On CDC estimates, Cathedral City is healthier than 32% of U.S. towns
Cathedral City trails California on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Cathedral City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Cathedral City
Obesity, heart disease and arthritis run high in Cathedral City
2 in 5 adults have obesity (37.8%), vs 27.8% across California. 1 in 14 adults have heart disease (7.2%), vs 5.6% across California. Arthritis is also above the state: 26.4%, vs 20.8% across California. In all, Cathedral City runs above California on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Cathedral City
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (23%), vs 17.9% across California. Utility shut-off threats (9.4% vs 7.3%) and housing insecurity (19% vs 14.9%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
More Cathedral City adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (29.9%), vs 24.6% across California. There are 20 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. 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 Cathedral City’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Cathedral City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cathedral City is healthier than 32% of U.S. towns, #644 of 847 in California. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 74% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 10%).
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). Cathedral City’s median household income is $73,572; among the 10,787 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$92K), it’s healthier than 31%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Cathedral City adults…
Cathedral City runs above CA on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
19.4% of Cathedral City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
20 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves
Care in and near Cathedral City
1 community health center in Cathedral City, 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 Cathedral City; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Cathedral City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
How Cathedral City adults are doing
About the same as California on each measure.
1 in 3 Cathedral City 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.
Cathedral City and the towns around it
Cathedral City’s Health Grade ranks 3rd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cathedral City | C | 37.8% | 14.2% | 12.1% | CDC place |
| Rancho Mirage | B | 31.9% | 15.4% | 9.1% | CDC place |
| Palm Springs | B− | 35.5% | 14.9% | 10.7% | CDC place |
| Thousand Palms | C− | 39.8% | 16.3% | 13.2% | CDC place |
| Garnet | D | 42.4% | 14.8% | 14.7% | CDC place |
| Desert Hot Springs | D | 41.2% | 13.7% | 14.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Cathedral City adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Cathedral City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cathedral City is better than California on 0 and worse on 18; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Cathedral City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Cathedral City | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27.3%25–30 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.1%14.6–17.9 | 13.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.6%15–18.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.8%33.8–42 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 14.2%12.7–15.9 | 11.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 36.3%33.6–39.3 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.5%36.4–42.5 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 26.4%24.2–28.8 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.3%8.3–10.4 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.4%6.7–8.1 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.2%6.6–8 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.2%5.6–6.9 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.5–4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.6%10.4–15.2 | 10.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.1%10.6–13.8 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 29.9%26.8–33.3 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13.4%11.5–15.6 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.3%34.2–42.6 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 15.5%13.7–17.4 | 10.6% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.8%69.9–75.8 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 58.1%55–61.2 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.3%83.6–86.9 | 85.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73%70.2–75.7 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 60%55.7–64.1 | 57.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.2%72.4–83.4 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.1%18.7–23.7 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35.7%32.2–39.3 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.5%24.7–30.6 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 23%20.7–25.4 | 17.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 19%17–21.1 | 14.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.4%8.3–10.6 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.3%10.1–12.5 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 19.4%17.3–21.4 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.4%34.3–40.8 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.3%16.6–20.3 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.5%14.9–18.3 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.6%6.8–8.4 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7.4%6.8–8 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.7%8.8–10.7 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5%4.6–5.4 | 3.9% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Cathedral City
Is Cathedral City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cathedral City is healthier than 32% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #644 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 31%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Cathedral City?
CDC estimates 37.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.8% and 42%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Cathedral City?
Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, 4.7 miles in a straight line from Cathedral City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Cathedral City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 15.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 13.7–17.4%), 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 Cathedral City more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Cathedral City.
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.