Photo: Akissforme · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Mercedes is healthier than 11% of U.S. towns
Mercedes differs from Texas on 20 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 18 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Mercedes. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Mercedes
Making ends meet is harder in Mercedes
1 in 3 adults worry about having enough food (34.3%), vs 19.3% across Texas. No reliable transportation (16.5% vs 10.5%) and housing insecurity (25.4% vs 16.4%) are higher too. 28.9% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.6% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Mercedes adults get no exercise
2 in 5 adults get no exercise outside work (39.5%), vs 27.8% across Texas. Habits ↓
Diabetes, heart disease and stroke run high in Mercedes
1 in 5 adults have diabetes (19.6%), vs 12.7% across Texas. 1 in 13 adults have heart disease (7.9%), vs 5.6% across Texas. Stroke is also above the state: 4.3%, vs 3.2% across Texas. In all, Mercedes runs above Texas on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Mercedes is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Mercedes is healthier than 11%. Against the 4,629 towns with similar household incomes ($35K–$59K), it’s healthier than 35%. 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 Texas figure falls outside Mercedes’ likely range.
What’s behind Mercedes’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mercedes is healthier than 11% of U.S. towns, #537 of 641 in Texas. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 61% 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). Mercedes’ median household income is $46,904; among the 4,629 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($35K–$59K), it’s healthier than 35%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Mercedes compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 5.3% (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.
28.9% of Mercedes adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.6% across Texas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Texas
Share of adults, with the Texas figure marked.
2.8 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Mercedes adults…
Mercedes runs below TX on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Mercedes
1 community health center in Mercedes, 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 Mercedes; ≈ 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 Mercedes adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Texas.
How Mercedes adults are doing
On 1 of 3 measures, Mercedes runs above Texas.
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.
Mercedes and the towns around it
Mercedes’s Health Grade ranks 2nd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes | D | 44.9% | 19.6% | 13.7% | CDC place |
| Heidelberg | D− | 49.3% | 23.8% | 18.5% | CDC place |
| Weslaco | C− | 43.1% | 17.8% | 12.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Mercedes adults live with a disability (Texas 30.9%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Mercedes
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Mercedes is better than Texas on 2 and worse on 18; on the rest, the Texas figure falls inside Mercedes’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Mercedes | TX | U.S. | vs TX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 35.7%32.4–39.1 | 21.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%16.1–19.8 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%16.2–19.8 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 44.9%40.5–49.3 | 35.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 19.6%17.8–21.5 | 12.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 36.6%33.9–39.5 | 33.1% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.8%34.9–40.7 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.4%21.3–25.6 | 21.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 8.9%8–10 | 9.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.3%4.8–5.8 | 6.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.9%7.2–8.7 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.1%6.3–7.9 | 5.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%4–4.7 | 3.2% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.5%13.9–19.4 | 12.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.7%12–15.7 | 12.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 39.5%35.8–43.6 | 27.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.4%13.2–17.8 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.2%35.1–43.4 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 38.1%33.9–42.6 | 19.1% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.4%70.4–76.4 | 73.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 43.2%40.1–46.3 | 54.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.6%79.3–83.7 | 84.6% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77%74.7–79.1 | 74.1% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 55%50.6–59.2 | 57.9% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 70.4%63.7–76.5 | 74.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.2%17.9–22.8 | 21.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 31.9%28.7–35.2 | 28.4% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 34.3%31.9–36.8 | 19.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 25.4%23.2–27.7 | 16.4% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 16.3%14.6–18 | 10.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 16.5%15.2–17.9 | 10.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 28.9%26.7–31.3 | 14.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 41.7%38.1–45.5 | 30.9% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 22.1%20–24.3 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 19.8%17.8–22.1 | 15.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.2%8.3–10.2 | 6.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 12.4%11.3–13.7 | 6.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 12.4%11.1–13.8 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 7.3%6.7–8.1 | 4% | 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 Mercedes
Is Mercedes a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mercedes is healthier than 11% of U.S. towns: D for health, #537 of 641 in Texas. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 35%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Mercedes?
CDC estimates 44.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 40.5% and 49.3%, against 35.6% across Texas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Mercedes?
Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco, 4.1 miles in a straight line from Mercedes’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Mercedes have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 38.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 33.9–42.6%), 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 Mercedes 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 Mercedes.
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.