Photo: Prg · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Aptos is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns
Aptos differs from California on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Aptos. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Aptos
Cancer and arthritis run high in Aptos
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (10.6%), vs 6.4% across California. 1 in 4 adults have arthritis (25.1%), vs 20.8% across California. Age is part of it: 25% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Aptos is an active town
Only 16.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. The town has 13 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Aptos keeps up with checkups
It beats California on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (74.5% vs 62.8%) and cholesterol checks (90.4% vs 85.4%). 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 California figure falls outside Aptos’ likely range.
What’s behind Aptos’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Aptos is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns, #114 of 847 in California. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 96% of towns); the weakest is fair or poor health, still better than 81%.
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). Aptos’ median household income is $134,048; among the 4,147 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($101K–$168K), it’s healthier than 79%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Aptos adults…
Aptos runs below CA on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Aptos is an older town: 25% of residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Aptos as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
13 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Aptos adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Care in and near Aptos
No hospital or community health center in Aptos 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 Aptos; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Aptos adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Aptos does better than California.
1 in 3 Aptos 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.
6.5% of Aptos adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Aptos and the towns around it
Aptos’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aptos | A | 24.2% | 9.8% | 8.2% | CDC place |
| Day Valley | A | 24.4% | 10.4% | 8.6% | CDC place |
| Soquel | A | 25% | 9.7% | 9.3% | CDC place |
| Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley | A− | 25.9% | 11% | 10.2% | CDC place |
| Rio del Mar | A | 23.8% | 9.9% | 7.5% | CDC place |
| Seacliff | A | 25.6% | 9.8% | 9.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Aptos adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Aptos
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Aptos is better than California on 17 and worse on 2; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Aptos’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Aptos | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.5%13.3–17.8 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.8%10.3–13.4 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.6–16.2 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 24.2%18.9–29.8 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.8%8.4–11.2 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 32.9%29.1–36.8 | 30.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.9%33.8–42.1 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 25.1%22.1–28.3 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.8%8.7–11 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.6%9.7–11.7 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.1%5.4–6.9 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.1%4.3–5.9 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.1%2.8–3.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 5%4–6.3 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.2%6.9–9.9 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16.3%13.3–19.5 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.8%13.9–19.8 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.5%24.3–35.2 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.6%3.9–5.5 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.5%71.8–78.8 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 74.5%71.5–77.4 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.4%89.1–91.6 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.7%72.3–78.8 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.1%66.5–75.4 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.1%73.4–85.6 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.2%19–25.5 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.5%27.1–36.5 | 37.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.5%17.5–23.7 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.6%6.3–9.1 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.2%6.1–8.5 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.1%3.5–4.8 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.1%4.4–5.8 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.5%5.4–7.8 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.6%22–29.2 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.9%10.2–13.8 | 13.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.7%9.3–12.1 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.4%5.6–7.2 | 5.9% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.4%3.1–3.8 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.1%5.4–6.9 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.5–3.2 | 3.9% | 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 California figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Aptos
Is Aptos a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Aptos is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns: A for health, #114 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 79%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Aptos?
CDC estimates 24.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 18.9% and 29.8%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Aptos?
Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, 5.0 miles in a straight line from Aptos’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Aptos have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.9–5.5%), against 10.6% across California.
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 Aptos 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 Aptos.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The California 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.