Photo: AllenS · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Elephant Butte is healthier than 85%
Elephant Butte differs from New Mexico on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Elephant Butte. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Elephant Butte
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Elephant Butte
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (14.4%), about twice the New Mexico rate. 1 in 9 adults have heart disease (11.6%), vs 7.2% across New Mexico. Arthritis is also above the state: 39.4%, vs 25.6% across New Mexico. In all, Elephant Butte runs above New Mexico on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 46% of residents are 65 or older (New Mexico 19%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
The nearest ER is 62 miles from Elephant Butte
The closest emergency room is Socorro General Hospital in Socorro, 62.1 miles away in a straight line. For everyday care, Ben Archer Health Center is closer (2.6 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. Getting care ↓
Elephant Butte is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Elephant Butte’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care, dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
More high blood pressure in Elephant Butte, and more people treating it
46.3% of adults have high blood pressure (New Mexico 34.3%), but 83.5% of them take medicine for it, vs 73.3% statewide. Checkups ↓
Elephant Butte is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Elephant Butte is healthier than 52%. Against the 6,944 towns with similar household incomes ($40K–$67K), it’s healthier than 85%. 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 New Mexico figure falls outside Elephant Butte’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Elephant Butte’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Elephant Butte is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 95% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 10%).
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). Elephant Butte’s median household income is $53,482; among the 6,944 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($40K–$67K), it’s healthier than 85%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Elephant Butte adults…
Elephant Butte runs above NM on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Elephant Butte is an older town: 46% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across New Mexico. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Elephant Butte as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Elephant Butte
No hospital or community health center in Elephant Butte 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 Elephant Butte; ≈ 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 Elephant Butte adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Mexico.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Mexico
Share of adults, with the New Mexico figure marked.
How Elephant Butte adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Elephant Butte does better than New Mexico.
3 in 10 Elephant Butte 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.
9.1% of Elephant Butte adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 16.9% across New Mexico.
Elephant Butte and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elephant Butte | B− | 32.8% | 15.9% | 12.2% | CDC place |
| Truth or Consequences | D | 38.5% | 18.5% | 18.3% | CDC place |
| Hot Springs Landing | — | — | — | — |
Hot Springs Landing: 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 Elephant Butte adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Elephant Butte
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Elephant Butte is better than New Mexico on 13 and worse on 8; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside Elephant Butte’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Elephant Butte | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22%18.6–26 | 24% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%14.5–19.2 | 15.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.8%11.1–14.7 | 16.1% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.8%25.3–41.6 | 34.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15.9%13.5–18.5 | 13.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 46.3%41.3–51.6 | 34.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 44.8%39.8–50.3 | 35.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 39.4%35.1–44.1 | 25.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.8%8.6–11.2 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 14.4%12.9–16 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 11.6%10.1–13.2 | 7.2% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10%8.3–11.9 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.6%4.9–6.4 | 3.8% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.5%10–15.2 | 14.2% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.2%9.9–15 | 13.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24%19.2–29.1 | 25.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 10.4%8.4–12.9 | 13.7% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.3%23.4–35.7 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.3%6.8–10.1 | 15.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 78%74.2–81.6 | 69% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 68.1%64.6–71.5 | 61.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.4%90–92.7 | 83.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.5%80.4–86.5 | 73.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.2%62.6–73.6 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 70.1%61.4–77.9 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.9%17.5–24.8 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.3%24.4–34.5 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.5%17–24.1 | 24.5% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.6%8.6–12.7 | 20.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.8%6.4–9.2 | 16.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.8%4.8–6.7 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6%5.1–6.9 | 11% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.1%7.2–11.1 | 16.9% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.9%31.7–42.3 | 34% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 19.4%16.4–22.7 | 15.5% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.1%10.3–14 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 12.8%11.1–14.5 | 8.5% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.9%5.1–6.8 | 7.2% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.7%7.5–10.1 | 9.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.7%4.1–5.5 | 4.7% | 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 New Mexico figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Elephant Butte
Is Elephant Butte a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Elephant Butte is healthier than 52% 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 Elephant Butte?
CDC estimates 32.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.3% and 41.6%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
How many people in Elephant Butte have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.8–10.1%), against 15.6% across New Mexico.
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 Elephant Butte 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 Elephant Butte.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The New Mexico 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.