Photo: Jonnyboyca at English Wikipedia · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Brea is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns
Brea beats California on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Brea. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Brea
Against towns with similar incomes, Brea’s lead shrinks
Brea is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, but 63% of the 4,417 towns with similar household incomes ($98K–$164K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Brea keeps up with checkups
It beats California on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (68.4% vs 62.8%) and cholesterol checks (88.5% vs 85.4%). Checkups ↓
Fewer Brea adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below California. 1 in 8 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Obesity and COPD are less common in Brea
Brea runs below California on obesity (22.3% vs 27.8%), COPD (4.1% vs 5.1%) and stroke (2.6% vs 3.1%). Conditions ↓
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 Brea’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Brea’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brea is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, #165 of 847 in California. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 98% of towns); the weakest is fair or poor health, still better than 65%.
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). Brea’s median household income is $131,129; among the 4,417 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($98K–$164K), it’s healthier than 63%, about where its income would put it.
Keeping up with care
Share of Brea adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.2% of Brea adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Out of every 100 Brea adults…
Brea runs below CA on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Brea
No hospital or community health center in Brea 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 Brea; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
22 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves
How Brea adults are doing
About the same as California on each measure.
1 in 3 Brea 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.
Brea and the towns around it
Brea’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brea | A | 22.3% | 10.3% | 8% | CDC place |
| Yorba Linda | A | 21.9% | 10.4% | 7.4% | CDC place |
| Fullerton | B+ | 23.9% | 10.9% | 9.2% | CDC place |
| La Habra | B | 26.5% | 11.7% | 9.4% | CDC place |
| Placentia | A− | 24.2% | 10.9% | 8.8% | CDC place |
| Rowland Heights | B+ | 18.8% | 14.4% | 9.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Brea adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Brea
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Brea is better than California on 20 and worse on 0; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Brea’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Brea | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.7%15.8–19.6 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.3%10.1–12.6 | 13.4% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13.6–16.8 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 22.3%19.2–25.8 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 10.3%9.1–11.6 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 27.7%25.2–30.3 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.1%33.2–39.1 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 18.6%16.7–20.5 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 8.9%7.9–9.9 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.1%6.4–7.7 | 6.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5%4.5–5.5 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.1%3.6–4.6 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.6%2.4–2.8 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7%5.6–8.5 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8%6.9–9.2 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 21.1%18.5–23.8 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.1%12.9–17.3 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.2%30.6–38 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.9%6–7.9 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.2%71.3–76.9 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 68.4%65.7–71.1 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.5%87.2–89.8 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73.4%70.3–76.2 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62%57.9–65.8 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.8%74.1–84.6 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.7%16.4–21.1 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.9%30.3–37.5 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.8%23.8–29.8 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.9%10.4–13.7 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.3%8.9–11.7 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5%4.4–5.7 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.5%5.7–7.3 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.2%8–10.5 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25%22.5–27.7 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.1%9.9–12.4 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.6%10.4–12.9 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.2%4.6–5.8 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4%3.7–4.4 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.2%5.6–6.8 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.6–3 | 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 Brea
Is Brea a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brea is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns: A for health, #165 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 63%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Brea?
CDC estimates 22.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 19.2% and 25.8%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Brea?
Providence St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, 4.2 miles in a straight line from Brea’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Brea have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6–7.9%), 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 Brea 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 Brea.
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.