Photo: Drew Jacksich from San Jose, CA, The Republic of California · CC BY 2.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Mescal is healthier than 90%
Mescal differs from Arizona on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 9 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Mescal. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Mescal
Mescal is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Mescal is healthier than 60%. Against the 7,544 towns with similar household incomes ($42K–$69K), it’s healthier than 90%. Health Grade ↓
Arthritis, heart disease and cancer run high in Mescal
1 in 3 adults have arthritis (35.6%), vs 25.2% across Arizona. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.9%), vs 6.4% across Arizona. Cancer is also above the state: 12.2%, vs 8.8% across Arizona. In all, Mescal runs above Arizona on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 36% of residents are 65 or older (Arizona 19%), and arthritis, heart disease and cancer are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Mescal, and more people treating it
41.5% of adults have high blood pressure (Arizona 32.8%), but 79.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 73.9% statewide. Checkups ↓
Nearly everyone in Mescal is insured
Only 8.3% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 13.2% across Arizona. Checkups ↓
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 Mescal’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Mescal’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mescal is healthier than 60% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 83% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 27%).
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). Mescal’s median household income is $55,417; among the 7,544 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($42K–$69K), it’s healthier than 90%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Mescal adults…
Mescal runs below AZ on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
Mescal is an older town: 36% 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 Mescal as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Mescal adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arizona.
Care in and near Mescal
No hospital or community health center in Mescal 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 Mescal; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Arizona
Share of adults, with the Arizona figure marked.
How Mescal adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Mescal does better than Arizona.
3 in 10 Mescal 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.
9.3% of Mescal adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.1% across Arizona.
Mescal and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mescal | B | 30.2% | 13.3% | 12.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Mescal adults live with a disability (Arizona 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Mescal
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Mescal is better than Arizona on 9 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Arizona figure falls inside Mescal’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Mescal | AZ | U.S. | vs AZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.3%17.6–23.2 | 19.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.6%13.7–17.6 | 13% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.9%13.1–16.7 | 15.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30.2%25.5–35.1 | 31.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.3%11.6–15.2 | 11.3% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 41.5%38–45.1 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43.4%39.7–46.9 | 37.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 35.6%32.4–38.8 | 25.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.1%9.8–12.4 | 10.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.2%11.1–13.3 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.9%7.9–10 | 6.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9%7.8–10.4 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.6%4.1–5.1 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.1%7.5–11 | 14.7% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.8%10.6–15.2 | 11.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 22.5%19–26.1 | 21.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.2%11–15.5 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.4%28.1–37.2 | 35.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.3%6.9–10 | 13.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.8%74.7–80.6 | 73.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.3%59.1–65.6 | 59.9% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.3%86.7–89.8 | 85.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.2%76.2–81.8 | 73.9% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.1%59.9–68.5 | 60.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 65.7%58.7–72.6 | 72.7% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21%18.2–23.9 | 19.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.6%24.2–31.3 | 32% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.4%20.4–26.6 | 25.7% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.7%9.8–13.9 | 15.8% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.2%7.7–10.7 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.6%5.6–7.5 | 7.2% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.8%5.9–7.8 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.3%7.7–11.3 | 11.1% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.5%31.6–39.4 | 31.5% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.7%14.5–19.1 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.6%11.9–15.4 | 14.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.9%9.7–12.1 | 8.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.6%5–6.3 | 5.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8%7–9.1 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.4%3.9–5 | 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 Mescal
Is Mescal a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mescal is healthier than 60% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Mescal?
CDC estimates 30.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.5% and 35.1%, against 31.3% across Arizona and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Mescal?
Benson Hospital in Benson, 7.6 miles in a straight line from Mescal’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Mescal have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.9–10%), 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 Mescal 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 Mescal.
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.