Fort Bayard Historic District · Photo: From the National Archives RG92-F-7-9 · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Santa Clara is healthier than 66%
Santa Clara differs from New Mexico on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 5 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Santa Clara. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Santa Clara
More Santa Clara adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (31.6%), vs 25.6% across New Mexico. Habits ↓
Diabetes and heart disease run high in Santa Clara
1 in 6 adults have diabetes (17.2%), vs 13.2% across New Mexico. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.3%), vs 7.2% across New Mexico. In all, Santa Clara runs above New Mexico on three of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 39% of residents are 65 or older (New Mexico 19%), and diabetes and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
1 in 5 working-age adults in Santa Clara has no health insurance
20.5% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 15.6% across New Mexico. Checkups ↓
Santa Clara is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Santa Clara is healthier than 40%. Against the 8,298 towns with similar household incomes ($43K–$72K), it’s healthier than 66%. Health Grade ↓
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 Santa Clara’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B.
What’s behind Santa Clara’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Clara is healthier than 40% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 93% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 6%).
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). Santa Clara’s median household income is $57,898; among the 8,298 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($43K–$72K), it’s healthier than 66%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Santa Clara compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 79.8% (U.S. 76.5%).
Everyday habits, side by side with New Mexico
Share of adults, with the New Mexico figure marked.
3.5 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Out of every 100 Santa Clara adults…
Santa Clara runs below NM on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Santa Clara is an older town: 39% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across New Mexico. Heart disease, stroke and diabetes rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Santa Clara as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Santa Clara adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Mexico.
Care in and near Santa Clara
1 community health center in Santa Clara, 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 Santa Clara; ≈ 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).
How Santa Clara adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Santa Clara does better than New Mexico.
1 in 3 Santa Clara 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.
16.2% of Santa Clara adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 16.9% across New Mexico.
Santa Clara and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara | C+ | 33.1% | 17.2% | 10.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Santa Clara adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Santa Clara
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Santa Clara is better than New Mexico on 5 and worse on 7; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside Santa Clara’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Santa Clara | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 28.2%24.1–32.6 | 24% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17%14.8–19.5 | 15.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.3%11.5–15.3 | 16.1% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.1%26–40.9 | 34.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 17.2%14.9–19.7 | 13.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 38.5%34.1–42.9 | 34.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.3%34.7–44 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29%25.5–32.6 | 25.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 8.7%7.6–10 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.3%7.4–9.2 | 7.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.3%8.2–10.5 | 7.2% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.7%5.6–7.8 | 6.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.7%4.2–5.3 | 3.8% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.8%12.2–18 | 14.2% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.8%8.7–13 | 13.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 31.6%26.3–37.3 | 25.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 11.2%9–13.7 | 13.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.7%26–37.9 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 20.5%15.8–25.5 | 15.6% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.6%68.3–76.6 | 69% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 56%52.1–60 | 61.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.7%84.4–88.9 | 83.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.8%76.6–82.7 | 73.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 53.8%48.4–59.5 | 57.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72%63.9–79.2 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.4%15.3–21.7 | 23.2% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 32.2%27.3–37.6 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.7%19.9–27.9 | 24.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 22.1%17.4–26.5 | 20.9% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 16.5%13.3–19.6 | 16.5% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.2%8.4–12 | 11.2% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.4%8.5–12.3 | 11% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 16.2%12.6–20 | 16.9% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.9%32.9–43.2 | 34% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 19.9%16.8–23 | 15.5% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.6%12.4–17.1 | 15.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.9%9.6–12.3 | 8.5% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 9.2%7.9–10.6 | 7.2% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.5%8.2–11.1 | 9.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.7%4.9–6.6 | 4.7% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Santa Clara
Is Santa Clara a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Clara is healthier than 40% of U.S. towns: C+ for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Santa Clara?
CDC estimates 33.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 26% and 40.9%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Santa Clara?
Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City, 6.6 miles in a straight line from Santa Clara’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Santa Clara have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 20.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 15.8–25.5%), 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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara.
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.