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A−Health Grade
Health in Bear Valley Springs · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Bear Valley Springs is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns

Bear Valley Springs differs from California on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 15 better, 6 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Bear Valley Springs. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Bear Valley Springs

Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Bear Valley Springs

1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.2%), about twice the California rate. 3 in 10 adults have arthritis (29.7%), vs 20.8% across California. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.2%, vs 5.6% across California. In all, Bear Valley Springs runs above California on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 32% 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, Bear Valley Springs’ lead shrinks

Bear Valley Springs is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns, but 64% of the 5,682 towns with similar household incomes ($90K–$151K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓

More high blood pressure in Bear Valley Springs, and more people treating it

36.7% of adults have high blood pressure (California 30.5%), but 77.5% of them take medicine for it, vs 71.3% statewide. Checkups ↓

Bear Valley Springs keeps up with checkups

It beats California on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (79.3% vs 71.9%) and dentist visits (73.8% 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 Bear Valley Springs’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Bear Valley Springs’ grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bear Valley Springs is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns, #211 of 847 in California. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is smoking (fewer adults who smoke than 91% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 62%.

A−Self-rated health16.4% · CA 22.1% · U.S. 19.4%
B+Physical distress12.9% · CA 13.4% · U.S. 13%
A−Mental distress14.6% · CA 16.4% · U.S. 15.9%
AObesity28.6% · CA 27.8% · U.S. 32.9%
BDiabetes11.3% · CA 11.7% · U.S. 12%
ASmoking9.2% smoke · CA 10.9% · U.S. 11.8%
AExercise19.1% · CA 24.6% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 84%
Less healthyHealthier
California towns we grade (847)Healthier than 75%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $90K–$151K (5,682)Healthier than 64%

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). Bear Valley Springs’ median household income is $120,481; among the 5,682 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($90K–$151K), it’s healthier than 64%, about where its income would put it.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Bear Valley Springs could be anywhere from B to A+.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Bear Valley Springs adults…

Bear Valley Springs runs below CA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 6. Tap one to see it as people.

12 of every 100 Bear Valley Springs adults have had cancer
California: 6 in 100 · worse · likely 11–13.4%
Better than CAWorseAbout the sameCalifornia
Why age matters here

Bear Valley Springs is an older town: 32% of residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Bear Valley Springs as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Bear Valley Springs32%
California16%
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Bear Valley Springs adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.

79%Yearly checkupCA 72%
74%Dentist visitCA 63%
92%Cholesterol checkCA 85%
73%Colon screeningCA 58%
79%MammogramCA 76%
78%Taking BP medsCA 71%
1 in 21
working-age adults has no health insurance
Bear Valley Springs 4.7% · California 1 in 9 (10.6%)
Getting care

Care in and near Bear Valley Springs

No hospital or community health center in Bear Valley Springs itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERAdventist Health Tehachapi ValleyTehachapi · 10.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyAdventist Health Tehachapi Valley★★★★★ · 10.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careClinica Sierra VistaArvin · 9.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.8 mi
Clinica Sierra Vista
4 sites · nearest in Arvin
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
10.8 mi
Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley
Tehachapi · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
12.6 mi
Omni Family Health
4 sites · nearest in Tehachapi
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
21.9 mi
Kern Medical Center
Bakersfield · ★★★★★
ER
24 mi
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
Bakersfield · ★★★★★
ER
24.2 mi
Adventist Health Bakersfield
Bakersfield · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary carePart of Bear Valley Springs is a federal shortage area.MSSA 62/Tehachapi · need score 15 of 25
! Dental carePart of Bear Valley Springs is a federal shortage area.MSSA 62-Tehachapi · need score 11 of 25
! Mental healthPart of Bear Valley Springs is a federal shortage area.HN - MSSA 62,63,64 - Tehachapi/Kernville/Ridgecrest · need score 17 of 25

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 Bear Valley Springs; ≈ 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with California

Share of adults, with the California figure marked.

Get no exercise 19.1%CA 24.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 31%CA 35.1%
Binge drink 15.5%CA 15.3%
Smoke cigarettes 9.2%CA 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Bear Valley Springs, betterBear Valley Springs, worseAbout the sameCalifornia
Where Bear Valley Springs gets moving

17 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Bear Valley Springs adults are doing

On 2 of 4 measures, Bear Valley Springs does better than California.

