Photo: Allie_Caulfield · CC BY 2.0On CDC estimates, Arroyo Grande is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns
Arroyo Grande differs from California on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Arroyo Grande. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Arroyo Grande
Cancer and arthritis run high in Arroyo Grande
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.4%), vs 6.4% across California. 1 in 4 adults have arthritis (26.5%), vs 20.8% across California. In all, Arroyo Grande runs above California on three of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Arroyo Grande keeps up with checkups
It beats California on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (70% vs 62.8%) and cholesterol checks (89.1% vs 85.4%). Checkups ↓
Arroyo Grande is an active town
Only 18.8% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. Habits ↓
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 Arroyo Grande’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Arroyo Grande’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Arroyo Grande is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns, #186 of 847 in California. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 95% of towns); the weakest is fair or poor health, still better than 69%.
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). Arroyo Grande’s median household income is $102,553; among the 8,202 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($77K–$128K), it’s healthier than 83%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Arroyo Grande adults…
Arroyo Grande runs below CA on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Arroyo Grande is an older town: 27% of residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. Heart disease, arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Arroyo Grande as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Arroyo Grande adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
7.2 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves
Care in and near Arroyo Grande
1 community health center in Arroyo Grande, 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 Arroyo Grande; ≈ 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).
How Arroyo Grande adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Arroyo Grande does better than California.
1 in 3 Arroyo Grande 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.
9% of Arroyo Grande adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Arroyo Grande and the towns around it
Arroyo Grande’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arroyo Grande | A | 25.5% | 10% | 9.6% | CDC place |
| Grover Beach | B− | 29.1% | 11.3% | 13.8% | CDC place |
| Oceano | C+ | 30.9% | 12.4% | 14.1% | CDC place |
| Pismo Beach | A | 25.1% | 10.8% | 8.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Arroyo Grande adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Arroyo Grande
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Arroyo Grande is better than California on 13 and worse on 3; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Arroyo Grande’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Arroyo Grande | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.2%15–19.6 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.8%11.3–14.5 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.2%13.4–17 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.5%20.5–31 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10%8.6–11.5 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 33.5%29.9–37.2 | 30.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.1%32.3–40.1 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 26.5%23.6–29.6 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10%8.8–11.2 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.4%9.5–11.4 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.5%5.8–7.3 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 5.7%4.9–6.5 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.4%3.1–3.7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.9%6.3–9.8 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.6%8–11.2 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 18.8%15.6–22.1 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.5%12.9–18.3 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.5%25.1–36.3 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.2%5.2–7.4 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.7%71.2–78 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70%66.7–73.2 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.1%87.7–90.4 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.4%71.1–77.4 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67%62.1–71.5 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.5%70.3–83.6 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.2%19.1–25.4 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.6%28.2–37.4 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.1%20–26.5 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.1%8.5–11.8 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.9%7.6–10.4 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.9%4.2–5.7 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.1%5.3–6.9 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9%7.5–10.5 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.1%24.5–31.8 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.2%11.4–15 | 13.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.3%10.9–13.9 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.1%6.2–7.9 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.1%3.7–4.6 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.1%6.2–7.9 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.2%2.9–3.6 | 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 Arroyo Grande
Is Arroyo Grande a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Arroyo Grande is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns: A for health, #186 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 83%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Arroyo Grande?
CDC estimates 25.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.5% and 31%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Arroyo Grande?
French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, 11.3 miles in a straight line from Arroyo Grande’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Arroyo Grande have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.2–7.4%), 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 Arroyo Grande 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 Arroyo Grande.
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.