Health · Safford

Safford, AZ health

Safford differs from Arizona on 8 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults who have had cancer (7.7% vs 8.8%). Where it trails the state: more adults facing a utility shut-off (8.9% vs 7.2%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Safford

B-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

B⁻

Safford’s Health Grade: B−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Safford is healthier than 54% of U.S. towns, and than 74% of towns with similar incomes.

CSelf-rated healthB-Physical distressBMental distressBObesityBDiabetesB+SmokingB-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 54%

Less healthyHealthier

Arizona towns we grade (207)Healthier than 52%

Towns with similar incomes, $49K–$82K (9,208)Healthier than 74%

Better than its income would suggest. Safford is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is B−.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Safford could be anywhere from C− to A−.

How the Health Grade works

Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Arizona ranking.
Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Safford with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Safford uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.

Report card

How Safford compares with Arizona

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Safford adults…

32 of every 100 Safford adults have high blood pressure

Arizona: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 28.3–35.7%

Bars show Safford; the black tick is Arizona. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Safford, betterSafford, worseToo close to callArizona

Get no exerciseshare of adults 25.6% Safford
AZ 21.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 36% Safford
AZ 35.2%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.1% Safford
AZ 15.3%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 12.6% Safford
AZ 11.4%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Safford adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arizona.

Yearly checkup

AZ 74%

Dentist visit

AZ 60%

Cholesterol check

AZ 85%

Colon screening

AZ 60%

Mammogram

AZ 73%

Taking BP meds

AZ 74%

1 in 6

working-age adults has no health insurance

Safford 16% · Arizona 1 in 8 (13.2%)

Mind & connection

How Safford adults are doing

1 in 3Safford adults feel lonely

31.7% · Arizona 32% · too close to call

1 in 5Safford adults have been diagnosed with depression

20.1% · Arizona 19.5% · too close to call

1 in 4Safford adults lack social or emotional support

26% · Arizona 25.7% · too close to call

1 in 6Safford adults are in frequent mental distress

16.6% · Arizona 15.4% · too close to call

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 5

Safford adults worry about having enough food

19.1% · AZ 15.8% · worse

1 in 7

Safford adults worry about keeping their housing

14.6% · AZ 12% · worse

1 in 11

Safford adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

8.9% · AZ 7.2% · worse

1 in 10

Safford adults lack reliable transportation

9.9% · AZ 8.7% · about the same

13.5% of Safford adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.1% across Arizona.

Disability

Living with a disability

35.6%

of Safford adults live with a disability (Arizona 31.5%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.2%

Thinking or memory16.4%

Hearing8.4%

Errands alone8.8%

Vision6.7%

Dressing or bathing4.3%

Black tick: Arizona. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Safford

Safford and the towns around it

Care nearby

Mt. Graham Regional Medical CenterSafford · 2.2 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Northern Cochise Community HospitalWillcox · 40.2 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

San Carlos Apache Healthcare CorporationPeridot · 49.1 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Cobre Valley Regional Medical CenterGlobe · 79.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Canyonlands Healthcare - Safford IntegratedSafford · 1.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Canyonlands Healthcare - SaffordSafford · 2.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary carePart of Safford is a federal shortage area.Safford · need score 14 of 25

! Dental carePart of Safford is a federal shortage area for some residents.Safford · need score 15 of 25

! Mental healthPart of Safford is a federal shortage area.Safford · need score 18 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Safford. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Safford

Measure	Safford	Margin	Arizona
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	32%	28.3–35.7%	32.8%	about the same
High cholesterol	34%	30.1–38%	37.3%	about the same
Obesity	34.8%	28–41.6%	31.3%	about the same
Arthritis	23.9%	21–26.8%	25.2%	about the same
Depression	20.1%	17–23.3%	19.5%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	14%	11.6–16.7%	14.7%	about the same
Asthma	10.9%	9.6–12.2%	10.4%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	7.7%	7–8.4%	8.8%	better
Diabetes	11.5%	9.9–13.1%	11.3%	about the same
COPD	7%	6.2–7.9%	6.6%	about the same
Heart disease	6.4%	5.8–7.2%	6.4%	about the same
Stroke	3.6%	3.3–3.9%	3.4%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	12.6%	10.7–14.6%	11.4%	about the same
Binge drink	15.1%	12.3–17.9%	15.3%	about the same
Get no exercise	25.6%	21.7–29.9%	21.9%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	36%	30.1–42%	35.2%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	72.2%	68.2–75.9%	73.9%	about the same
Dentist visit	56.1%	52.3–59.7%	59.9%	worse
Cholesterol check	82%	79.7–84.2%	85.1%	worse
Colon screening	55.8%	50.6–60.8%	60.2%	about the same
Mammogram	72.3%	64.4–79.2%	72.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	73.1%	70–75.8%	73.9%	about the same
No health insurance	16%	13.8–18.4%	13.2%	worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	31.7%	26.9–36.6%	32%	about the same
Lack emotional support	26%	22.2–29.8%	25.7%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	16.6%	14.7–18.6%	15.4%	about the same
Fair or poor health	22.3%	19.6–25.2%	19.5%	worse
Frequent physical distress	14.3%	12.7–16.2%	13%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	19.1%	16.4–22%	15.8%	worse
Housing insecurity	14.6%	12.5–16.8%	12%	worse
Utility shut-off threat	8.9%	7.7–10.2%	7.2%	worse
No reliable transportation	9.9%	8.7–11.2%	8.7%	about the same
Receive SNAP	13.5%	11.4–15.7%	11.1%
Disability
Any disability	35.6%	31.3–39.9%	31.5%
Walking or climbing stairs	15.2%	13.3–17.2%	13.8%
Thinking or memory	16.4%	14.5–18.4%	14.2%
Hearing	8.4%	7.5–9.4%	8.1%
Vision	6.7%	6–7.4%	5.5%
Dressing or bathing	4.3%	3.9–4.8%	3.7%
Errands alone	8.8%	7.8–9.9%	7.6%

About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Safford door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Arizona figure falls inside it, we don't call Safford better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Safford directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Arizona figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.