How healthy is Cibola?

CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – As the US Census Bureau continues to release data it compiled during the 2020 Census, counties are able to see a fuller profile of themselves and how they’ve changed over the course of 10 years. The bureau has released some data about counties and health of the people living in them.

In order to give a full understanding of Cibola County’s healthiness, the Census Bureau broke the county into seven areas, or tracts, based on population. According to the 2020 Census, Cibola County has an overall population of 27,172.

Each tract has three identifiers: Percent of population with zero health risk factors; Percent of population with one to two health risk factors; Percent of population with three or more health risk factors.

There were several identifiers that were considered as a health risk, according to the Census Bureau, those include: Being aged 65 and above; low-income household; single or no caregiver household; household communication barrier; employment status; disability status; physical crowding; lack of health insurance; respiratory disease; heart disease; and diabetes.

Tract 9742.02 – City of Grants

According to the 2020 Census, in the area housing the City of Grants, zero percent of the population has no health risk factors.

Indeed, 40 percent of the population residing in this tract has three or more health risk factors.

The majority of the population living in this tract, 60 percent, have two or more risk factors.

Tract 9461 – Laguna and surrounding areas

The 2020 Census found that, in the tract including Laguna and surrounding areas, five percent of the population has no risk factors.

Just over a third of the population in this tract, 38 percent, has three or more health risk factors.

The great majority of population in this tract, 57 percent, has one to two health risk factors.

Tract 9458 – Pinehill and surrounding areas

In this tract, the Census Bureau found that nine percent of the population has zero health risk factors.

Over a third of the tract’s population, 35 percent, has three or more health risk factors.

The majority of the tract’s population, 56 percent, has one to two health risk factors.

Tract 9415 – Southeastern and Central Eastern Cibola

Just West of the Laguna Pueblo sits Tract 9415, the Census Bureau found in this area 11 percent of the population has zero health risk factors.

Just over a third of the tract’s population 34 percent, has three or more health risk factors.

The majority of the tract’s population, 55 percent, has one to two health risk factors.

Tract 9742.01 – Cubero and surrounding areas

The Census Bureau found that 17 percent of the population in this tract have zero health risk factors.

Less than third, 29 percent, of this tract’s population has three or more health risk factors.

A majority of the tract’s population, 54 percent, has one to two health risk factors.

Tract 9744 – Village of Milan and surrounding areas

In the tract surrounding the Village of Milan, the Census Bureau found that 21 percent of the population has zero health risk factors.

In this tract, less than a third of the population, 27 percent, has three or more health risk factors.

With a simple majority, 52 percent of the population in this tract have one to two health risk factors.

Tract 9747 – Northern, Western, Central, and Southwestern Cibola

Taking up a large majority of the map, this tract encompasses all areas not previously addressed.

In this tract’s population, the Census Bureau found 20 percent of the population has zero health risk factors.

Less than a third, 28 percent of the tract’s population has three or more health risk factors.

A narrow majority, 52 percent of the tract’s population has one to two health risk factors.

Statewide information

This information can be used by counties and municipalities to prepare for health disasters, taking the data they can begin to prepare for diseases like COVID-19. It allows for emergency managers to target their response to areas that may be more badly hurt by a surge of infections of any disease, according to the Census Bureau.

Across New Mexico, 20 percent of the state has zero health risk factors; 30 percent of the state has three or more health risk factors; 50 percent of the state population has two or more health risk factors.

What does this information mean?

As a whole, 13 percent of residents in Cibola County have zero health risk factors.

Just shy of a third, 32 percent of the county’s population has three or more health risk factors.

The majority of the county, 55 percent of the population, has one to two health risk factors.

As COVID-19 continues to surge across the county, information like this allows the county government, the City of Grants and Village of Milan governments the ability to target a health response in the event of a health crisis.