On CDC estimates, San Rafael is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns
San Rafael differs from New Mexico on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 9 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for San Rafael. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in San Rafael
Dental care lags in San Rafael
55.8% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 61.4% across New Mexico. Among those 65 and older, 22.6% have lost all their teeth (New Mexico 14.2%). San Rafael’s county is a federal shortage area for dental care. Checkups ↓
San Rafael is short on dental care and mental health care
San Rafael’s county is a federal shortage area for dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Diabetes runs high in San Rafael
1 in 6 adults have diabetes (15.6%), vs 13.2% across New Mexico. Conditions ↓
Fewer San Rafael 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 San Rafael’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind San Rafael’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, San Rafael is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 95% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 12%).
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). San Rafael’s median household income is $83,423; among the 10,499 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($63K–$104K), it’s healthier than 49%, about where its income would put it.
Keeping up with care
Share of San Rafael adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Mexico.
Care in and near San Rafael
No hospital or community health center in San Rafael 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 San Rafael; ≈ 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.
12.2% of San Rafael adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 16.9% across New Mexico.
Out of every 100 San Rafael adults…
San Rafael runs below NM on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Mexico
Share of adults, with the New Mexico figure marked.
7.6 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
How San Rafael adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, San Rafael does better than New Mexico.
3 in 10 San Rafael 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.
San Rafael and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Rafael | B− | 34.2% | 15.6% | 10.9% | CDC place |
| Grants | C− | 37.7% | 15.4% | 15.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of San Rafael adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for San Rafael
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, San Rafael is better than New Mexico on 9 and worse on 4; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside San Rafael’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | San Rafael | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.9%19.3–26.8 | 24% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13–17.4 | 15.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.9%11.1–14.8 | 16.1% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.2%27.5–41.5 | 34.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15.6%13.4–17.9 | 13.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 37%32.9–41.3 | 34.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.4%33.9–43.1 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 28.2%24.8–31.7 | 25.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.1%7.9–10.3 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.5%7.7–9.5 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.9%6.9–9 | 7.2% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.3%5.2–7.5 | 6.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4%3.5–4.5 | 3.8% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 22.6%19–26.6 | 14.2% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.9%8.8–13.1 | 13.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 25.5%20.9–30.5 | 25.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.2%9.9–14.9 | 13.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.3%31.6–43.2 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 15.1%11.7–19.1 | 15.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.8%68.8–76.9 | 69% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55.8%52–59.6 | 61.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.9%86–89.9 | 83.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.4%74.9–81.6 | 73.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 55.5%50.1–60.8 | 57.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 66.5%58.3–73.8 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.3%16.3–22.6 | 23.2% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 30.4%26–35.4 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.6%19.1–26.4 | 24.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.9%13.6–20.6 | 20.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.1%10.8–15.6 | 16.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.3%7–9.7 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.3%7–9.8 | 11% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.2%9.7–15.1 | 16.9% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.6%27.9–37.6 | 34% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.4%13.7–19.2 | 15.5% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13%11–15.2 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.9%7.8–10.1 | 8.5% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 6.9%6–8 | 7.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.9%6.7–9.2 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.7%4–5.4 | 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 San Rafael
Is San Rafael a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, San Rafael is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 49%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in San Rafael?
CDC estimates 34.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.5% and 41.5%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to San Rafael?
Cibola General Hospital in Grants, 6.6 miles in a straight line from San Rafael’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in San Rafael have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 15.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 11.7–19.1%), 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 San Rafael 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 San Rafael.
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.