Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Scooterboss assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Avila Beach is healthier than 29%
Avila Beach differs from California on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 18 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Avila Beach. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Avila Beach
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Avila Beach
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (14.1%), more than twice the California rate. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (30.9%), vs 20.8% across California. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.5%, vs 5.6% across California. In all, Avila Beach runs above California on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 35% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Avila Beach’s lead shrinks
Avila Beach is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns, but 29% of the 742 towns with similar household incomes ($164K–$273K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Avila Beach is an active town
Only 15.2% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. The town has 18 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Avila Beach keeps up with checkups
It beats California on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (79.8% vs 71.9%) and dentist visits (77.9% vs 62.8%). 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 Avila Beach’s likely range.
What’s behind Avila Beach’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Avila Beach is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is smoking (fewer adults who smoke than almost every town); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 75%.
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). Avila Beach’s median household income is $218,259; among the 742 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($164K–$273K), it’s healthier than 29%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Avila Beach adults…
Avila Beach runs below CA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Avila Beach is an older town: 35% 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 Avila Beach as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
18 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Avila Beach adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Care in and near Avila Beach
No hospital or community health center in Avila Beach 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 Avila Beach; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Avila Beach adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Avila Beach does better than California.
3 in 10 Avila Beach 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.
4.7% of Avila Beach adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Avila Beach 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avila Beach | A+ | 23.2% | 10.4% | 6.4% | 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 Avila Beach adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Avila Beach
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Avila Beach is better than California on 18 and worse on 5; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Avila Beach’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Avila Beach | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.2%11.8–16.8 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.6%9.9–13.4 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.7%10.2–13.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 23.2%18.5–28.5 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.4%8.9–12.1 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.7%33.8–41.9 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.6%36.4–44.8 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 30.9%27.5–34.6 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.4%8.3–10.6 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 14.1%12.8–15.5 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.5%6.6–8.6 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 5.4%4.4–6.6 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.6%3.1–4.1 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 5.2%4.1–6.6 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 6.4%5–8.1 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 15.2%12.3–18.8 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 13.2%10.9–15.7 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 26.3%21.4–31.5 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.5%2.8–4.3 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.8%76.8–82.7 | 71.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 77.9%75.1–80.6 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.9%91.9–93.9 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.5%76.1–82.4 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.2%68.5–77.4 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80%73.4–85.6 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.1%17.2–23.2 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.2%23.9–32.9 | 37.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.4%15.5–21.8 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.5%4.3–7 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 4.9%3.9–6 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 2.9%2.4–3.5 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.8%3.2–4.6 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.7%3.6–6.3 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.9%22.1–30.2 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.6%10.5–15 | 13.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 8.9%7.6–10.4 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.9%6.9–9 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.3%2.9–3.9 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.6%4.7–6.7 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.7%2.3–3.2 | 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 Avila Beach
Is Avila Beach a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Avila Beach is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns: A+ for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Avila Beach?
CDC estimates 23.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 18.5% and 28.5%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Avila Beach?
French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, 6.8 miles in a straight line from Avila Beach’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Avila Beach have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 2.8–4.3%), 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 Avila Beach 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 Avila Beach.
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.