Photo: Mark Wagner · CC BY 2.5Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Sun City West is healthier than 92%
Sun City West differs from Arizona on 29 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 21 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Sun City West. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Sun City West
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Sun City West
1 in 4 adults have had cancer (23.4%), more than twice the Arizona rate. 1 in 7 adults have heart disease (13.8%), about twice the Arizona rate. Arthritis is also above the state: 48.4%, vs 25.2% across Arizona. In all, Sun City West runs above Arizona on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 85% of residents are 65 or older (Arizona 19%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Sun City West, and more people treating it
53.8% of adults have high blood pressure (Arizona 32.8%), but 88.9% of them take medicine for it, vs 73.9% statewide. Checkups ↓
Sun City West is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Sun City West is healthier than 70%. Against the 9,680 towns with similar household incomes ($48K–$80K), it’s healthier than 92%. Health Grade ↓
Sun City West keeps up with checkups
It beats Arizona on five of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (89.4% vs 73.9%) and dentist visits (69.1% 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 Sun City West’s likely range.
What’s behind Sun City West’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sun City West is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns, #50 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 7%).
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). Sun City West’s median household income is $63,685; among the 9,680 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($48K–$80K), it’s healthier than 92%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Sun City West adults…
Sun City West runs below AZ on 4 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
Sun City West is an older town: 85% 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 Sun City West as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Sun City West adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arizona.
Care in and near Sun City West
1 hospital in Sun City West, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Sun City West; ≈ 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.
How Sun City West adults are doing
On 4 of 4 measures, Sun City West does better than Arizona.
1 in 4 Sun City West 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.
4.2% of Sun City West adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.1% across Arizona.
Sun City West 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun City West | B+ | 24.7% | 16.7% | 6.9% | CDC place |
| Surprise | A− | 29.4% | 11.2% | 10.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Sun City West adults live with a disability (Arizona 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Sun City West
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sun City West is better than Arizona on 21 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Arizona figure falls inside Sun City West’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Sun City West | AZ | U.S. | vs AZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.2%16.8–21.5 | 19.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%12.9–16.1 | 13% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 8.2%7.2–9.1 | 15.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 24.7%21.6–27.7 | 31.3% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 16.7%14.9–18.4 | 11.3% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 53.8%50.7–56.7 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 54.3%51.2–57.3 | 37.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 48.4%45.2–51.2 | 25.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.1%8.2–10.1 | 10.4% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 23.4%21.7–25.2 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 13.8%12.4–15.2 | 6.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.5%9.1–12 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 6.5%5.8–7.1 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.2%7.8–10.8 | 14.7% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 6.9%5.8–8 | 11.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 22.8%19.7–25.8 | 21.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 5.8%5.1–6.6 | 15.3% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 25.7%23–28.8 | 35.2% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.9%4.1–5.9 | 13.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 89.4%88.1–90.6 | 73.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.1%66.6–71.5 | 59.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 96.8%96.4–97.2 | 85.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 88.9%87.1–90.6 | 73.9% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 77.2%74.3–79.9 | 60.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.1%73.7–82.1 | 72.7% | 76.4% | Better |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 14%12.4–15.6 | 19.5% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 25%22.5–27.6 | 32% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.5%16.4–20.6 | 25.7% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.8%4.9–6.9 | 15.8% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 3%2.5–3.4 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 1.9%1.7–2.2 | 7.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.5%3–3.9 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.2%3.4–5 | 11.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 40.1%36.7–43.4 | 31.5% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 22.6%20–25.1 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 8.7%7.6–9.9 | 14.2% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 17.3%15.6–18.9 | 8.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.5%4.9–6.3 | 5.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.7%6.7–8.9 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.1%3.6–4.7 | 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 Sun City West
Is Sun City West a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sun City West is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns: B+ for health, #50 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 Sun City West?
CDC estimates 24.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 21.6% and 27.7%, against 31.3% across Arizona and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Sun City West?
Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City West, 1.2 miles in a straight line from Sun City West’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Sun City West have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.1–5.9%), 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 Sun City West more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Sun City West.
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.