ZIP code
87935
in Elephant Butte, New MexicoPopulation 2,094
52.32/ 100
Ranked #13,019 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 41%)
Ranked #91 of 337 New Mexico ZIPs (top 27%)
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.
Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
57.2 mi
in the top 0.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to an emergency room
52.3 mi
in the top 0.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
13.0%
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
11.9%
in the top 1.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
10.2%
in the bottom 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
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 ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the bottom 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS5thDefinition & source ›
FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.
Full methodology ›Stroke
5.7%
in the top 6.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST79thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
45.1%
in the top 4.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
18.3 per million
in the bottom 6.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST63rdUS7thDefinition & 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, Elephant Butte, New Mexico (ZIP 87935) lands in the top 41% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,019th) and the top 27% of New Mexico (91st), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The picture here is genuinely mixed, with readings on both sides: distance to a hazardous-chemical facility rests in the top 0.7% nationally, and modeled binge drinking stands in the bottom 1.6% nationally. Modeled expected annual loss lies in the bottom 5.1% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk lands in the bottom 6.8% nationally. On the other side, distance to an emergency room sits in the top 0.7% nationally, modeled hearing disability is in the top 2.0% nationally, and modeled coronary heart disease settles in the top 1.9% nationally. Modeled tree cover resides at the national minimum, stroke registers in the top 6.0% nationally, and high cholesterol rests in the top 4.2% 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. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 88012, about 30 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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental HazardPartial
in the top 0.3%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 72%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 96%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 90%
8%
About typical
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 44%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 38%
16%
Disability
healthier than 27%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 32%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 68%
16%
Environmental HazardPartial
healthier than 94%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 97%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 92%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 90%
8%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 58%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 53%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 14%
21%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 19%
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
87901
New Mexicoshares a border
Score 36.19
Closest healthier
88012
New Mexicoabout 30 mi away
Score 53.58
Similar health profile
85332
Arizona96% similar profile
Score 52.31
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 | 39.9% | 35.6–44.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 46.9% | 41.9–52.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 14.7% | 13.2–16.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.8% | 8.6–11.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 11.9% | 10.4–13.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.2% | 8.6–11.9 |
| Depression among adults | 20.7% | 17.4–24.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.1% | 13.8–18.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 45.1% | 40.1–50.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 32.7% | 25.3–41.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.7% | 5.1–6.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.0% | 9.7–14.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.3% | 6.8–10.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.8% | 80.6–86.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.3% | 74.6–81.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 91.6% | 90.3–92.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.0% | 63.5–74.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 67.8% | 64.3–71.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.3% | 60.5–77.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 10.2% | 8.2–12.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.2% | 10.0–14.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 24.1% | 19.6–29.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 29.3% | 23.4–35.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.2% | 19.0–25.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 12.7% | 11.0–14.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.9% | 14.7–19.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.0% | 10.4–13.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 37.2% | 32.2–42.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 13.0% | 11.5–14.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.6–10.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 19.7% | 16.9–22.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.2–5.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.2–6.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.5% | 17.2–24.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.5% | 8.7–12.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.0% | 7.3–10.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.7% | 6.4–9.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.0% | 5.2–6.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 29.2% | 24.5–34.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.7% | 4.8–6.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NM median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 15.0% (0.0–39.0%) n=347 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 6.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 12.5% (0.0–35.5%) n=339 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.2% (0.0–28.5%) n=350 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 16.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.3% (0.0–51.7%) n=350 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.8% (0.0–15.2%) n=339 |
| Households without a vehicle | 6.7% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.3% (0.0–12.4%) n=347 |
| Broadband subscription | 78.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 83.1% (53.2–100.0%) n=347 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 17.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.6% (0.0–41.4%) n=347 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.6% | 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 | 2.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.9% (0.0–15.7%) n=352 |
| Single-parent households | 83.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 55.0% (28.8–100.0%) n=339 |
| Population 65+ | 48.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 22.8% (7.9–55.9%) n=352 |
| Median age | 64.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 45.0 yr (31.2–67.3) n=339 |
| Median household income | $51,033 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $55,329 ($33,023–$90,174) n=265 |
| Median home value | $197,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $185,100 ($77,100–$382,920) n=255 |
| Median gross rent | $1,111 | $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 | 77.5 yr ± 2.20 | 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 2.20 years of 77.5, 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