Photo: Captain Budd Christman, NOAA Corps · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Sunland Park is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns
Sunland Park differs from New Mexico on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 14 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Sunland Park. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Sunland Park
Making ends meet is harder in Sunland Park
2 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (37.7%), vs 20.9% across New Mexico. Housing insecurity (28.2% vs 16.5%) and utility shut-off threats (18.6% vs 11.2%) are higher too. 32.6% of adults receive SNAP, vs 16.9% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Sunland Park adults get no exercise
36.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 25.6% across New Mexico. There are 12 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
Dental care lags in Sunland Park
49.2% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 61.4% across New Mexico. Among those 65 and older, 19.2% have lost all their teeth (New Mexico 14.2%). Checkups ↓
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 Sunland Park’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.
What’s behind Sunland Park’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sunland Park is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns, #59 of 73 in New Mexico. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 53% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 2%).
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). Sunland Park’s median household income is $62,814; among the 9,567 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($47K–$79K), it’s healthier than 16%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Sunland Park compares well: arthritis, 22.3% (U.S. 25.3%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 4.3% (U.S. 7.9%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
32.6% of Sunland Park 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.
12 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Sunland Park adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Mexico.
Out of every 100 Sunland Park adults…
Sunland Park runs below NM on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 11% of Sunland Park residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across New Mexico. Arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Sunland Park
1 community health center in Sunland Park, 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 Sunland Park; ≈ 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 Sunland Park adults are doing
About the same as New Mexico on each measure.
1 in 3 Sunland Park 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.
Sunland Park and the towns around it
Sunland Park’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunland Park | D | 41.5% | 17.2% | 14.7% | CDC place |
| Santa Teresa | C+ | 37.9% | 14.8% | 11.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Sunland Park adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Sunland Park
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sunland Park is better than New Mexico on 2 and worse on 14; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside Sunland Park’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Sunland Park | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 34.4%30.6–38 | 24% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.7%16.5–20.8 | 15.5% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.9%14.8–19 | 16.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 41.5%35.6–47.5 | 34.1% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 17.2%15.2–19.4 | 13.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 33.7%30.2–37.2 | 34.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.4%29.7–36.9 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.3%19.7–24.9 | 25.6% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9.3%8.1–10.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.3%3.9–4.8 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.9%6.2–7.7 | 7.2% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6%5.3–6.9 | 6.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.5–4.2 | 3.8% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 19.2%16.1–22.6 | 14.2% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.7%12.5–17 | 13.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 36.3%31.5–40.9 | 25.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13.8%11.4–16.7 | 13.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.9%30.3–39.6 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 28.8%24.4–33 | 15.6% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 68%64.1–72.1 | 69% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 49.2%45.7–52.9 | 61.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 78.9%76.3–81.5 | 83.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.9%67.7–74.1 | 73.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 47%42.2–51.9 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 65.1%57.3–72 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.4%18.3–24.7 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35.8%31–40.6 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.4%23.4–31.4 | 24.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 37.7%33–42.4 | 20.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 28.2%24.6–32.1 | 16.5% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 18.6%16.2–21.2 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 17.6%15.4–20 | 11% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 32.6%28.2–37 | 16.9% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 41.4%36.8–45.6 | 34% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 19.6%17.3–22 | 15.5% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 20%17.5–22.5 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.4%7.4–9.4 | 8.5% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 12.2%11–13.4 | 7.2% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 12%10.5–13.4 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 7.2%6.4–8 | 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 Sunland Park
Is Sunland Park a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sunland Park is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns: D for health, #59 of 73 in New Mexico. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 16%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Sunland Park?
CDC estimates 41.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 35.6% and 47.5%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Sunland Park?
The Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus in El Paso, 5.8 miles in a straight line from Sunland Park’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Sunland Park have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 28.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 24.4–33%), 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 Sunland Park more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Sunland Park.
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.