Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0On CDC estimates, Hobbs is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns
Hobbs differs from New Mexico on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 6 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Hobbs. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Hobbs
Hobbs is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Hobbs is healthier than 37%. Against the 9,742 towns with similar household incomes ($48K–$80K), it’s healthier than 52%. Health Grade ↓
Hobbs is behind on routine checkups
It trails New Mexico on four of five routine checkups and screenings: yearly checkups (64% vs 69%), dentist visits (53.9% vs 61.4%), cholesterol checks (78.1% vs 83.4%) and colon screening (50.8% vs 57.5%). Checkups ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Hobbs
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (26.9%), vs 20.9% across New Mexico. Housing insecurity (21.9% vs 16.5%) and utility shut-off threats (14% vs 11.2%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Hobbs is short on primary care and mental health care
Hobbs’ county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Cancer and heart disease are less common in Hobbs
Hobbs runs below New Mexico on five chronic conditions, most of all cancer (5% vs 7.4%), heart disease (5.6% vs 7.2%) and arthritis (20.2% vs 25.6%). A young population is part of it: only 12% of residents are 65 or older (New Mexico 19%). Conditions ↓
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 Hobbs’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Hobbs’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Hobbs is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns, #37 of 73 in New Mexico. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 63% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 14%).
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). Hobbs’ median household income is $64,021; among the 9,742 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($48K–$80K), it’s healthier than 52%, about where its income would put it.
Where Hobbs compares well: arthritis, 20.2% (U.S. 25.3%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 5% (U.S. 7.9%); coronary heart disease, 5.6% (U.S. 6.4%).
Keeping up with care
Share of Hobbs 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 Hobbs adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 16.9% across New Mexico.
Out of every 100 Hobbs adults…
Hobbs runs below NM on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Hobbs residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across New Mexico. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Hobbs
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Hobbs, 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 Hobbs; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with New Mexico
Share of adults, with the New Mexico figure marked.
46 miles of trails across 13 parks and preserves
How Hobbs adults are doing
About the same as New Mexico on each measure.
2 in 5 Hobbs 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.
Hobbs and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobbs | C+ | 36.7% | 11.2% | 14.7% | CDC place |
| North Hobbs | B− | 35.5% | 11.1% | 14.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Hobbs adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Hobbs
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Hobbs is better than New Mexico on 6 and worse on 10; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside Hobbs’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Hobbs | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 25.5%22.7–28.4 | 24% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13.4–16.9 | 15.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%15.9–20.1 | 16.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.7%29.9–43.8 | 34.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.2%9.8–12.8 | 13.2% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 30.7%27–34.6 | 34.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 31.3%27.4–35.3 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 20.2%17.7–22.9 | 25.6% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9.6%8.5–10.9 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5%4.5–5.6 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.6%5.1–6.2 | 7.2% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.8%5.2–6.5 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3.2%3–3.4 | 3.8% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16%13.2–19.1 | 14.2% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.7%12.7–16.8 | 13.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 29.1%24.8–33.6 | 25.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.5%13.6–19.9 | 13.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.6%28.1–39.5 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 21.9%19.3–24.5 | 15.6% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 64%59.4–68.4 | 69% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 53.9%50.1–57.6 | 61.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 78.1%75.7–80.6 | 83.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 68.4%64.9–71.6 | 73.3% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 50.8%45.6–56 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 68.5%60–76 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.7%18.4–25.4 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 37.8%32.6–43.5 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.8%23.9–32 | 24.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 26.9%23.8–30.2 | 20.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 21.9%19.3–24.8 | 16.5% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 14%12.3–15.9 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 13.6%12.1–15.3 | 11% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 21.4%18.8–24.3 | 16.9% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.4%31.1–39.7 | 34% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.7%12.9–16.5 | 15.5% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.2%16.2–20.3 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.8%6.1–7.7 | 8.5% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 7.8%7.2–8.5 | 7.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.9%8.9–10.9 | 9.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.9%4.5–5.3 | 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 Hobbs
Is Hobbs a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Hobbs is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #37 of 73 in New Mexico. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 52%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Hobbs?
CDC estimates 36.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.9% and 43.8%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Hobbs?
Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital in Hobbs, 2.4 miles in a straight line from Hobbs’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Hobbs have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 21.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 19.3–24.5%), 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 Hobbs 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 Hobbs.
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.