Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Cave Creek is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns
Cave Creek differs from Arizona on 26 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 21 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Cave Creek. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Cave Creek
Cancer, arthritis and high cholesterol run high in Cave Creek
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (14.9%), vs 8.8% across Arizona. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (33.9%), vs 25.2% across Arizona. High cholesterol is also above the state: 45.8%, vs 37.3% across Arizona. In all, Cave Creek runs above Arizona on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 41% of residents are 65 or older (Arizona 19%), and cancer, arthritis and high cholesterol are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Cave Creek keeps up with checkups
It beats Arizona on five of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (81.2% vs 73.9%) and dentist visits (69.1% vs 59.9%). Checkups ↓
Cave Creek adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (26.3% vs 32%), frequent mental distress (11.2% vs 15.4%), lack of emotional support (19.6% vs 25.7%) and depression (17.4% vs 19.5%) all run below Arizona. Mind & connection ↓
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 Arizona figure falls outside Cave Creek’s likely range.
What’s behind Cave Creek’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cave Creek is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns, #20 of 140 in Arizona. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than almost every town); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 51%.
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). Cave Creek’s median household income is $107,067; among the 7,608 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($80K–$134K), it’s healthier than 89%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Cave Creek adults…
Cave Creek runs below AZ on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Cave Creek is an older town: 41% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Arizona. Heart disease, arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Cave Creek as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Cave Creek adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arizona.
How Cave Creek adults are doing
On 4 of 4 measures, Cave Creek does better than Arizona.
1 in 4 Cave Creek adults feel lonely. 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.
Care in and near Cave Creek
No hospital or community health center in Cave Creek itself. These are the nearest.
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 Cave Creek; ≈ 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 Arizona
Share of adults, with the Arizona figure marked.
78 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
4.5% of Cave Creek adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.1% across Arizona.
Cave Creek and the towns around it
Cave Creek’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cave Creek | A | 27.5% | 12% | 8.4% | CDC place |
| Carefree | A | 26% | 12.6% | 6.5% | CDC place |
| Phoenix | B+ | 32.3% | 10.8% | 12.2% | CDC place |
| New River | A | 29.4% | 10.5% | 10.9% | CDC place |
| Scottsdale | A+ | 26.2% | 9.4% | 7.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Cave Creek adults live with a disability (Arizona 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Cave Creek
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cave Creek is better than Arizona on 21 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Arizona figure falls inside Cave Creek’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Cave Creek | AZ | U.S. | vs AZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.6%12.6–16.8 | 19.5% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.7%10.3–13.2 | 13% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.2%10–12.6 | 15.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 27.5%24.3–31.4 | 31.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12%10.6–13.5 | 11.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 39.2%36.4–42.1 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 45.8%43–48.6 | 37.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 33.9%31.3–36.6 | 25.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.8%8.9–10.9 | 10.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 14.9%13.6–16.1 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.8%6.9–8.8 | 6.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.8%5.6–8 | 6.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.3–4.2 | 3.4% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.1%5.9–8.4 | 14.7% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.4%6.7–10.2 | 11.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16.6%14.1–19.3 | 21.9% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 12.8%11.3–14.3 | 15.3% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30%27–33.3 | 35.2% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.4%4.4–6.4 | 13.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.2%79.2–83.2 | 73.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.1%66.6–71.4 | 59.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.9%91.9–93.7 | 85.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.5%79.3–83.7 | 73.9% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71%67.9–74.1 | 60.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.1%76.1–83.9 | 72.7% | 76.4% | Better |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.4%15.5–19.4 | 19.5% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 26.3%23.8–29.1 | 32% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.6%17.4–22.1 | 25.7% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 6.7%5.5–8.1 | 15.8% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5%4.2–5.9 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.1%2.6–3.7 | 7.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.2%3.6–4.9 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.5%3.5–5.7 | 11.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.8%24.8–31 | 31.5% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.7%11.7–15.7 | 13.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.4%8.2–10.8 | 14.2% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.4%8.4–10.5 | 8.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.8%3.3–4.3 | 5.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.6%4.8–6.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3%2.6–3.5 | 3.7% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Arizona figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Cave Creek
Is Cave Creek a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cave Creek is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns: A for health, #20 of 140 in Arizona. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 89%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Cave Creek?
CDC estimates 27.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.3% and 31.4%, against 31.3% across Arizona and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Cave Creek?
Honorhealth Sonoran Crossing Medical Center in Phoenix, 9.1 miles in a straight line from Cave Creek’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Cave Creek have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.4–6.4%), against 13.2% across Arizona.
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 Cave Creek more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A− to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Cave Creek.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Arizona 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.