Health · Taos

Taos, MO health

Taos differs from Missouri on 6 of 40 measures. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (9.3% vs 15.8%) and fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (6.2% vs 9%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Taos
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Taos’s Health Grade: B−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Taos is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns and 76% of Missouri towns.

B-Self-rated healthB-Physical distressB-Mental distressBObesityB+DiabetesC+SmokingC+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 52%
Less healthyHealthier
Missouri towns we grade (428)Healthier than 76%
Towns with similar incomes, $74K–$124K (8,049)Healthier than 29%

Wealth explains part of the grade. Taos is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns overall, but against towns with similar incomes its edge is smaller.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Taos could be anywhere from D 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 Missouri 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 Taos 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. Taos 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 Taos compares with Missouri

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 Taos adults…

36 of every 100 Taos adults have high blood pressure
Missouri: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 32.1–40.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Taos, betterTaos, worseToo close to callMissouri
Get no exerciseshare of adults 28% Taos
MO 28.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.6% Taos
MO 36.5%
Binge drinkshare of adults 17.8% Taos
MO 16.3%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.5% Taos
MO 16%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%
Yearly checkup
MO 78%
66%
Dentist visit
MO 60%
86%
Cholesterol check
MO 85%
67%
Colon screening
MO 64%
76%
Mammogram
MO 75%
77%
Taking BP meds
MO 77%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Taos 7.7% · Missouri 1 in 11 (8.7%)
Mind & connection

How Taos adults are doing

1 in 3Taos adults feel lonely
32.7% · Missouri 31.7% · too close to call
1 in 4Taos adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.4% · Missouri 24.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Taos adults lack social or emotional support
19.9% · Missouri 20.1% · too close to call
1 in 6Taos adults are in frequent mental distress
17% · Missouri 17.5% · 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 10
Taos adults worry about having enough food
10.1% · MO 13.7% · better
1 in 11
Taos adults worry about keeping their housing
9.2% · MO 12.1% · better
1 in 16
Taos adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.2% · MO 9% · better
1 in 16
Taos adults lack reliable transportation
6.4% · MO 8.4% · better

7% of Taos adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.

Disability

Living with a disability

35.9%

of Taos adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.9%
Thinking or memory16.7%
Hearing8.2%
Errands alone8.2%
Vision4.2%
Dressing or bathing3.4%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Taos

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

HNearest ERSsm Health St. Mary's Hospital - Jefferson CityJefferson City · 11.3 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyColumbia Mo VA Medical Center★★★★★ · 32.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Health Center of Central MissouriJefferson City · 6.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
6.7 mi
Community Health Center of Central Missouri
4 sites · nearest in Jefferson City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
11.3 mi
Ssm Health St. Mary's Hospital - Jefferson City
Jefferson City · ★★★★★
ER
23.9 mi
Arthur Center Community Behavioral Health
Fulton · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
32.8 mi
Columbia Mo VA Medical Center
Columbia · ★★★★★
ERVA
≈33.4 mi
University of Missouri Health Care
Columbia · ★★★★★
ER
33.4 mi
Boone Hospital Center
Columbia · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary careTaos's county is a federal shortage area.Cole County · need score 10 of 25
! Dental careTaos's county is a federal shortage area.Cole County · need score 9 of 25
! Mental healthTaos's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, MHCA 11 Cole Catchment Area · need score 16 of 25

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 Taos. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Taos
MeasureTaosMarginMissouri
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure36.4%32.1–40.7%36.5%about the same
High cholesterol38.4%34–42.8%37.5%about the same
Obesity35.3%28.3–42.7%36.6%about the same
Arthritis29.9%26.4–33.6%28.8%about the same
Depression24.4%20.7–28.4%24.3%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)9.3%7.5–11.5%15.8%better
Asthma10.6%9.2–12%10.6%about the same
Cancer (not skin)9.4%8.4–10.4%8.6%about the same
Diabetes10.7%9.1–12.5%12.1%about the same
COPD7.7%6.3–9.4%8%about the same
Heart disease6.4%5.5–7.4%6.8%about the same
Stroke3.3%2.9–3.9%3.6%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.5%12–19%16%about the same
Binge drink17.8%14.7–21.1%16.3%about the same
Get no exercise28%22.7–33.7%28.8%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours34.6%28.7–41%36.5%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup78.7%75–82%78.4%about the same
Dentist visit66.4%62.8–69.9%60.4%better
Cholesterol check86.1%83.6–88.5%84.5%about the same
Colon screening67.3%62.2–72.2%64%about the same
Mammogram76.1%68.7–82.9%74.7%about the same
Taking BP meds76.9%73.4–79.9%77.2%about the same
No health insurance7.7%5.6–10.2%8.7%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely32.7%27.5–38.5%31.7%about the same
Lack emotional support19.9%16.4–23.9%20.1%about the same
Frequent mental distress17%14.7–19.4%17.5%about the same
Fair or poor health19%15.5–22.9%20.5%about the same
Frequent physical distress14.2%12–16.6%14.2%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity10.1%7.6–13.2%13.7%better
Housing insecurity9.2%7.4–11.5%12.1%better
Utility shut-off threat6.2%5.1–7.5%9%better
No reliable transportation6.4%5.3–7.7%8.4%better
Receive SNAP7%5.1–9.2%10.8%
Disability
Any disability35.9%30.7–41.4%36.2%
Walking or climbing stairs14.9%12.2–17.8%15.8%
Thinking or memory16.7%13.9–19.6%17.2%
Hearing8.2%7.1–9.4%8.3%
Vision4.2%3.5–5%5.1%
Dressing or bathing3.4%2.8–4.1%3.9%
Errands alone8.2%6.7–9.7%9.2%
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 Taos door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Missouri figure falls inside it, we don't call Taos better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Taos directly, so these are its own figures.

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

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