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Health in El Mesquite · CDC PLACES 2025

Where El Mesquite residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for El Mesquite, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 78582. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in El Mesquite

More El Mesquite adults get no exercise

46.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 27.8% across Texas. Habits ↓

Dental care lags in El Mesquite

37.7% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 54.6% across Texas. Among those 65 and older, 22.4% have lost all their teeth (Texas 12.5%). El Mesquite’s county is a federal shortage area for dental care. Checkups ↓

Making ends meet is harder in El Mesquite

2 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (41.4%), about twice the Texas rate. No reliable transportation (20.2% vs 10.5%) and housing insecurity (30.4% vs 16.4%) are higher too. 36.2% 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 Mesquite’s likely range; El Mesquite’s figures come from ZIP code 78582, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Texas

Share of adults, with the Texas figure marked.

Get no exercise 46.3%TX 27.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 41.1%TX 38.2%
Binge drink 14.5%TX 17%
Smoke cigarettes 16.6%TX 12.5%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
El Mesquite, betterEl Mesquite, worseAbout the sameTexas
Where El Mesquite gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

71%Yearly checkupTX 74%
38%Dentist visitTX 55%
78%Cholesterol checkTX 85%
46%Colon screeningTX 58%
68%MammogramTX 74%
73%Taking BP medsTX 74%
4 in 10
working-age adults have no health insurance
El Mesquite 42.6% · Texas 1 in 5 (19.1%)
Everyday needs

Making ends meet

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

2 in 5
El Mesquite adults worry about having enough food
41.4% · TX 19.3%
Worse than TX
3 in 10
El Mesquite adults worry about keeping their housing
30.4% · TX 16.4%
Worse than TX
1 in 5
El Mesquite adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
19.6% · TX 10.7%
Worse than TX
1 in 5
El Mesquite adults lack reliable transportation
20.2% · TX 10.5%
Worse than TX

36.2% of El Mesquite adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.6% across Texas.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 El Mesquite adults…

El Mesquite 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 Mesquite adults have diabetes
Texas: 13 in 100 · worse · likely 17.6–21.9%
Better than TXWorseAbout the sameTexas
Getting care

Care in and near El Mesquite

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

HNearest ERStarr County Memorial HospitalRio Grande City · 5.5 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyStarr County Memorial Hospital★★★★★ · 5.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careNuestra Clinica Del ValleRio Grande City · 2.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
2.7 mi
Nuestra Clinica Del Valle
8 sites · nearest in Rio Grande City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
5.5 mi
Starr County Memorial Hospital
Rio Grande City · ★★★★★
ER
31.2 mi
Mission Regional Medical Center
Mission · ★★★★★
ER
36.3 mi
Doctors Hosptal at Renaissance
Edinburg · ★★★★★
ER
36.4 mi
Cornerstone Regional Hospital
Edinburg · not rated
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers El Mesquite itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers El Mesquite itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers El Mesquite 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 Mesquite; ≈ 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 Mesquite adults are doing

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

1 in 3El Mesquite adults lack social or emotional support
33.8% · TX 28.4% · Worse than TX
1 in 5El Mesquite adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.9% · TX 21.2% · About the same as TX
1 in 5El Mesquite adults are in frequent mental distress
19.2% · 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 Mesquite and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Rio Grande City: 45%Las Lomas: 46.8%Santa Cruz: 44.6%Ranchitos del Norte: 44.1%El Mesquite: 44.6%El MesquiteRio Grande CityStarr County Memorial Hospital · Rio Grande City · 5.5 mi · 2★ MedicareHNuestra Clinica Del Valle - Rio Grande City · Rio Grande City · 2.7 mi+
Healthier than TXNear TXLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#2 of 5 towns on this map, healthiest first
El Mesquite44.6%
Rio Grande City45%
TX35.6%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Rio Grande CityD−45%20.9%17.1%CDC place

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

44.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs22.9%
Thinking or memory22.6%
Hearing8.5%
Errands alone13.4%
Vision14.2%
Dressing or bathing8.2%
Texas

Questions about health in El Mesquite

Why doesn’t El Mesquite have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for El Mesquite.

What hospital is closest to El Mesquite?

Starr County Memorial Hospital in Rio Grande City, 5.5 miles in a straight line from El Mesquite’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.

Where can I get low-cost care near El Mesquite?

1 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Nuestra Clinica Del Valle - Rio Grande City in Rio Grande City, 2.7 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in El Mesquite.

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. 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.