Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Gold Canyon is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns
Gold Canyon differs from Arizona on 26 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Gold Canyon. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Gold Canyon
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Gold Canyon
1 in 6 adults have had cancer (17.8%), about twice the Arizona rate. 2 in 5 adults have arthritis (42.1%), vs 25.2% across Arizona. Heart disease is also above the state: 10.3%, vs 6.4% across Arizona. In all, Gold Canyon runs above Arizona on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 54% of residents are 65 or older (Arizona 19%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Gold Canyon, and more people treating it
47.8% of adults have high blood pressure (Arizona 32.8%), but 85.8% of them take medicine for it, vs 73.9% statewide. Checkups ↓
Gold Canyon keeps up with checkups
It beats Arizona on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (85.2% vs 73.9%) and dentist visits (70.2% vs 59.9%). 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 Gold Canyon’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A−.
What’s behind Gold Canyon’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Gold Canyon is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns, #65 of 140 in Arizona. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than almost every U.S. town); diabetes pulls it down (better than 13%).
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). Gold Canyon’s median household income is $93,377; among the 9,533 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($70K–$117K), it’s healthier than 56%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Gold Canyon adults…
Gold Canyon runs below AZ on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
Gold Canyon is an older town: 54% 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 Gold Canyon as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Gold Canyon adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arizona.
Care in and near Gold Canyon
No hospital or community health center in Gold Canyon 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 Gold Canyon; ≈ 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.
103 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
How Gold Canyon adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Gold Canyon does better than Arizona.
1 in 4 Gold Canyon 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.
5.1% of Gold Canyon adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.1% across Arizona.
Gold Canyon and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Canyon | B | 33.8% | 15.4% | 9% | CDC place |
| Apache Junction | C | 37.7% | 15.1% | 13.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Gold Canyon adults live with a disability (Arizona 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Gold Canyon
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Gold Canyon is better than Arizona on 17 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Arizona figure falls inside Gold Canyon’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Gold Canyon | AZ | U.S. | vs AZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.8%16.1–22.1 | 19.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13.2–17.3 | 13% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.3%9.9–12.8 | 15.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.8%29.2–38.3 | 31.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15.4%13.3–17.5 | 11.3% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 47.8%44.2–51.3 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 51.6%48–55.1 | 37.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 42.1%38.6–45.4 | 25.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.5%9.3–11.7 | 10.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 17.8%16.3–19.4 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 10.3%9.1–11.7 | 6.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.5%7.9–11.3 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5%4.4–5.7 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.5%7–10.4 | 14.7% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9%7.3–10.9 | 11.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 22.1%18.7–26.1 | 21.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 9.7%8.2–11.4 | 15.3% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.9%27.3–34.9 | 35.2% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.1%5–7.3 | 13.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 85.2%83.1–87.2 | 73.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.2%67.5–73 | 59.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 93.7%92.8–94.5 | 85.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 85.8%83.3–88 | 73.9% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 75.4%71.9–78.8 | 60.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.5%66.4–78.1 | 72.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.8%15.5–20.2 | 19.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 26.6%23.5–30.1 | 32% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.3%16.7–22.3 | 25.7% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.8%6.4–9.6 | 15.8% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.1%4.3–6.1 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.8%3.2–4.4 | 7.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.4%3.7–5.1 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.1%4–6.5 | 11.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.5%30.6–38.8 | 31.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.1%15.5–21.1 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.6%9.1–12.3 | 14.2% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 12.6%11.1–14.1 | 8.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.6%4–5.4 | 5.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7%6–8.2 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.2–4.4 | 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 Gold Canyon
Is Gold Canyon a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Gold Canyon is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #65 of 140 in Arizona. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 56%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Gold Canyon?
CDC estimates 33.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.2% and 38.3%, against 31.3% across Arizona and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Gold Canyon?
Banner Goldfield Medical Center in Apache Junction, 8.5 miles in a straight line from Gold Canyon’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Gold Canyon have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5–7.3%), 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 Gold Canyon 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 Gold Canyon.
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.