1% | 9.0–13.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NM median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 100.0% | 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+) | 20.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.2% (0.0–28.5%) n=350 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 30.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.3% (0.0–51.7%) n=350 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 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 | 45.0% | 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 | 33.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 55.0% (28.8–100.0%) n=339 |
| Population 65+ | 14.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 22.8% (7.9–55.9%) n=352 |
| Median age | 38.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 45.0 yr (31.2–67.3) n=339 |
| Median household income | $12,274 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $55,329 ($33,023–$90,174) n=265 |
| Median home value | $9,999 | $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 | 77.7 yr ± 1.21 | 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 1.21 years of 77.7, 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