Photo: Johnyy0398 · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Zapata is healthier than 49%
Zapata differs from Texas on 15 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 14 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Zapata. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Zapata
The nearest ER is 44 miles from Zapata
The closest emergency room is Starr County Memorial Hospital in Rio Grande City, 44 miles away in a straight line. And 14.5% of adults lack reliable transportation, vs 10.5% across Texas. For everyday care, Gateway Community Health Center is closer (0.5 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. Getting care ↓
More Zapata adults get no exercise
42.6% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 27.8% across Texas. Habits ↓
Dental care lags in Zapata
42% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 54.6% across Texas. Among those 65 and older, 17.9% have lost all their teeth (Texas 12.5%). Zapata’s county is a federal shortage area for dental care. Checkups ↓
More Zapata adults live with a disability
2 in 5 adults live with a disability (41.4%, vs 30.9% across Texas). The biggest difference is vision loss: 11.6% vs 6.1%. Disability ↓
Zapata is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Zapata is healthier than 15%. Against the 4,177 towns with similar household incomes ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 49%. 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 Zapata’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C+.
What’s behind Zapata’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Zapata is healthier than 15% of U.S. towns, #495 of 641 in Texas. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 61% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (near the bottom of U.S. towns).
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). Zapata’s median household income is $45,488; among the 4,177 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 49%, about where its income would put it.
Where Zapata compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 5.3% (U.S. 7.9%).
Care in and near Zapata
1 community health center in Zapata, 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 Zapata; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Texas
Share of adults, with the Texas figure marked.
5.7 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Zapata adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Texas.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Zapata adults live with a disability (Texas 30.9%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Out of every 100 Zapata adults…
Zapata runs below TX on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
How Zapata adults are doing
About the same as Texas on each measure.
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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
24.4% of Zapata adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.6% across Texas.
Zapata and the towns around it
Zapata has the best Health Grade of the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zapata | C− | 41.4% | 19.9% | 13.7% | CDC place |
| Falcon Mesa | — | — | — | — | |
| Medina | D− | 46.5% | 21% | 20.4% | CDC place |
| Falcon Lake Estates | D− | 46.8% | 23.9% | 22.3% | CDC place |
Falcon Mesa: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Every CDC estimate for Zapata
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Zapata is better than Texas on 1 and worse on 14; on the rest, the Texas figure falls inside Zapata’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Zapata | TX | U.S. | vs TX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 34.8%30.6–39 | 21.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 18%15.8–20.3 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%14.7–18.8 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 41.4%31.9–50.3 | 35.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 19.9%17.5–22.4 | 12.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 38%33.4–42.2 | 33.1% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39%34.2–43.4 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.9%20.8–27 | 21.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 8.8%7.7–9.9 | 9.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.3%4.8–5.9 | 6.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 8%7.1–9 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.6%5.7–7.5 | 5.7% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.3%3.9–4.7 | 3.2% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.9%14.5–21.6 | 12.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.7%11.6–16.1 | 12.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 42.6%36.6–48.5 | 27.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 14.1%11.3–17 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.5%31.5–47.8 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 37.1%32.4–42 | 19.1% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.5%69.2–77.3 | 73.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 42%38–46 | 54.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.7%80.6–84.9 | 84.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77%74.1–79.5 | 74.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 52.5%46.4–58.6 | 57.9% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 69.1%59.2–77.6 | 74.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.1%15.8–22.3 | 21.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29.6%25.7–33.5 | 28.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 30.3%27.7–33 | 19.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 22.4%20.1–24.8 | 16.4% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 14.2%12.5–15.9 | 10.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 14.5%13.2–15.8 | 10.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 24.4%22–26.8 | 14.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 41.4%36.2–46.5 | 30.9% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 21.9%19.2–24.7 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.7%16.4–21.2 | 15.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.1%8.1–10.2 | 6.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 11.6%10.5–13 | 6.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.1%9.7–12.5 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.7%6–7.5 | 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 Zapata
Is Zapata a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Zapata is healthier than 15% of U.S. towns: C− for health, #495 of 641 in Texas. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Zapata?
CDC estimates 41.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.9% and 50.3%, against 35.6% across Texas and 32.9% nationally.
How many people in Zapata have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 37.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 32.4–42%), 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 Zapata 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 Zapata.
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.