Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Alanmak~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Isla Vista is healthier than 98%
Isla Vista differs from California on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 16 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Isla Vista. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Isla Vista
Dental care lags in Isla Vista
41.5% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 62.8% across California. Among those 65 and older, 33.2% have lost all their teeth (California 10.6%). Checkups ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Isla Vista
1 in 4 adults lack reliable transportation (25.3%), more than twice the California rate. Food insecurity (39.7% vs 17.9%) and utility shut-off threats (15.7% vs 7.3%) are higher too. 41.6% of adults receive SNAP, vs 15.6% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Mental distress runs high in Isla Vista
3 in 10 adults are in frequent mental distress (30%), vs 16.4% across California. Depression is above the state too: 30.6%, vs 20.1% across California. Mind & connection ↓
Isla Vista is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Isla Vista is healthier than 52%. Against the 267 towns with similar household incomes ($19K–$32K), it’s healthier than 98%. Health Grade ↓
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 Isla Vista’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to B+.
What’s behind Isla Vista’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Isla Vista is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns, #508 of 847 in California. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than almost every U.S. town); mental distress pulls it down (near the bottom of U.S. towns).
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). Isla Vista’s median household income is $25,972; among the 267 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($19K–$32K), it’s healthier than 98%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Keeping up with care
Share of Isla Vista 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.
41.6% of Isla Vista adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
How Isla Vista adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Isla Vista runs above California.
1 in 2 Isla Vista 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.
Out of every 100 Isla Vista adults…
Isla Vista runs below CA on 7 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 2% of Isla Vista residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Isla Vista
1 community health center in Isla Vista, 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 Isla Vista; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
3.7 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves
Isla Vista and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isla Vista | B− | 24.5% | 5% | 12.5% | CDC place |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | A | 14.7% | 1.7% | 5.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Isla Vista adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Isla Vista
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Isla Vista is better than California on 7 and worse on 16; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Isla Vista’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Isla Vista | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 28%24.7–31.7 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.9%12.2–15.7 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 30%26.9–33.1 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 24.5%19.8–30 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 5%4.3–5.6 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 17.6%15.3–20.2 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 17.4%15.1–20 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 8.6%7.5–9.8 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 12%10.6–13.6 | 9.3% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 1.5%1.4–1.7 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 2.7%2.4–2.9 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.7%4.2–5.3 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 1.6%1.5–1.7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 33.2%27.9–38.8 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.5%10.6–14.7 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 28.7%24.3–33.4 | 24.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.4%14.4–20.7 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.8%31.9–43.7 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 12.2%10.3–14.3 | 10.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 62.4%57.6–67 | 71.9% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 41.5%37.8–45.3 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 58.4%54.5–62.6 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 35.6%33.6–37.9 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 48.6%43.1–53.9 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 62.8%53.8–71.2 | 75.7% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 30.6%26.8–34.8 | 20.1% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 47.8%42.3–53.4 | 37.3% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29.5%25.3–33.7 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 39.7%34.5–44.7 | 17.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 23.5%20.1–26.9 | 14.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 15.7%13.5–17.9 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 25.3%22.3–28.3 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 41.6%36.1–46.4 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 43.3%38.6–48.1 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.4%8.2–10.8 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 30.3%27.2–33.7 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.4%3.9–5 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 9.7%8.7–10.8 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 17.4%15.4–19.5 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4%3.6–4.4 | 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 Isla Vista
Is Isla Vista a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Isla Vista is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns: B− for health, #508 of 847 in California. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Isla Vista?
CDC estimates 24.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 19.8% and 30%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Isla Vista?
Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, 3.2 miles in a straight line from Isla Vista’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Isla Vista have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 12.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.3–14.3%), 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 Isla Vista more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Isla Vista.
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.