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ZIP code

88121

in House, New MexicoPopulation 165

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

38.96/ 100

Ranked #27,422 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 14.5%)

Ranked #263 of 337 New Mexico ZIPs (bottom 22%)

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

Broad coverage across 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.

Poverty rate

60.6%

in the top 0.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Full methodology ›

Households without a vehicle

52.1%

in the top 1.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of households with no vehicle available.

Full methodology ›

Median household income

$2,499

at the national minimum

Higher is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.

Full methodology ›

Nitrate in drinking water

38%

in the top 1.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The modeled share of this area’s domestic-well groundwater at or above the federal nitrate limit of 10 milligrams per liter.

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 ›

Distance to a nursing home

31.8 mi

in the top 1.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST89th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.

Full methodology ›

Energy-cost burden

6.2%

in the top 2.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
US98th
Definition & 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

28.6 mi

in the top 2.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST79th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.

Full methodology ›

Transportation noise

0.00%

at the national minimum

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & 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 ›

Homeownership rate

29.8%

in the bottom 3.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST2nd
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

Full methodology ›

Slow internet speeds

3.8%

in the top 3.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST86th
US97th
Definition & source ›

The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.

Full methodology ›

The read

House, New Mexico (ZIP 88121), on the composite measure, lands in the bottom 14.5% nationally (27,422nd) and the bottom 22% of New Mexico (263rd), based on limited data; treat as directional.

continue reading

Where the data speaks clearest about this place, it leads: poverty sits in the top 0.9% nationally, households without a vehicle registers in the top 1.0% nationally, and modeled nitrate lands in the top 1.3% nationally. Distance to a nursing home resides in the top 1.4% nationally, modeled energy burden lies in the top 2.4% nationally, and distance to an emergency room settles in the top 2.2% nationally. Homeownership stands in the bottom 3.1% nationally, and slow internet speeds is in the top 3.2% nationally. Better still, modeled transportation noise rests at the national minimum, and distance to a Superfund site sits in the top 4.5% nationally.

Set against the neighboring ZIPs, households without a vehicle runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In everyday language, nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 88119, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 86%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 72%

11%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 13%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 3%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 24%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 33%

8%

Disability

healthier than 15%

7%

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 21%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 4%

5%

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 78%

13%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 47%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 48%

11%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 18%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 19%

16%

Mental Health

healthier than 26%

8%

Disability

healthier than 39%

7%

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 4%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 6%

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.

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 adults36.0%31.8–40.1
High blood pressure among adults43.0%38.2–47.9
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults11.6%10.4–12.8
Current asthma among adults11.1%9.7–12.6
Coronary heart disease among adults10.5%9.3–11.8
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults11.1%9.5–12.9
Depression among adults25.7%21.6–30.0
Diagnosed diabetes among adults14.9%12.7–17.2
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened40.4%35.5–45.4
Obesity among adults35.8%27.7–44.2
Stroke among adults5.4%4.8–6.1
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years20.0%16.2–24.2
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years8.2%6.3–10.5
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure80.3%77.1–83.2
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults74.5%70.2–78.5
Cholesterol screening among adults86.4%84.2–88.5
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years60.9%54.6–67.1
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults59.4%55.1–63.6
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years68.0%58.5–76.6
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults12.9%10.3–15.8
Current cigarette smoking among adults16.5%13.4–19.8
No leisure-time physical activity among adults26.4%21.5–31.6
Short sleep duration among adults33.3%26.7–40.4
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults24.3%20.7–28.0
Frequent mental distress among adults16.9%14.6–19.3
Frequent physical distress among adults17.8%15.5–20.3
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults16.1%13.7–18.5
Any disability among adults38.3%33.1–43.5
Hearing disability among adults11.6%10.2–13.0
Independent living disability among adults11.2%9.7–12.8
Mobility disability among adults20.1%17.3–23.1
Self-care disability among adults5.8%5.0–6.6
Vision disability among adults7.0%6.1–8.0
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults21.2%17.7–25.0
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults15.7%12.8–19.2
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults16.3%13.0–20.0
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults11.2%9.2–13.5
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults8.7%7.4–10.2
Loneliness among adults30.7%25.7–36.3
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults9.2%7.7–10.8
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NM median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate60.6%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36415.0% (0.0–39.0%) n=347
Uninsured 18–6412.5%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28612.5% (0.0–35.5%) n=339
No HS diploma (25+)22.4%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5059.2% (0.0–28.5%) n=350
Bachelor's or higher (25+)30.6%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50519.3% (0.0–51.7%) n=350
Unemployment rate (16+)0.0%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.8% (0.0–15.2%) n=339
Households without a vehicle52.1%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.3% (0.0–12.4%) n=347
Broadband subscription77.7%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32283.1% (53.2–100.0%) n=347
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)10.7%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.6% (0.0–41.4%) n=347
Homeownership rate29.8%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32283.2% (59.9–100.0%) n=347
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.4% (0.0–11.2%) n=347
Foreign-born population0.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.9% (0.0–15.7%) n=352
Single-parent households55.3%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08755.0% (28.8–100.0%) n=339
Population 65+21.8%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55322.8% (7.9–55.9%) n=352
Median age25.2 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29245.0 yr (31.2–67.3) n=339
Median household income$2,499$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$55,329 ($33,023–$90,174) n=265
Median home value$187,500$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
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NM median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth81.8 yr ± 1.7478.9 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 1.74 years of 81.8, 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