On CDC estimates, Ponderosa Pine is healthier than 55% of U.S. towns
Ponderosa Pine differs from New Mexico on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Ponderosa Pine. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Ponderosa Pine
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Ponderosa Pine
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.1%), vs 7.4% across New Mexico. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (34.5%), vs 25.6% across New Mexico. Heart disease is also above the state: 9%, vs 7.2% across New Mexico. In all, Ponderosa Pine runs above New Mexico on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (New Mexico 19%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Ponderosa Pine, and more people treating it
42.1% of adults have high blood pressure (New Mexico 34.3%), but 77.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 73.3% statewide. Checkups ↓
Ponderosa Pine keeps up with checkups
It beats New Mexico on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (73.2% vs 69%) and dentist visits (69.9% 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 Ponderosa Pine’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Ponderosa Pine’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ponderosa Pine is healthier than 55% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 85% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 23%).
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). Ponderosa Pine’s median household income is $87,361; among the 10,219 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($66K–$109K), it’s healthier than 46%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Ponderosa Pine adults…
Ponderosa Pine runs below NM on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Ponderosa Pine is an older town: 30% 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 Ponderosa Pine as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Ponderosa Pine adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Mexico.
Care in and near Ponderosa Pine
No hospital or community health center in Ponderosa Pine 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 Ponderosa Pine; ≈ 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.
12 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
How Ponderosa Pine adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Ponderosa Pine does better than New Mexico.
3 in 10 Ponderosa Pine 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.
10.9% of Ponderosa Pine adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 16.9% across New Mexico.
Ponderosa Pine and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponderosa Pine | B− | 33.6% | 13.7% | 13.5% | CDC place |
| Cedro | — | — | — | — |
Cedro: 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 Ponderosa Pine adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Ponderosa Pine
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Ponderosa Pine is better than New Mexico on 13 and worse on 5; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside Ponderosa Pine’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Ponderosa Pine | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.3%18.1–24.9 | 24% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.9%13.8–18.3 | 15.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.6%12.7–16.5 | 16.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.6%28.8–38.5 | 34.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.7%11.7–15.8 | 13.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 42.1%38.3–45.9 | 34.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 42.5%38.6–46.5 | 35.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.5%31.1–38 | 25.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.2%9–11.6 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.1%10–12.4 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9%7.8–10.4 | 7.2% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.1%6.6–9.9 | 6.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.4%3.8–5 | 3.8% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.4%9.3–13.9 | 14.2% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.5%10.7–16.7 | 13.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.7%18–25.7 | 25.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.2%10.1–14.4 | 13.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.6%24.1–31.4 | 32.7% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.5%6.8–10.6 | 15.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.2%69.5–76.5 | 69% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.9%67.1–72.8 | 61.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.5%87.8–91.1 | 83.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.2%73.6–80.4 | 73.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.7%62.4–70.7 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.5%66.3–78.1 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.6%22.5–29.1 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.1%26.2–34.2 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.8%17.6–24.3 | 24.5% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.7%10.3–15.6 | 20.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.4%8.6–12.3 | 16.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.7%6.4–9.1 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.1%6–8.3 | 11% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.9%8.6–13.8 | 16.9% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.8%27.7–36.3 | 34% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16%13.5–18.9 | 15.5% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.4%10.6–14.5 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.4%8.2–10.7 | 8.5% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.5%4.8–6.4 | 7.2% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.2%7–9.6 | 9.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.6%3.9–5.4 | 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 Ponderosa Pine
Is Ponderosa Pine a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ponderosa Pine is healthier than 55% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 46%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Ponderosa Pine?
CDC estimates 33.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.8% and 38.5%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Ponderosa Pine?
Unm Hospital in Albuquerque, 17.6 miles in a straight line from Ponderosa Pine’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Ponderosa Pine have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.8–10.6%), 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 Ponderosa Pine 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 Ponderosa Pine.
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.