Taos Pueblo · Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Taos Pueblo is healthier than 67%
Taos Pueblo differs from New Mexico on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 17 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Taos Pueblo. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Taos Pueblo
Stroke, COPD and diabetes run high in Taos Pueblo
1 in 18 adults have had a stroke (5.7%), vs 3.8% across New Mexico. 1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.2%), vs 6.6% across New Mexico. Diabetes is also above the state: 18.3%, vs 13.2% across New Mexico. In all, Taos Pueblo runs above New Mexico on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (New Mexico 19%), and stroke, COPD and diabetes are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Taos Pueblo
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (21.6%), vs 13.4% across New Mexico. Habits ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Taos Pueblo
3 in 10 adults worry about having enough food (29%), vs 20.9% across New Mexico. No reliable transportation (16.8% vs 11%) and utility shut-off threats (16.8% vs 11.2%) are higher too. 24.5% of adults receive SNAP, vs 16.9% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Taos Pueblo is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Taos Pueblo is healthier than 16%. Against the 2,203 towns with similar household incomes ($30K–$49K), it’s healthier than 67%. 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 Taos Pueblo’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Taos Pueblo’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Taos Pueblo is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 72% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 3%).
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). Taos Pueblo’s median household income is $39,375; among the 2,203 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($30K–$49K), it’s healthier than 67%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Taos Pueblo adults…
Taos Pueblo runs above NM on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Taos Pueblo is an older town: 30% 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 Taos Pueblo as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Mexico
Share of adults, with the New Mexico figure marked.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
24.5% of Taos Pueblo adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 16.9% across New Mexico.
Care in and near Taos Pueblo
No hospital or community health center in Taos Pueblo 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 Taos Pueblo; ≈ 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 Taos Pueblo adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Mexico.
How Taos Pueblo adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Taos Pueblo runs above New Mexico.
1 in 3 Taos Pueblo 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.
Taos Pueblo and the towns around it
Taos Pueblo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taos Pueblo | C− | 32.8% | 18.3% | 21.6% | CDC place |
| Arroyo Seco | A− | 25.3% | 12.5% | 8.4% | CDC place |
| Taos | B− | 28.5% | 15.3% | 12.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Taos Pueblo adults live with a disability (New Mexico 34%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Taos Pueblo
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Taos Pueblo is better than New Mexico on 1 and worse on 17; on the rest, the New Mexico figure falls inside Taos Pueblo’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Taos Pueblo | NM | U.S. | vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 29.1%24.6–33.6 | 24% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.3%16.5–22.1 | 15.5% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.4%16.8–22 | 16.1% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.8%25.5–40.4 | 34.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 18.3%15.8–21.1 | 13.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 39.4%34.9–43.7 | 34.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.1%28.8–37.4 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.8%27.2–34.6 | 25.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 13.2%11.5–15 | 9.9% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.5%6.7–8.3 | 7.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.6%8.3–10.9 | 7.2% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.2%7.6–11 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.7%4.9–6.5 | 3.8% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 24.2%19.9–28.8 | 14.2% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 21.6%17.3–25.9 | 13.4% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 26.8%21.6–32.2 | 25.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.9%11.2–16.9 | 13.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.1%29.7–42.3 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.1%7.8–13.3 | 15.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 69.4%64.9–73.7 | 69% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55%50.8–58.8 | 61.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.5%79.8–84.9 | 83.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.3%70.8–77.6 | 73.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 59.2%53.4–64.2 | 57.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 65.2%55.9–73.2 | 70.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.2%20.5–28.2 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35.5%30.1–41.3 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.4%24.1–33.2 | 24.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 29%23.4–34.6 | 20.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 20.3%16.6–24.1 | 16.5% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 16.8%13.9–19.7 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 16.8%14.1–19.8 | 11% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 24.5%19.3–29.7 | 16.9% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 41.5%35.8–46.9 | 34% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 21.1%17.8–24.5 | 15.5% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.5%15.6–21.5 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 12.4%10.8–14.1 | 8.5% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 10%8.6–11.5 | 7.2% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 12.7%10.7–14.7 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.1%5.2–7.2 | 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 Taos Pueblo
Is Taos Pueblo a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Taos Pueblo is healthier than 16% 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 Taos Pueblo?
CDC estimates 32.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.5% and 40.4%, against 34.1% across New Mexico and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Taos Pueblo?
Holy Cross Hospital A Div of Taos Health Systems in Taos, 5.1 miles in a straight line from Taos Pueblo’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Taos Pueblo have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.8–13.3%), 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 Taos Pueblo 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 Taos Pueblo.
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.