Photo: Seauton · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Descanso is healthier than 46%
Descanso differs from California on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 10 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Descanso. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Descanso
Cancer, COPD and arthritis run high in Descanso
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (10.8%), vs 6.4% across California. 1 in 14 adults have COPD (7.1%), vs 5.1% across California. Arthritis is also above the state: 27.9%, vs 20.8% across California. In all, Descanso runs above California on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 25% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and cancer, COPD and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Descanso keeps up with checkups
It beats California on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (76.2% vs 71.9%) and dentist visits (69.1% vs 62.8%). Checkups ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Descanso’s lead shrinks
Descanso is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns, but 46% of the 7,122 towns with similar household incomes ($83K–$138K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
The nearest ER is 23 miles from Descanso
The closest emergency room is Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, 23 miles away in a straight line. For everyday care, Centro De Salud De La Comunidad De San Ysidro is closer (9.1 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. Getting care ↓
Fewer Descanso adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below California. 1 in 9 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Descanso’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Descanso’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Descanso is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 92% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 49%).
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). Descanso’s median household income is $110,132; among the 7,122 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($83K–$138K), it’s healthier than 46%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Descanso adults…
Descanso runs above CA on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Descanso is an older town: 25% of residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Descanso as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Descanso adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Care in and near Descanso
No hospital or community health center in Descanso 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 Descanso; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
11.2% of Descanso 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.
18 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
How Descanso adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Descanso runs above California.
1 in 3 Descanso 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.
Descanso and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Descanso | B+ | 26.6% | 11.2% | 12.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Descanso adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Descanso
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Descanso is better than California on 10 and worse on 8; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Descanso’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Descanso | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.3%16.5–22.3 | 22.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.2%12.4–16.1 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%14.8–18.7 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 26.6%23.2–30.3 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.2%9.7–12.8 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.2%32.4–38.2 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39%36.1–42.1 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 27.9%25.3–30.5 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10%8.9–11.2 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.8%9.8–11.9 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.1%6.2–8.1 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.1%5.9–8.5 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.2–4.2 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10%8–12.1 | 10.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.2%9.9–14.7 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20.1%17–23.4 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16%14–18.3 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.4%29.1–35.8 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.1%4.9–7.5 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.2%73.7–78.8 | 71.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.1%66.3–71.6 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89%87.5–90.5 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73.6%70.5–76.7 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.2%65.3–72.7 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.4%74–84 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.6%21.1–26.4 | 20.1% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 34%30.5–37.8 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.4%23.2–29.8 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.3%9.2–13.5 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.1%8.5–11.8 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.1%4.3–5.9 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.6%5.6–7.6 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.2%9.1–13.7 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.6%26.1–33.4 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.7%12.5–17.1 | 13.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.7%11.9–15.7 | 14.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.1%6.2–8.1 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.5%3.9–5.2 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.9%6.8–9.2 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.2–4.4 | 3.9% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Descanso
Is Descanso a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Descanso is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ 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 Descanso?
CDC estimates 26.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.2% and 30.3%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Descanso?
Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, 23.0 miles in a straight line from Descanso’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Descanso have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.9–7.5%), 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 Descanso more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Descanso.
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.