Charley's Automotive Service · Photo: Bill Eichelberger · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Grants is healthier than 60%
Grants differs from New Mexico on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Grants. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Grants
Dental care lags in Grants
54.7% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 61.4% across New Mexico. Among those 65 and older, 19.3% have lost all their teeth (New Mexico 14.2%). Grants’ county is a federal shortage area for dental care. Checkups ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Grants
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (26%), vs 20.9% across New Mexico. No reliable transportation (13.5% vs 11%) and utility shut-off threats (13.7% vs 11.2%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Grants is short on dental care and mental health care
Grants’ county is a federal shortage area for dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Grants is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Grants is healthier than 23%. Against the 4,724 towns with similar household incomes ($35K–$59K), it’s healthier than 60%. 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 Grants’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Grants’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Grants is healthier than 23% of U.S. towns, #50 of 73 in New Mexico. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 50% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health 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). Grants’ median household income is $47,183; among the 4,724 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($35K–$59K), it’s healthier than 60%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Grants compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 6.5% (U.S. 7.9%).
Keeping up with care
Share of Grants adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Mexico.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
21.4% of Grants adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 16.9% across New Mexico.
Care in and near Grants
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Grants, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Grants; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 Grants adults…
Grants runs below NM on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Mexico
Share of adults, with the New Mexico figure marked.
15 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
How Grants adults are doing
About the same as New Mexico on each measure.
1 in 3 Grants 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.
Grants and the towns around it
Grants’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants | C− | 37.7% | 15.4% | 15.8% | CDC place |
| San Rafael | B− | 34.2% | 15.6% | 10.9% | CDC place |
| Milan | C− | 38.9% | 14.6% | 18.3% | CDC place |
| Mount Taylor | — | — | — | — |
Mount Taylor: 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 Grants adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Grants
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Grants is better than New Mexico on 1 and worse on 10; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside Grants’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Grants | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27.2%24.2–30.4 | 24% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.8%14.9–18.9 | 15.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.1%15.2–19.2 | 16.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.7%30.8–45.3 | 34.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15.4%13.6–17.6 | 13.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 35%31.2–39.2 | 34.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.2%30.2–38.4 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 25.4%22.5–28.6 | 25.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.2%9–11.6 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.5%5.9–7.2 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.5%6.8–8.4 | 7.2% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.1%6.4–8.1 | 6.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.8–4.5 | 3.8% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 19.3%16–22.9 | 14.2% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.8%13.6–18.2 | 13.4% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 29.3%25–34.1 | 25.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.8%11.3–16.8 | 13.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39%33.2–44.9 | 32.7% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 18.1%15.2–21 | 15.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 67.9%63.5–72.3 | 69% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 54.7%50.9–58.5 | 61.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.3%78.8–83.6 | 83.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73.3%70.1–76.3 | 73.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 55.4%50.2–60.3 | 57.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 70%61.9–76.9 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.2%18.9–25.8 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.1%29.6–39.3 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.3%22.8–30.5 | 24.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 26%22.7–29.9 | 20.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 19.6%17.2–22.5 | 16.5% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 13.7%12–15.6 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 13.5%11.9–15.3 | 11% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 21.4%18.5–24.7 | 16.9% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.5%33.3–42.1 | 34% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.6%15.6–19.9 | 15.5% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.6%15.6–19.8 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9%8.1–10.1 | 8.5% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 8.8%8–9.6 | 7.2% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.7%9.5–11.9 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.6%5.1–6.1 | 4.7% | 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 New Mexico figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Grants
Is Grants a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Grants is healthier than 23% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #50 of 73 in New Mexico. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Grants?
CDC estimates 37.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.8% and 45.3%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Grants?
Cibola General Hospital in Grants, 0.6 miles in a straight line from Grants’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Grants have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 18.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 15.2–21%), 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 Grants 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 Grants.
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.