Photo: Don Ramey Logan, Diosthenese, User:CactusWriter · CC BY 3.0On CDC estimates, Laguna Beach is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns
Laguna Beach differs from California on 26 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 22 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Laguna Beach. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Laguna Beach
Cancer and arthritis run high in Laguna Beach
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.3%), vs 6.4% across California. 1 in 4 adults have arthritis (24.5%), vs 20.8% across California. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Laguna Beach keeps up with checkups
It beats California on five of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (78% vs 71.9%) and dentist visits (76% vs 62.8%). Checkups ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Laguna Beach’s lead shrinks
Laguna Beach is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns, but 76% of the 3,237 towns with similar household incomes ($108K–$180K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Laguna Beach is older than California, yet healthier on chronic conditions
Laguna Beach runs below California on obesity (23.2% vs 27.8%) and diabetes (9.9% vs 11.7%). That’s despite an older population: 30% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%). 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 Laguna Beach’s likely range.
What’s behind Laguna Beach’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Laguna Beach is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns, #99 of 847 in California. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is smoking (fewer adults who smoke than 98% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 82%.
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). Laguna Beach’s median household income is $143,843; among the 3,237 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($108K–$180K), it’s healthier than 76%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Laguna Beach adults…
Laguna Beach runs below CA on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 4. Tap one to see it as people.
Laguna Beach is an older town: 30% of residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. Heart disease, arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Laguna Beach as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Laguna Beach adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Care in and near Laguna Beach
1 community health center in Laguna Beach, 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 Laguna Beach; ≈ 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 16 parks and preserves
How Laguna Beach adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Laguna Beach does better than California.
3 in 10 Laguna Beach 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.
5.9% of Laguna Beach adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Laguna Beach and the towns around it
Laguna Beach has the best Health Grade of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Beach | A | 23.2% | 9.9% | 7% | CDC place |
| Laguna Niguel | A | 23.3% | 9.9% | 7.7% | CDC place |
| Dana Point | A | 24.2% | 10.3% | 8% | CDC place |
| Aliso Viejo | A | 23% | 8.2% | 7.8% | CDC place |
| Laguna Woods | B | 19.3% | 18.4% | 5.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Laguna Beach adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Laguna Beach
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Laguna Beach is better than California on 22 and worse on 4; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Laguna Beach’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Laguna Beach | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.3%13.5–17.2 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.4%10.1–12.7 | 13.4% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.6–15.7 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 23.2%20–26.9 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 9.9%8.7–11.2 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 32.2%29.4–35.1 | 30.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.7%36.6–42.8 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 24.5%22–27 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.6%8.6–10.8 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.3%10.4–12.3 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.3%5.7–7 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 4.9%4.2–5.5 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3%2.8–3.3 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 4.8%3.8–5.9 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 7%6–8.2 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16.6%14.4–19.2 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.7%13.5–18 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30%26.6–33.5 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.7%3.1–4.4 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 78%75.4–80.5 | 71.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 76%73.7–78.3 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.7%90.6–92.7 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.6%74.6–80.4 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70%66.2–73.6 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82%76.8–86.4 | 75.7% | 76.4% | Better |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.8%18.4–23.4 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.5%26.1–32.9 | 37.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.5%17.9–23.1 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 6.7%5.6–7.9 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.3%5.3–7.3 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.6%3–4.1 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.5%3.9–5 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.9%4.9–6.9 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 24.9%22.2–27.7 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.6%10.1–13.1 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.1%9–11.3 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.4%5.7–7.1 | 5.9% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.3%3–3.6 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.8%5.1–6.5 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.7%2.4–3 | 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 Laguna Beach
Is Laguna Beach a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Laguna Beach is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns: A for health, #99 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 76%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Laguna Beach?
CDC estimates 23.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 20% and 26.9%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Laguna Beach?
Memorialcare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, 5.4 miles in a straight line from Laguna Beach’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Laguna Beach have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.1–4.4%), 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 Laguna Beach 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 Laguna Beach.
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.