Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Portales is healthier than 91%
Portales differs from New Mexico on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Portales. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Portales
Portales is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Portales is healthier than 57%. Against the 5,984 towns with similar household incomes ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 91%. Health Grade ↓
Portales looks healthier next to New Mexico than next to the country
It’s healthier than 78% of the 73 New Mexico towns we grade, but 57% of towns nationwide. Much of New Mexico scores low on these measures. Health Grade ↓
Portales is short on primary care and mental health care
Portales’ 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 diabetes are less common in Portales
Portales runs below New Mexico on six chronic conditions, most of all cancer (5.6% vs 7.4%), diabetes (10.2% vs 13.2%) and heart disease (5.6% vs 7.2%). 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 Portales’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Portales’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Portales is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns, #17 of 73 in New Mexico. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 78% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 25%).
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). Portales’ median household income is $50,555; among the 5,984 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 91%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Few New Mexico towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Portales is healthier than 78% of graded towns, against 57% nationally.
Care in and near Portales
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Portales, 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 Portales; ≈ 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 Portales adults…
Portales runs below NM on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Portales residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across New Mexico. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Mexico
Share of adults, with the New Mexico figure marked.
9.7 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Portales adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Mexico.
How Portales adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Portales runs above New Mexico.
4 in 10 Portales 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.
17% of Portales adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 16.9% across New Mexico.
Portales and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portales | B | 31.7% | 10.2% | 12.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Portales adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Portales
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Portales is better than New Mexico on 7 and worse on 4; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside Portales’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Portales | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.8%18.9–24.8 | 24% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.4–15.9 | 15.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.5%16.2–20.8 | 16.1% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.7%25–39 | 34.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.2%8.9–11.7 | 13.2% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 28.3%24.8–31.8 | 34.3% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 31.6%27.7–35.4 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 20.8%18.3–23.4 | 25.6% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.1%8.9–11.3 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.6%5.1–6.2 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.6%5–6.2 | 7.2% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.7%5–6.5 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3%2.8–3.3 | 3.8% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.2%11.7–17.1 | 14.2% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.5%10.6–14.6 | 13.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25.4%21.2–29.9 | 25.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.5%12.6–18.6 | 13.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.5%29.2–42.2 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 15.7%13.4–18.5 | 15.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 63.9%59.1–68.6 | 69% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 59%55–62.8 | 61.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 77.6%74.9–80.4 | 83.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 67.9%64.8–70.8 | 73.3% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 54%48.6–59.3 | 57.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 67.8%59–75.6 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.3%20.8–28.2 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 37.1%31.7–42.8 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.4%20.7–28.5 | 24.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 21.5%18.3–24.8 | 20.9% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 16.8%14.4–19.3 | 16.5% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 11.2%9.7–12.9 | 11.2% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.8%10.2–13.4 | 11% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 17%14.3–20 | 16.9% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.7%30.2–39.4 | 34% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13%11.3–14.8 | 15.5% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18%15.8–20.4 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.9%6.1–7.8 | 8.5% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 6.5%5.9–7.2 | 7.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.7%8.5–10.9 | 9.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.1%3.7–4.5 | 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 Portales
Is Portales a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Portales is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #17 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 Portales?
CDC estimates 31.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 25% and 39%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Portales?
Roosevelt General Hospital in Portales, 0.7 miles in a straight line from Portales’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Portales have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 15.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 13.4–18.5%), 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 Portales 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 Portales.
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.