Photo: AllenS · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Rio Rancho as a whole is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns
Rio Rancho beats New Mexico on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Rio Rancho. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho keeps up with checkups
It beats New Mexico on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (68.5% vs 61.4%) and cholesterol checks (86.2% vs 83.4%). Checkups ↓
Fewer Rio Rancho adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below New Mexico. 1 in 7 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 5 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho runs below New Mexico on four chronic conditions, most of all COPD (5.2% vs 6.6%), stroke (3% vs 3.8%) and heart disease (5.7% vs 7.2%). 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 Rio Rancho’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Rio Rancho’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rio Rancho is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns, #9 of 73 in New Mexico. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is smoking (fewer adults who smoke than 85% of towns); the weakest is fair or poor health, still better than 64%.
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). Rio Rancho’s median household income is $89,596; among the 9,989 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($67K–$112K), it’s healthier than 81%, about where its income would put it.
At 114,419 residents, Rio Rancho is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Keeping up with care
Share of Rio Rancho 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.
10.3% of Rio Rancho adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 16.9% across New Mexico.
Out of every 100 Rio Rancho adults…
Rio Rancho runs below NM on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Rio Rancho
1 community health center in Rio Rancho, 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 Rio Rancho; ≈ 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.
328 miles of trails across 47 parks and preserves
How Rio Rancho adults are doing
About the same as New Mexico on each measure.
1 in 3 Rio Rancho 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.
Rio Rancho and the towns around it
Rio Rancho’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Rancho | A− | 31.9% | 10.6% | 10.5% | CDC place |
| Rio Rancho Estates | B+ | 33.7% | 10.9% | 10.6% | CDC place |
| Corrales | A− | 29.6% | 12.6% | 8.4% | CDC place |
| Albuquerque | B | 32.9% | 11.3% | 12.2% | CDC place |
| Bernalillo | C | 35.6% | 15.7% | 12.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Rio Rancho adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Rio Rancho
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Rio Rancho is better than New Mexico on 17 and worse on 0; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside Rio Rancho’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Rio Rancho | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.8%15.6–20 | 24% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.1%11.5–14.6 | 15.5% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.4%13.6–17.3 | 16.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.9%25.9–38.4 | 34.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.6%9.2–12.2 | 13.2% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 32%28.3–35.8 | 34.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.3%30.3–38.4 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.9%21.1–26.8 | 25.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.6%8.4–10.8 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.6%6.9–8.3 | 7.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.7%5.1–6.3 | 7.2% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.2%4.6–5.8 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3%2.8–3.3 | 3.8% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.6%7.6–11.6 | 14.2% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.5%9–12.1 | 13.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 20.8%17.4–24.4 | 25.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15%12.2–18 | 13.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.7%29.1–40.1 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.5%10.1–13.2 | 15.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 68.9%64.6–73.1 | 69% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 68.5%64.8–71.5 | 61.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.2%84.4–87.9 | 83.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73.4%69.9–76.6 | 73.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.3%58–67.8 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.3%63.9–79.1 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.6%20.2–27.3 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.7%28.2–37.5 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.4%20.1–26.8 | 24.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.2%12.3–16.2 | 20.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.4%10.7–14.1 | 16.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8%7–9.1 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.8%6.9–8.7 | 11% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.3%8.8–11.7 | 16.9% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.2%25.5–33.1 | 34% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12%10.5–13.6 | 15.5% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.2%11.7–14.7 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.9%6.1–7.7 | 8.5% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.9%4.5–5.3 | 7.2% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.1%6.3–7.9 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.4%3.1–3.7 | 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 Rio Rancho
Is Rio Rancho a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rio Rancho is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #9 of 73 in New Mexico. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 81%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Rio Rancho?
CDC estimates 31.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.9% and 38.4%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Rio Rancho?
Lovelace Westside Hospital in Albuquerque, 5.6 miles in a straight line from Rio Rancho’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Rio Rancho have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.1–13.2%), 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 Rio Rancho 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 Rio Rancho.
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.