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D−Health Grade
Health in El Cenizo · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, El Cenizo is healthier than 2% of U.S. towns

El Cenizo differs from Texas on 22 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 21 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for El Cenizo. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in El Cenizo

Dental care lags in El Cenizo

29.1% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 54.6% across Texas. Among those 65 and older, 28.3% have lost all their teeth (Texas 12.5%). Checkups ↓

More El Cenizo adults get no exercise

1 in 2 adults get no exercise outside work (49.3%), vs 27.8% across Texas. Habits ↓

Making ends meet is harder in El Cenizo

1 in 2 adults worry about having enough food (47.8%), more than twice the Texas rate. No reliable transportation (23% vs 10.5%) and utility shut-off threats (21.7% vs 10.7%) are higher too. 43.4% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.6% 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 Texas figure falls outside El Cenizo’s likely range.

Health Grade

What’s behind El Cenizo’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, El Cenizo is healthier than 2% of U.S. towns. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 21% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (near the bottom of U.S. towns).

D−Self-rated health42.3% · TX 21.8% · U.S. 19.4%
D−Physical distress20.6% · TX 13.2% · U.S. 13%
DMental distress19.8% · TX 16.9% · U.S. 15.9%
D−Obesity46.1% · TX 35.6% · U.S. 32.9%
D−Diabetes20.3% · TX 12.7% · U.S. 12%
C−Smoking18% smoke · TX 12.5% · U.S. 11.8%
D−Exercise49.3% · TX 27.8% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 2%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $37K–$61K (5,350)Healthier than 5%

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). El Cenizo’s median household income is $48,897; among the 5,350 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($37K–$61K), it’s healthier than 5%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.

Where El Cenizo compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 3.7% (U.S. 7.9%).

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, El Cenizo could be anywhere from D− to C−.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of El Cenizo adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Texas.

69%Yearly checkupTX 74%
29%Dentist visitTX 55%
77%Cholesterol checkTX 85%
42%Colon screeningTX 58%
62%MammogramTX 74%
73%Taking BP medsTX 74%
5 in 10
working-age adults have no health insurance
El Cenizo 47% · Texas 1 in 5 (19.1%)
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Texas

Share of adults, with the Texas figure marked.

Get no exercise 49.3%TX 27.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 41.3%TX 38.2%
Binge drink 14.6%TX 17%
Smoke cigarettes 18%TX 12.5%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
El Cenizo, betterEl Cenizo, worseAbout the sameTexas
Where El Cenizo gets moving

0.4 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 2
El Cenizo adults worry about having enough food
47.8% · TX 19.3%
Worse than TX
1 in 3
El Cenizo adults worry about keeping their housing
33% · TX 16.4%
Worse than TX
1 in 5
El Cenizo adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
21.7% · TX 10.7%
Worse than TX
1 in 4
El Cenizo adults lack reliable transportation
23% · TX 10.5%
Worse than TX

43.4% of El Cenizo adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.6% across Texas.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 El Cenizo adults…

El Cenizo runs below TX on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 6. Tap one to see it as people.

20 of every 100 El Cenizo adults have diabetes
Texas: 13 in 100 · worse · likely 17.8–22.9%
Better than TXWorseAbout the sameTexas
Why age matters in El Cenizo

Only 8% of El Cenizo residents are 65 or older, vs 13% across Texas. Cancer run low partly because the town is young.

Residents 65 and older

El Cenizo8%
Texas13%
Getting care

Care in and near El Cenizo

No hospital or community health center in El Cenizo itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERDoctors Hospital of LaredoLaredo · 15 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyDoctors Hospital of Laredo★★★★★ · 15.0 miDirections →
+Low-cost careGateway Community Health CenterLaredo · 7.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
7.1 mi
Gateway Community Health Center
8 sites · nearest in Laredo
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
15 mi
Doctors Hospital of Laredo
Laredo · ★★★★★
ER
37 mi
Laredo Medical Center
Laredo · ★★★★★
ER
76.9 mi
Starr County Memorial Hospital
Rio Grande City · ★★★★★
ER
85 mi
Dimmit Regional Hospital
Carrizo Springs · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careEl Cenizo is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers El Cenizo itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers El Cenizo itself

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 El Cenizo; ≈ 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).

