Photo: Azusa Tarn · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Irvine as a whole is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns
Irvine beats California on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Irvine. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Irvine
COPD and heart disease are less common in Irvine
Irvine runs below California on eight chronic conditions, most of all COPD (3.1% vs 5.1%), heart disease (3.6% vs 5.6%) and stroke (2% vs 3.1%). A young population is part of it: only 11% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%). Conditions ↓
Few Irvine adults smoke
6.9% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 10.9% across California. Habits ↓
Irvine is an active town
Only 18.6% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. The town has 123 miles of trails across 215 parks and preserves. 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 Irvine’s likely range.
What’s behind Irvine’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Irvine is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns, #83 of 847 in California. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than almost every town); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 76%.
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). Irvine’s median household income is $136,719; among the 3,873 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($103K–$171K), it’s healthier than 86%, about where its income would put it.
At 318,764 residents, Irvine is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Out of every 100 Irvine adults…
Irvine runs below CA on 10 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 11% of Irvine residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
123 miles of trails across 215 parks and preserves
Care in and near Irvine
1 hospital and 3 community health centers in Irvine, 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 Irvine; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Irvine adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
How Irvine adults are doing
About the same as California on each measure.
1 in 3 Irvine 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.
8.7% of Irvine adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Irvine and the towns around it
Irvine’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irvine | A+ | 19.2% | 8.3% | 6.9% | CDC place |
| Tustin | A− | 24.3% | 10.4% | 9% | CDC place |
| Newport Beach | A+ | 22.1% | 9.2% | 6.6% | CDC place |
| Lake Forest | A | 23.5% | 9.9% | 8.5% | CDC place |
| Santa Ana | C+ | 29% | 13% | 11.6% | CDC place |
| Laguna Hills | A | 23.6% | 10.4% | 8.2% | CDC place |
| Laguna Woods | B | 19.3% | 18.4% | 5.8% | CDC place |
| Costa Mesa | A− | 25.7% | 9.3% | 9.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Irvine adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Irvine
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Irvine is better than California on 20 and worse on 0; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Irvine’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Irvine | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.8%13.2–16.4 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.3%8.3–10.3 | 13.4% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.4%13.8–17 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 19.2%16.4–22.3 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8.3%7.3–9.3 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 23.1%20.8–25.4 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.5%29.7–35.3 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 14.1%12.6–15.7 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 8.5%7.6–9.5 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.2%4.7–5.6 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.6%3.3–4 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.1%2.7–3.4 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2%1.8–2.1 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.2%5–7.5 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 6.9%6–7.9 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 18.6%16.3–21 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.2%13–17.4 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.3%30.7–38.1 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5%4.3–5.7 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.4%69.3–75.3 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 68.6%65.9–71.3 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86%84.5–87.4 | 85.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 68.5%65.4–71.3 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 58.4%54.3–62.4 | 57.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.8%74.2–84.5 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.4%16.2–20.7 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35.2%31.6–38.8 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.4%24.4–30.4 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.5%10–13.1 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.1%7.9–10.4 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.7%4.1–5.4 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.6%5.9–7.4 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.7%7.6–9.9 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 21.6%19.2–24 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8%7.1–8.9 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.2%10–12.4 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 3.9%3.5–4.3 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.4%3.1–3.6 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.6%5–6.2 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.1%1.9–2.3 | 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 Irvine
Is Irvine a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Irvine is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #83 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 86%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Irvine?
CDC estimates 19.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 16.4% and 22.3%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Irvine?
Memorialcare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, 6.1 miles in a straight line from Irvine’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Irvine have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.3–5.7%), 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 Irvine 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 Irvine.
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.