Photo: Public domain · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Ruidoso is healthier than 83%
Ruidoso differs from New Mexico on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 8 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Ruidoso. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Ruidoso
Ruidoso is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Ruidoso is healthier than 48%. Against the 6,704 towns with similar household incomes ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 83%. Health Grade ↓
Cancer, COPD and arthritis run high in Ruidoso
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (10.9%), vs 7.4% across New Mexico. 1 in 11 adults have COPD (8.8%), vs 6.6% across New Mexico. Arthritis is also above the state: 33%, vs 25.6% across New Mexico. In all, Ruidoso runs above New Mexico on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (New Mexico 19%), and cancer, COPD and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Ruidoso, and more people treating it
40.7% of adults have high blood pressure (New Mexico 34.3%), but 79.5% of them take medicine for it, vs 73.3% statewide. Checkups ↓
Ruidoso is short on primary care and mental health care
Ruidoso’s 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 ↓
Fewer Ruidoso adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below New Mexico. 1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 5 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Ruidoso’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
What’s behind Ruidoso’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ruidoso is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns, #25 of 73 in New Mexico. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 81% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 16%).
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). Ruidoso’s median household income is $52,736; among the 6,704 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 83%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Few New Mexico towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Ruidoso is healthier than 67% of graded towns, against 48% nationally.
Out of every 100 Ruidoso adults…
Ruidoso runs above NM on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Ruidoso is an older town: 29% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across New Mexico. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Ruidoso as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Ruidoso adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Mexico.
Care in and near Ruidoso
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Ruidoso, 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 Ruidoso; ≈ 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).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
14.3% of Ruidoso adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 16.9% across New Mexico.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Mexico
Share of adults, with the New Mexico figure marked.
21 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves
How Ruidoso adults are doing
About the same as New Mexico on each measure.
1 in 3 Ruidoso 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.
Ruidoso and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruidoso | B− | 30.7% | 14.2% | 13.5% | CDC place |
| Ruidoso Downs | C+ | 32.6% | 13.2% | 13.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Ruidoso adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Ruidoso
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Ruidoso is better than New Mexico on 8 and worse on 6; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside Ruidoso’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Ruidoso | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.7%20.9–26.8 | 24% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.6%14.7–18.7 | 15.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15%13.3–17 | 16.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30.7%24.1–38.4 | 34.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.2%12.3–16.4 | 13.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 40.7%36.3–45.4 | 34.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.3%33.8–43 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 33%29.4–36.9 | 25.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.1%9–11.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.9%9.8–12 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.2%8.3–10.3 | 7.2% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.8%7.7–9.9 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.7%4.3–5.1 | 3.8% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.8%12–17.8 | 14.2% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.5%11.6–15.7 | 13.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25.1%21.1–29.7 | 25.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.5%10.2–15.3 | 13.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.3%26–38.7 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.9%10.1–13.8 | 15.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.3%70.2–78.1 | 69% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 59.6%55.7–63.4 | 61.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.5%85.7–89.1 | 83.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.5%76.3–82.5 | 73.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.4%55.6–66.7 | 57.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 65.6%56.7–73.6 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.7%20.2–27.7 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32%27–37.1 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.1%18.8–25.8 | 24.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.1%13.8–18.6 | 20.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.5%10.7–14.3 | 16.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.1%7.9–10.4 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.7%7.6–9.8 | 11% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14.3%12.2–16.6 | 16.9% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.9%31.6–40.6 | 34% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18%15.8–20.5 | 15.5% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.3%12.7–16.2 | 15.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.3%9.2–11.6 | 8.5% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.7%6.1–7.3 | 7.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.5%8.5–10.6 | 9.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.1%4.6–5.6 | 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 Ruidoso
Is Ruidoso a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ruidoso is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns: B− for health, #25 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 Ruidoso?
CDC estimates 30.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.1% and 38.4%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Ruidoso?
Lincoln County Medical Center in Ruidoso, 2.9 miles in a straight line from Ruidoso’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Ruidoso have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.1–13.8%), 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 Ruidoso more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Ruidoso.
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.