3 in 10Bear Valley Springs adults feel lonely
29.8% · CA 37.3% · Better than CA
1 in 5Bear Valley Springs adults lack social or emotional support
21.5% · CA 28.6% · Better than CA
1 in 5Bear Valley Springs adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.1% · CA 20.1% · About the same as CA
1 in 7Bear Valley Springs adults are in frequent mental distress
14.6% · CA 16.4% · About the same as CA
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Bear Valley Springs adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 13
Bear Valley Springs adults worry about having enough food
7.7% · CA 17.9%
Better than CA
1 in 14
Bear Valley Springs adults worry about keeping their housing
7% · CA 14.9%
Better than CA
1 in 25
Bear Valley Springs adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4% · CA 7.3%
Better than CA
1 in 20
Bear Valley Springs adults lack reliable transportation
4.9% · CA 9.3%
Better than CA

7.1% of Bear Valley Springs adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.

Around town

Bear Valley Springs and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Keene: 30%Tehachapi: 35.2%Golden Hills: 32.1%Bear Valley Springs: 28.6%Bear Valley SpringsKeeneTehachapiAdventist Health Tehachapi Valley · Tehachapi · 10.8 mi · 3★ MedicareHOmni Family Health · Tehachapi · 12.6 mi+
Healthier than CANear CALess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#1 of 4 towns on this map, healthiest first
Bear Valley Springs28.6%
Keene30%
Tehachapi35.2%
CA27.8%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Bear Valley SpringsA−28.6%11.3%9.2%CDC place
Keene————
TehachapiC+35.2%11.5%15.2%CDC place

Keene: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

29.2%

of Bear Valley Springs adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.3%
Thinking or memory11.2%
Hearing7.4%
Errands alone6.6%
Vision3.8%
Dressing or bathing3.2%
California

Every CDC estimate for Bear Valley Springs

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bear Valley Springs is better than California on 15 and worse on 6; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Bear Valley Springs’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Bear Valley SpringsCAU.S.vs CA
Overall health
Fair or poor health16.4%13.8–19.222.1%19.4%Better
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)12.9%11.1–14.713.4%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)14.6%12.7–16.416.4%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity28.6%23.7–33.727.8%32.9%About the same
Diabetes11.3%9.6–1311.7%12%About the same
High blood pressure36.7%32.8–40.730.5%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)39.7%35.6–43.735.4%37.1%Worse
Arthritis29.7%26.3–33.120.8%25.3%Worse
Asthma10.3%9–11.59.3%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer12.2%11–13.46.4%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease7.2%6.3–8.25.6%6.4%Worse
COPD6.2%5.1–7.45.1%6.3%About the same
Stroke3.6%3.2–43.1%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)5.9%4.7–7.310.6%12.3%Better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes9.2%7.4–11.210.9%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work19.1%15.7–22.724.6%24.7%Better
Binge drinking15.5%13–18.315.3%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours31%26.5–35.835.1%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)4.7%3.7–5.710.6%11%Better
Checkup in the past year79.3%76.3–82.171.9%77.4%Better
Dentist visit in the past year73.8%70.9–76.662.8%63.2%Better
Cholesterol check in 5 years91.6%90.3–92.885.4%87.1%Better
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)77.5%74.1–80.671.3%76.5%Better
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)73.1%68.9–7757.5%65.5%Better
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)79.1%72.7–84.575.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression22.1%19–25.320.1%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely29.8%25.7–34.437.3%32.5%Better
Lack social and emotional support21.5%18.4–24.928.6%23.6%Better
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food7.7%6.2–9.517.9%15%Better
Worried about keeping housing7%5.8–8.414.9%12%Better
Threatened with a utility shut-off4%3.3–4.77.3%7.6%Better
Lack reliable transportation4.9%4.2–5.89.3%7.9%Better
Received SNAP (food stamps)7.1%5.7–8.815.6%11.6%Lower
Disability
Any disability29.2%25.1–33.230.4%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs14.3%12–16.713.8%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering11.2%9.6–12.914.6%13.9%Lower
Hearing difficulty7.4%6.4–8.45.9%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty3.8%3.3–4.45.6%5.4%Lower
Difficulty doing errands alone6.6%5.6–7.68.1%7.9%Lower
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.2%2.7–3.73.9%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 Bear Valley Springs

Is Bear Valley Springs a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bear Valley Springs is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #211 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 64%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Bear Valley Springs?

CDC estimates 28.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.7% and 33.7%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Bear Valley Springs?

Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley in Tehachapi, 10.8 miles in a straight line from Bear Valley Springs’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

How many people in Bear Valley Springs have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 4.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.7–5.7%), 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 Bear Valley Springs 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 Bear Valley Springs.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.