Montezuma Castle National Monument · Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Lake Montezuma is healthier than 80%
Lake Montezuma differs from Arizona on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lake Montezuma. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lake Montezuma
COPD, cancer and stroke run high in Lake Montezuma
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.5%), vs 6.6% across Arizona. 1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.4%), vs 8.8% across Arizona. Stroke is also above the state: 4.4%, vs 3.4% across Arizona. In all, Lake Montezuma runs above Arizona on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 42% of residents are 65 or older (Arizona 19%), and COPD, cancer and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Lake Montezuma
1 in 7 adults smoke cigarettes (14.1%), vs 11.4% across Arizona. Habits ↓
More high blood pressure in Lake Montezuma, and more people treating it
36.6% of adults have high blood pressure (Arizona 32.8%), but 77.3% of them take medicine for it, vs 73.9% statewide. Checkups ↓
Lake Montezuma is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Lake Montezuma is healthier than 59%. Against the 9,818 towns with similar household incomes ($48K–$81K), it’s healthier than 80%. Health Grade ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Arizona figure falls outside Lake Montezuma’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Lake Montezuma’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake Montezuma is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns, #73 of 140 in Arizona. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 87% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 26%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Lake Montezuma’s median household income is $64,455; among the 9,818 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($48K–$81K), it’s healthier than 80%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Lake Montezuma adults…
Lake Montezuma runs above AZ on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Lake Montezuma is an older town: 42% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Arizona. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Lake Montezuma as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Arizona
Share of adults, with the Arizona figure marked.
5 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Lake Montezuma adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arizona.
Care in and near Lake Montezuma
No hospital or community health center in Lake Montezuma itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Lake Montezuma; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Lake Montezuma adults are doing
About the same as Arizona on each measure.
3 in 10 Lake Montezuma adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.6% of Lake Montezuma adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.1% across Arizona.
Lake Montezuma and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Montezuma | B | 28.9% | 12.1% | 14.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lake Montezuma adults live with a disability (Arizona 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lake Montezuma
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lake Montezuma is better than Arizona on 3 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Arizona figure falls inside Lake Montezuma’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lake Montezuma | AZ | U.S. | vs AZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.1%18.4–24 | 19.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.7%13.9–17.8 | 13% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.4%13.5–17.3 | 15.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.9%24.8–33.4 | 31.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.1%10.4–13.7 | 11.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.6%33.4–39.8 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.5%36.2–42.8 | 37.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.3%29.5–35.1 | 25.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.4%10.1–12.8 | 10.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.4%10.4–12.6 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.1%7.2–9.2 | 6.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.5%8.1–11 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.4%4–5 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.6%13.9–19.5 | 14.7% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.1%11.8–16.5 | 11.4% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 23.3%19.9–26.9 | 21.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.9%12.6–17.4 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.2%30.2–38.2 | 35.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.8%9.1–12.8 | 13.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.3%72.3–78.4 | 73.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.3%57.1–63.4 | 59.9% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87%85.4–88.6 | 85.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.3%74.3–80 | 73.9% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.6%57.5–65.5 | 60.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 64.2%57.6–70.5 | 72.7% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.7%18.1–23.5 | 19.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29%25.7–32.5 | 32% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25%21.9–28.1 | 25.7% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.6%11.6–16 | 15.8% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.5%9–12.1 | 12% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.9%5.9–7.9 | 7.2% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.6%6.7–8.7 | 8.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.6%8.8–12.7 | 11.1% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.4%31.6–39.4 | 31.5% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.3%15.1–19.8 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.2%12.4–16.1 | 14.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.7%8.6–10.9 | 8.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.9%5.2–6.6 | 5.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.6%7.5–9.8 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.5%3.9–5.1 | 3.7% | 3.8% | Higher |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Arizona figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Lake Montezuma
Is Lake Montezuma a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake Montezuma is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #73 of 140 in Arizona. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lake Montezuma?
CDC estimates 28.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.8% and 33.4%, against 31.3% across Arizona and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lake Montezuma?
Verde Valley Medical Center in Cottonwood, 14.8 miles in a straight line from Lake Montezuma’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Lake Montezuma have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.1–12.8%), against 13.2% across Arizona.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Lake Montezuma more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Lake Montezuma.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Arizona figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.