These 10 Counties Have The Healthiest People In All Of New Mexico

According to America's Health Rankings, New Mexico is the 37th healthiest state in the nation. So there's room for some improvement. That being said, we have low levels of air pollution, low numbers of excessive drinkers, and a low rate of cancer deaths. Since 1990, the rate of cardiovascular deaths has also dropped significantly. But which places in New Mexico are the healthiest?

We've used data gathered by County Health Rankings and Roadmaps to find out. These statistics factor in things like health behaviors, clinical care, and the physical environment, along with social and economic factors. They assess length of life and how healthy people feel.

So, here are the 10 healthiest counties in New Mexico.

10. Lea County

Cities include: Hobbs, Lovington

Rate of poor or fair health: 19%

Adult smoking rate: 18%

Adult obesity rate: 35%

Food environment index: 7.7 out of 10

Physical inactivity rate: 33%

Rate of uninsured population: 22%

Overall, lower numbers are better. The exception is the food environment index. Counties with higher scores have better access to healthy food.

9. Eddy County

Cities include: Artesia, Carlsbad

Rate of poor or fair health: 18%

Adult smoking rate: 18%

Adult obesity rate: 30%

Food environment index: 7.0 out of 10

Physical inactivity rate: 24%

Rate of uninsured population: 17%

In case you were wondering, physical inactivity is defined as doing no form of exercise during leisure time.

8. Doña Ana County

Cities include: Las Cruces, Sunland Park

Rate of poor or fair health: 23%

Adult smoking rate: 17%

Adult obesity rate: 23%

Food environment index: 5.7 out of 10

Physical inactivity rate: 20%

Rate of uninsured population: 25%

70% of people in this county can easily take advantage of parks and recreation areas. This is important because physical exercise and time spent in nature both improve overall health.

7. Curry County

Cities include: Clovis, Texico

Rate of poor or fair health: 19%

Adult smoking rate: 20%

Adult obesity rate: 30%

Food environment index: 5.8 out of 10

Physical inactivity rate: 28%

Rate of uninsured population: 20%

Only 9% of people in this county commute for longer than 30 minutes. Less stress usually means better health.

6. Union County

Towns include: Clayton

Rate of poor or fair health: 18%

Adult smoking rate: 17%

Adult obesity rate: 28%

Food environment index: 6.4 out of 10

Physical inactivity rate: 27%

Rate of uninsured population: 22%

One of the other factors considered was drinking water violations. Unlike some of the other places on this list, Union County hasn't had any.

5. Santa Fe County

Cities include: Santa Fe

Rate of poor or fair health: 15%

Adult smoking rate: 14%

Adult obesity rate: 14%

Food environment index: 7.1 out of 10

Physical inactivity rate: 12%

Rate of uninsured population: 24%

Santa Fe County scores well on the data we've focused on. But these rankings are based on more than 30 different factors. That's why Santa Fe County isn't ahead of Bernalillo County, for instance.

4. Bernalillo County

Cities include: Albuquerque

Rate of poor or fair health: 17%

Adult smoking rate: 17%

Adult obesity rate: 20%

Food environment index: 7.0 out of 10

Physical inactivity rate: 17%

Rate of uninsured population: 20%

In Bernalillo County, the ratio of primary care physicians to residents is actually better than those in Roosevelt County and Sandoval County.

3. Roosevelt County

Cities include: Portales

Rate of poor or fair health: 20%

Adult smoking rate: 20%

Adult obesity rate: 28%

Food environment index: 6.2 out of 10

Physical inactivity rate: 25%

Rate of uninsured population: 24%

Only 22% of people here endure long, solo commutes.

2. Sandoval County

Cities and towns include: Rio Rancho, Bernalillo

Rate of poor or fair health: 16%

Adult smoking rate: 15%

Adult obesity rate: 24%

Food environment index: 6.4 out of 10

Physical inactivity rate: 19%

Rate of uninsured population: 18%

Only 9% of babies have low birth weights in this county.

1. Los Alamos County

Cities and towns include: Los Alamos, White Rock

Rate of poor or fair health: 8%

Adult smoking rate: 11%

Adult obesity rate: 20%

Food environment index: 7.9 out of 10

Physical inactivity rate: 15%

Rate of uninsured population: 5%

Did you know that 99% of Los Alamos residents have easy access to a park or recreation area? These numerous opportunities to exercise likely help with residents' overall health.

What's your opinion of these rankings? Any surprises?

*Harding County's data was incomplete, so it couldn't be included in the rankings. An unofficial scan of the stats for this county suggests it would fall somewhere in the middle of the pack.