Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Desert Hills is healthier than 92%
Desert Hills differs from Arizona on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Desert Hills. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Desert Hills
Cancer, heart disease and COPD run high in Desert Hills
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (14.4%), vs 8.8% across Arizona. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.5%), vs 6.4% across Arizona. COPD is also above the state: 9.4%, vs 6.6% across Arizona. In all, Desert Hills runs above Arizona on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 49% of residents are 65 or older (Arizona 19%), and cancer, heart disease and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Desert Hills is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Desert Hills is healthier than 70%. Against the 9,495 towns with similar household incomes ($47K–$78K), it’s healthier than 92%. Health Grade ↓
More high blood pressure in Desert Hills, and more people treating it
42.4% of adults have high blood pressure (Arizona 32.8%), but 80.9% of them take medicine for it, vs 73.9% statewide. Checkups ↓
Desert Hills keeps up with checkups
It beats Arizona on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (78.3% vs 73.9%) and cholesterol checks (90.6% vs 85.1%). Checkups ↓
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 Desert Hills’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Desert Hills’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Desert Hills is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns, #53 of 140 in Arizona. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 97% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 39%).
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). Desert Hills’ median household income is $62,361; among the 9,495 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($47K–$78K), it’s healthier than 92%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Desert Hills adults…
Desert Hills runs below AZ on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.
Desert Hills is an older town: 49% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Arizona. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Desert Hills as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Desert Hills adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arizona.
Care in and near Desert Hills
No hospital or community health center in Desert Hills 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 Desert Hills; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Arizona
Share of adults, with the Arizona figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
How Desert Hills adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Desert Hills does better than Arizona.
1 in 4 Desert Hills 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
6.2% of Desert Hills adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.1% across Arizona.
Desert Hills and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Hills | B+ | 29.1% | 12.8% | 12.1% | CDC place |
| Lake Havasu City | B− | 31.3% | 13.2% | 14.4% | CDC place |
| Crystal Beach | — | — | — | — |
Crystal Beach: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Desert Hills adults live with a disability (Arizona 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Desert Hills
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Desert Hills is better than Arizona on 12 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Arizona figure falls inside Desert Hills’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Desert Hills | AZ | U.S. | vs AZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18%14.8–21.8 | 19.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.3–16.8 | 13% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.4%10.8–14.1 | 15.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29.1%24.6–33.7 | 31.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.8%10.9–14.7 | 11.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 42.4%38.6–46 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 44.1%40.3–47.8 | 37.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.5%31.2–37.8 | 25.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.4%9.2–11.6 | 10.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 14.4%13–15.9 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.5%8.1–10.9 | 6.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.4%7.5–11.4 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.7%4–5.4 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.8%7.3–10.6 | 14.7% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.1%9.5–15 | 11.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24.1%19.7–28.6 | 21.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.5%11.3–15.9 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36%31.5–40.3 | 35.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.7%6.9–10.9 | 13.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.3%75.3–81.1 | 73.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.1%58.7–65.2 | 59.9% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.6%89.3–92 | 85.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.9%77.9–83.6 | 73.9% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.6%63.1–71.6 | 60.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 68%61–74.2 | 72.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.4%15–20 | 19.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.3%23.4–31.3 | 32% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.1%21.5–29 | 25.7% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.3%7.4–11.5 | 15.8% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7%5.8–8.4 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.4%3.7–5.2 | 7.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.3%4.5–6.2 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.2%4.8–7.9 | 11.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.8%29–38.6 | 31.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.3%14.3–20.5 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.4%9.6–13.4 | 14.2% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.1%9.7–12.6 | 8.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5%4.2–6 | 5.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.3%6–8.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.3–4.7 | 3.7% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Desert Hills
Is Desert Hills a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Desert Hills is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #53 of 140 in Arizona. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Desert Hills?
CDC estimates 29.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.6% and 33.7%, against 31.3% across Arizona and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Desert Hills?
Havasu Regional Medical Center in Lake Havasu City, 5.1 miles in a straight line from Desert Hills’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Desert Hills have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.9–10.9%), 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 Desert Hills more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Desert Hills.
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.