Photo: HeatherMarieKosur · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, El Paso is healthier than 41% of U.S. towns
El Paso trails Illinois on 8 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for El Paso. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in El Paso
COPD, cancer and arthritis run high in El Paso
1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.5%), vs 6.3% across Illinois. 1 in 11 adults have had cancer (9.2%), vs 7.6% across Illinois. Arthritis is also above the state: 29%, vs 24.2% across Illinois. In all, El Paso runs above Illinois on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in El Paso
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (15.8%), vs 12.1% across Illinois. Habits ↓
El Paso is short on primary care and dental care
El Paso’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and dental care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
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 Illinois figure falls outside El Paso’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.
What’s behind El Paso’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, El Paso is healthier than 41% of U.S. towns, #554 of 767 in Illinois. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 58% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 19%).
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). El Paso’s median household income is $75,625; among the 10,847 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($57K–$95K), it’s healthier than 42%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 El Paso adults…
El Paso runs above IL on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois
Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.
1 mile of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Care in and near El Paso
No hospital or community health center in El Paso 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 El Paso; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Keeping up with care
Share of El Paso adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
How El Paso adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, El Paso runs above Illinois.
1 in 3 El Paso 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.
14.3% of El Paso adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
El Paso and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso | C+ | 40.3% | 11.9% | 15.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of El Paso adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for El Paso
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, El Paso is better than Illinois on 0 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside El Paso’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | El Paso | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.9%16.6–23.7 | 18.6% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.3–16.7 | 12.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%15.6–20.5 | 15.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40.3%31.6–49.6 | 34% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.9%10.1–13.9 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.4%32.1–41 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.3%32.7–42.1 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29%25.4–32.8 | 24.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.8%9.5–12.3 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.2%8.2–10.2 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7%6.1–8 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.5%6.9–10.1 | 6.3% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.2–4.2 | 3.3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.6%14.4–21.1 | 10.3% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.8%12.7–19.4 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 24.5%19.9–29.8 | 23% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.3%15–22.1 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.5%27–40.8 | 35.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.6%5.6–10 | 9.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78%74.1–81.8 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63.4%59.6–67 | 63.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.3%83.9–88.6 | 87.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.5%73.2–79.5 | 75.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62%56.4–67.3 | 60.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71%62–79.2 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.7%20–27.8 | 19.8% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 33.4%27.7–39.2 | 33.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.8%19.6–28.4 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14%10.6–17.7 | 15.9% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.2%8.8–13.8 | 13.2% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.5%6–9.1 | 7.8% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.6%6.2–9.1 | 8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14.3%10.7–18.1 | 13.8% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.6%26.9–37 | 27.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.8%12.3–17.6 | 12.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.5%12.1–17 | 12.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.6%6.6–8.7 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.9%4.2–5.8 | 4.8% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9%7.6–10.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4%3.3–4.7 | 3.5% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Illinois figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in El Paso
Is El Paso a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, El Paso is healthier than 41% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #554 of 767 in Illinois. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 42%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in El Paso?
CDC estimates 40.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.6% and 49.6%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to El Paso?
Carle Eureka Hospital in Eureka, 13.3 miles in a straight line from El Paso’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in El Paso have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.6–10%), against 9.9% across Illinois.
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 El Paso more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in El Paso.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Illinois 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.