Photo: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK · CC BY 2.0On CDC estimates, Santa Fe is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns
Santa Fe differs from New Mexico on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 15 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Santa Fe. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Santa Fe
Santa Fe is older than New Mexico, yet healthier on chronic conditions
Santa Fe runs below New Mexico on obesity (25.9% vs 34.1%) and COPD (5.5% vs 6.6%). That’s despite an older population: 26% of residents are 65 or older (New Mexico 19%). Conditions ↓
Santa Fe has a five-star hospital
Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
Santa Fe keeps up with checkups
It beats New Mexico on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (66.7% vs 61.4%) and cholesterol checks (86.5% vs 83.4%). Checkups ↓
Fewer Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Santa Fe’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Fe is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns, #10 of 73 in New Mexico. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 94% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 44%).
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 Fe’s median household income is $73,482; among the 10,771 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$92K), it’s healthier than 90%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Santa Fe adults…
Santa Fe runs below NM on 4 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Santa Fe is an older town: 26% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across New Mexico. Cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Santa Fe as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Santa Fe
1 hospital and 3 community health centers in Santa Fe, 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 Fe; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Santa Fe 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.
12.8% of Santa Fe 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.
191 miles of trails across 74 parks and preserves
How Santa Fe adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Santa Fe does better than New Mexico.
1 in 3 Santa Fe 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.
Santa Fe and the towns around it
Santa Fe’s Health Grade ranks 4th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe | A− | 25.9% | 11.7% | 10.2% | CDC place |
| La Cienega | A | 25.9% | 11% | 8.2% | CDC place |
| Tres Arroyos | A− | 24% | 13.3% | 9.1% | CDC place |
| Tano Road | A | 21.3% | 12.2% | 6.4% | CDC place |
| Santa Fe Foothills | — | — | — | — | |
| Conejo | — | — | — | — | |
| Tesuque | B | 26% | 14.8% | 11.2% | CDC place |
| Hyde Park | — | — | — | — |
Santa Fe Foothills, Conejo and Hyde Park: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Santa Fe adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Santa Fe
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Santa Fe is better than New Mexico on 15 and worse on 1; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside Santa Fe’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Santa Fe | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.2%18–22.6 | 24% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.8%12.3–15.5 | 15.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.8%12.3–15.6 | 16.1% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.9%21.4–31 | 34.1% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 11.7%10.3–13.5 | 13.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 30.8%27.5–34.4 | 34.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.2%30.6–38 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24.6%21.9–27.6 | 25.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.3%8.2–10.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.8%8–9.6 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.6%5.9–7.3 | 7.2% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.5%4.9–6.2 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3.4%3.1–3.6 | 3.8% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.4%6.9–10.1 | 14.2% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.2%8.8–11.8 | 13.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 21.4%18.4–25 | 25.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 12.5%10.3–15 | 13.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.4%26.6–34.6 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 14.9%13.1–16.6 | 15.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 70.5%66.8–74.2 | 69% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 66.7%63.8–69.5 | 61.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.5%84.8–88 | 83.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.4%70.9–77.6 | 73.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.6%60.6–68.5 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.8%68.9–80.3 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.5%19.5–25.9 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.8%27.5–36 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.1%18.9–25.1 | 24.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.2%14.1–18.3 | 20.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.3%11.5–15 | 16.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.9%7.7–10.1 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.5%7.5–9.5 | 11% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.8%11–14.6 | 16.9% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28%24.7–31.6 | 34% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.3%11.8–15.1 | 15.5% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.7%11.3–14.2 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.6%6.7–8.5 | 8.5% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.9%5.4–6.4 | 7.2% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.5%6.7–8.3 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.6–4.3 | 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 Santa Fe
Is Santa Fe a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Fe is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #10 of 73 in New Mexico. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 90%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Santa Fe?
CDC estimates 25.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 21.4% and 31%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Santa Fe?
Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center in Santa Fe, 4.1 miles in a straight line from Santa Fe’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Santa Fe have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 14.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 13.1–16.6%), 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 Fe 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 Santa Fe.
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.