Mind & connection

How El Cenizo adults are doing

On 2 of 3 measures, El Cenizo runs above Texas.

1 in 3El Cenizo adults lack social or emotional support
35.2% · TX 28.4% · Worse than TX
1 in 5El Cenizo adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.5% · TX 21.2% · About the same as TX
1 in 5El Cenizo adults are in frequent mental distress
19.8% · TX 16.9% · Worse than TX
The one neighbors can help with

A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Around town

El Cenizo and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
El CenizoD−46.1%20.3%18%CDC place

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

47.5%

of El Cenizo adults live with a disability (Texas 30.9%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs24.5%
Thinking or memory24.3%
Hearing8.5%
Errands alone14.1%
Vision14.9%
Dressing or bathing8.6%
Texas

Every CDC estimate for El Cenizo

Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, El Cenizo is better than Texas on 1 and worse on 21; on the rest, the Texas figure falls inside El Cenizo’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…El CenizoTXU.S.vs TX
Overall health
Fair or poor health42.3%36.5–48.221.8%19.4%Worse
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)20.6%17.8–23.613.2%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)19.8%17.3–22.316.9%15.9%Worse
Conditions
Obesity46.1%37.4–54.835.6%32.9%Worse
Diabetes20.3%17.8–22.912.7%12%Worse
High blood pressure35.5%31.4–39.733.1%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)36.4%32.2–40.735.1%37.1%About the same
Arthritis21.1%18.3–2421.6%25.3%About the same
Asthma9.5%8.3–10.89.5%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer3.7%3.3–4.26.1%7.9%Better
Coronary heart disease7.5%6.5–8.55.6%6.4%Worse
COPD7.3%6–8.65.7%6.3%Worse
Stroke4.2%3.7–4.83.2%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)28.3%23.4–33.612.5%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes18%14.7–21.512.5%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work49.3%42.6–56.127.8%24.7%Worse
Binge drinking14.6%12–17.817%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours41.3%34.3–48.538.2%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)47%39.2–53.819.1%11%Worse
Checkup in the past year69.4%65–7473.8%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year29.1%26–32.354.6%63.2%Worse
Cholesterol check in 5 years76.7%73.1–80.384.6%87.1%Worse
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)72.7%69.8–75.874.1%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)41.8%36.3–47.457.9%65.5%Worse
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)62.2%52.8–70.974.1%76.4%Worse
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression20.5%17.3–24.121.2%20.6%About the same
Lack social and emotional support35.2%31.1–39.428.4%23.6%Worse
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food47.8%44.6–50.919.3%15%Worse
Worried about keeping housing33%30–36.116.4%12%Worse
Threatened with a utility shut-off21.7%19.4–24.110.7%7.6%Worse
Lack reliable transportation23%21.1–2510.5%7.9%Worse
Received SNAP (food stamps)43.4%40.2–46.514.6%11.6%Higher
Disability
Any disability47.5%41.3–53.830.9%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs24.5%20.8–28.214%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering24.3%20.7–28.315.1%13.9%Higher
Hearing difficulty8.5%7.4–9.66.3%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty14.9%12.7–176.1%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone14.1%11.9–16.48.2%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing8.6%7.2–104%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 Texas figure falls inside that range.

Questions about health in El Cenizo

Is El Cenizo a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, El Cenizo is healthier than 2% of U.S. towns: D− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 5%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in El Cenizo?

CDC estimates 46.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 37.4% and 54.8%, against 35.6% across Texas and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to El Cenizo?

Doctors Hospital of Laredo in Laredo, 15.0 miles in a straight line from El Cenizo’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

How many people in El Cenizo have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 47% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 39.2–53.8%), against 19.1% across Texas.

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 El Cenizo 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 El Cenizo.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Texas 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.