ZIP code
88346
in Ruidoso Downs, New MexicoPopulation 3,191
50.04/ 100
Ranked #16,186 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 50%)
Ranked #127 of 337 New Mexico ZIPs (top 38%)
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.
Park land
80.4%
in the top 0.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
41.7 mi
in the top 1.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Tree cover
87.6%
in the top 2.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
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 ›Slow internet speeds
3.8%
in the top 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
5.5 days/year
in the bottom 3.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST26thUS3rdDefinition & 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
36.5%
in the top 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Mammography
66.7%
in the bottom 5.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST38thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
13.6 mi
in the top 6.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST54thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
56.9%
in the bottom 7.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST40thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico (ZIP 88346) places in the bottom 50% nationally (16,186th) and the top 38% of New Mexico (127th).
The measures that define this area's challenges come through directly: slow internet speeds stands in the top 3.2% nationally, and poverty registers in the top 4.0% nationally. Modeled mammography settles in the bottom 5.0% nationally, and distance to a nursing home sits in the top 6.4% nationally. Modeled colon screening lies in the bottom 7.2% nationally. On the stronger side, park land rests in the top 0.7% nationally, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility resides in the top 1.1% nationally, and modeled tree cover is in the top 2.1% nationally. Modeled air-toxics cancer risk lands in the bottom 2.8% nationally, and humid heat stands in the bottom 3.5% nationally.
Beside the areas that surround it, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For readers new to these 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. 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. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 88312, 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
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 66%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 98%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 69%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 98%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 48%
8%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 32%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 6%
13%
Disability
healthier than 27%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 33%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 72%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 61%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 75%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 78%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 44%
11%
Disability
healthier than 58%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 54%
5%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 40%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 35%
8%
“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
88312
New Mexicoshares a border
Score 55.88
Closest healthier
88345
New Mexicoshares a border
Score 50.43
Similar health profile
83302
Idaho98% similar profile
Score 49.03
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 | 26.5% | 23.3–29.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.7% | 31.5–40.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.5% | 6.8–8.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.9% | 8.6–11.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.6% | 6.8–8.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.3% | 6.4–8.4 |
| Depression among adults | 23.7% | 20.1–27.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.6% | 11.7–15.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.2% | 30.1–38.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 32.7% | 26.0–40.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.0% | 3.7–4.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.8% | 10.4–15.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 16.6% | 13.8–19.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 74.8% | 71.6–77.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 69.6% | 65.3–73.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 83.4% | 81.1–85.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 56.9% | 51.3–62.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.3% | 53.4–61.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 66.7% | 57.6–74.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.1% | 11.5–17.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.4% | 12.1–16.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 27.6% | 23.2–32.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.6% | 27.3–40.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.6% | 22.5–29.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.6% | 14.5–18.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.4% | 14.4–18.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.3% | 14.3–18.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.8% | 31.3–40.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.8–9.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.8% | 8.7–11.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.6% | 14.5–19.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.6–5.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.5% | 6.8–8.3 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.7% | 21.0–28.7 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 21.9% | 18.5–25.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 18.4% | 15.4–21.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 17.3% | 14.6–20.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 11.2% | 9.7–12.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.5% | 29.3–40.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 11.8% | 10.1–13.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NM median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 36.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 15.0% (0.0–39.0%) n=347 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 17.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 12.5% (0.0–35.5%) n=339 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.2% (0.0–28.5%) n=350 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 17.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.3% (0.0–51.7%) n=350 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.8% (0.0–15.2%) n=339 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.3% (0.0–12.4%) n=347 |
| Broadband subscription | 82.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 83.1% (53.2–100.0%) n=347 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 30.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.6% (0.0–41.4%) n=347 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.7% | 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 | 8.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.9% (0.0–15.7%) n=352 |
| Single-parent households | 35.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 55.0% (28.8–100.0%) n=339 |
| Population 65+ | 22.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 22.8% (7.9–55.9%) n=352 |
| Median age | 40.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 45.0 yr (31.2–67.3) n=339 |
| Median household income | $33,594 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $55,329 ($33,023–$90,174) n=265 |
| Median home value | $159,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $185,100 ($77,100–$382,920) n=255 |
| Median gross rent | $953 | $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 | 83.1 yr ± 1.90 | 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 1.90 years of 83.1, 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