Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Mexico is healthier than 53%
Mexico trails Maine on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 04257. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Mexico
Making ends meet is harder in Mexico
1 in 7 adults worry about having enough food (14.4%), vs 10.7% across Maine. Housing insecurity (12.6% vs 9.8%) and utility shut-off threats (9.3% vs 7.4%) are higher too. 19.1% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.3% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Smoking is more common in Mexico
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (18.5%), vs 14.4% across Maine. Habits ↓
COPD and diabetes run high in Mexico
1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.3%), vs 8.4% across Maine. 1 in 8 adults have diabetes (13%), vs 11.2% across Maine. Conditions ↓
Mexico is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Mexico is healthier than 29%. Against the 7,651 towns with similar household incomes ($42K–$70K), it’s healthier than 53%. 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 Maine figure falls outside Mexico’s likely range; Mexico’s figures come from ZIP code 04257, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Mexico’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mexico is healthier than 29% of U.S. towns, #115 of 143 in Maine. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 59% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 15%).
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). Mexico’s median household income is $55,727; among the 7,651 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($42K–$70K), it’s healthier than 53%, about where its income would put it.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
19.1% of Mexico adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maine
Share of adults, with the Maine figure marked.
22 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Mexico adults…
Mexico runs above ME on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Mexico
No hospital or community health center in Mexico 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 Mexico; ≈ 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 Mexico adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maine.
How Mexico adults are doing
About the same as Maine on each measure.
1 in 3 Mexico 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.
Mexico and the towns around it
Mexico’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 4 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | C | 35% | 13% | 18.5% | ZIP 04257 |
| Dixfield | C | 35.4% | 13% | 17.4% | ZIP 04224 |
| Rumford | D | 37.6% | 15.7% | 21.4% | ZIP 04276 |
| Dixfield | — | — | — | — | |
| Mexico | — | — | — | — | |
| Peru | C+ | 34.4% | 13% | 17.5% | ZIP 04290 |
| Rumford | — | — | — | — | |
| Roxbury | — | — | — | — |
Dixfield, Mexico and Rumford: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. Roxbury: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Mexico adults live with a disability (Maine 32.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Mexico
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Mexico is better than Maine on 0 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Maine figure falls inside Mexico’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Mexico | ME | U.S. | vs ME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.1%19.3–25.1 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%14.8–18.8 | 14.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.9%16.8–21.1 | 17.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35%30.6–40.1 | 32.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13%11.5–14.8 | 11.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 36.6%33.7–39.9 | 35.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.1%36.9–43.5 | 37.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 34.1%31.4–37.1 | 32% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 13.6%12.1–15.2 | 12.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.6%8.7–10.6 | 9.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.4%7.4–9.4 | 7.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 10.3%9–11.8 | 8.4% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.7–4.6 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.9%14–20.1 | 14.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 18.5%15.8–21.5 | 14.4% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 25.4%21.9–29.4 | 23.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16%13.6–18.7 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.1%29–37.6 | 32.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9%7.3–11.1 | 7.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.6%77.9–83.3 | 81.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.7%57.6–63.9 | 63.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.7%83.8–87.6 | 87.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.6%73.7–79.3 | 76.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.6%63.5–71.6 | 70.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.3%67.9–80 | 80.3% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.8%23.8–30.3 | 26.9% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.6%30–37.3 | 32% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.8%22.6–29 | 22.7% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.4%12–16.7 | 10.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.6%10.7–14.5 | 9.8% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.3%8–10.6 | 7.4% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.4%8.1–10.6 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 19.1%16.1–22.1 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.5%29.9–37.5 | 32.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.7%13.8–18 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.7%15.7–20 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.9%7.9–10 | 8.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.4%4.8–6.1 | 4.4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.7%8.6–11.1 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.3%3.8–4.9 | 3.5% | 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 Maine figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Mexico
Is Mexico a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mexico is healthier than 29% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #115 of 143 in Maine. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Mexico?
CDC estimates 35% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.6% and 40.1%, against 32.7% across Maine and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Mexico?
Rumford Hospital in Rumford, 3.0 miles in a straight line from Mexico’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Mexico have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.3–11.1%), against 7.8% across Maine.
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 Mexico more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Mexico.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Maine 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.