Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0On CDC estimates, Placitas is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns
Placitas differs from New Mexico on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 18 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Placitas. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Placitas
Cancer, arthritis and high cholesterol run high in Placitas
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (13.5%), vs 7.4% across New Mexico. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (34.8%), vs 25.6% across New Mexico. High cholesterol is also above the state: 43.8%, vs 35.1% across New Mexico. In all, Placitas runs above New Mexico on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 50% of residents are 65 or older (New Mexico 19%), and cancer, arthritis and high cholesterol are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Placitas, and more people treating it
42.8% of adults have high blood pressure (New Mexico 34.3%), but 82.5% of them take medicine for it, vs 73.3% statewide. Checkups ↓
Placitas keeps up with checkups
It beats New Mexico on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (78.3% vs 69%) and dentist visits (73.3% vs 61.4%). Checkups ↓
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 Placitas’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Placitas’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Placitas is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns, #8 of 73 in New Mexico. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than almost every U.S. town); diabetes pulls it down (better than 32%).
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). Placitas’ median household income is $109,750; among the 7,177 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($82K–$137K), it’s healthier than 66%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Placitas adults…
Placitas runs below NM on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Placitas is an older town: 50% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across New Mexico. Heart disease, arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Placitas as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Placitas adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Mexico.
Care in and near Placitas
No hospital or community health center in Placitas 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 Placitas; ≈ 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.
44 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
How Placitas adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Placitas does better than New Mexico.
1 in 4 Placitas 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.
5.9% of Placitas adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 16.9% across New Mexico.
Placitas and the towns around it
Placitas has the best Health Grade of the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Placitas | A− | 29.6% | 13.3% | 8.5% | CDC place |
| Bernalillo | C | 35.6% | 15.7% | 12.7% | CDC place |
| Santa Ana Pueblo | B | 33.1% | 12.1% | 13.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Placitas adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Placitas
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Placitas is better than New Mexico on 18 and worse on 5; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside Placitas’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Placitas | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.4%13.8–19.3 | 24% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.5%11.7–15.5 | 15.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.3%9.8–12.9 | 16.1% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29.6%23.8–36 | 34.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.3%11.3–15.5 | 13.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 42.8%38.2–47.5 | 34.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43.8%39–48.6 | 35.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.8%30.7–38.8 | 25.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.2%8–10.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.5%12.2–14.9 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.7%7.6–9.9 | 7.2% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.8%5.6–8.2 | 6.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.7–4.7 | 3.8% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.4%6.7–10.1 | 14.2% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.5%6.8–10.5 | 13.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 18.7%15.1–22.7 | 25.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 10.8%8.7–13.1 | 13.7% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.7%25.4–35.8 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.4%5.2–7.8 | 15.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.3%74.6–81.6 | 69% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73.3%69.8–76.1 | 61.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 93.1%92–94.1 | 83.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.5%79.1–85.5 | 73.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.4%66.2–75.6 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.3%67.5–81.6 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.3%18.1–24.9 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 26.9%22.7–31.6 | 34.1% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.3%15.3–21.8 | 24.5% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.8%6.3–9.8 | 20.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.3%5.2–7.6 | 16.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.5%3.8–5.3 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.6%3.9–5.4 | 11% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.9%4.5–7.5 | 16.9% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.8%25.5–34.3 | 34% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.4%12–16.9 | 15.5% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.5%8.1–11.1 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.7%8.5–11 | 8.5% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.3%3.8–5 | 7.2% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.2%5.3–7.2 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.5%3–4 | 4.7% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Placitas
Is Placitas a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Placitas is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #8 of 73 in New Mexico. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 66%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Placitas?
CDC estimates 29.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.8% and 36%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Placitas?
Lovelace Westside Hospital in Albuquerque, 15.4 miles in a straight line from Placitas’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Placitas have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.2–7.8%), 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 Placitas more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Placitas.
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.