Photo: Dolly442 · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Laguna Woods is healthier than 85%
Laguna Woods differs from California on 28 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 19 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Laguna Woods. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Laguna Woods
Cancer, heart disease and stroke run high in Laguna Woods
1 in 5 adults have had cancer (19.4%), 3 times the California rate. 1 in 8 adults have heart disease (13.2%), more than twice the California rate. Stroke is also above the state: 6.4%, vs 3.1% across California. In all, Laguna Woods runs above California on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 83% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and cancer, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Laguna Woods, and more people treating it
51.5% of adults have high blood pressure (California 30.5%), but 89.3% of them take medicine for it, vs 71.3% statewide. Checkups ↓
Laguna Woods is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Laguna Woods is healthier than 58%. Against the 8,734 towns with similar household incomes ($44K–$74K), it’s healthier than 85%. Health Grade ↓
Every town around Laguna Woods scores healthier
All four graded neighbors are ahead of Laguna Woods’ B, from Laguna Hills (A) to Irvine (A+). Around town ↓
Laguna Woods keeps up with checkups
It beats California on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (89.7% vs 71.9%) and dentist visits (73.1% vs 62.8%). Checkups ↓
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 Woods’ likely range.
What’s behind Laguna Woods’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Laguna Woods is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, #457 of 847 in California. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than almost every U.S. town); diabetes pulls it down (better than 4%).
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 Woods’ median household income is $59,269; among the 8,734 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($44K–$74K), it’s healthier than 85%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Laguna Woods adults…
Laguna Woods runs below CA on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
Laguna Woods is an older town: 83% 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 Laguna Woods as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Laguna Woods adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Laguna Woods and the towns around it
Laguna Woods’s Health Grade ranks 5th of 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 Woods | B | 19.3% | 18.4% | 5.8% | CDC place |
| Aliso Viejo | A | 23% | 8.2% | 7.8% | CDC place |
| Laguna Hills | A | 23.6% | 10.4% | 8.2% | CDC place |
| Irvine | A+ | 19.2% | 8.3% | 6.9% | CDC place |
| Laguna Beach | A | 23.2% | 9.9% | 7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Care in and near Laguna Woods
No hospital or community health center in Laguna Woods 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 Laguna Woods; ≈ 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.
3.9 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
How Laguna Woods adults are doing
On 4 of 4 measures, Laguna Woods does better than California.
3 in 10 Laguna Woods 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 Woods adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Laguna Woods adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Laguna Woods
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Laguna Woods is better than California on 19 and worse on 9; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Laguna Woods’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Laguna Woods | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.7%20–25.5 | 22.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.4%13.7–17.4 | 13.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.1%8.1–10.3 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 19.3%16.3–22.4 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 18.4%16.2–20.7 | 11.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 51.5%47.6–55.1 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 53.5%49.8–57.1 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 41%37.5–44.7 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 8.6%7.6–9.6 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 19.4%17.8–21 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 13.2%11.9–14.6 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.8%7.6–10.1 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 6.4%5.8–7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.1%6.5–9.8 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 5.8%4.9–6.8 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 27.7%24.2–31.3 | 24.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 5.1%4.3–6 | 15.3% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 25.6%22.6–28.8 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.4%2.8–4.2 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 89.7%88.2–91.2 | 71.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73.1%70.5–75.5 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 97.2%96.8–97.6 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 89.3%87.1–91.2 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 76.6%72.9–80 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.9%75.4–85.5 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 14.7%12.8–16.8 | 20.1% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 27.9%24.7–31.3 | 37.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.7%18.1–23.5 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 6.7%5.7–8 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 3.6%3.1–4.3 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 2.1%1.8–2.4 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.7%3.2–4.2 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.9%4.9–7.1 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 39.2%35.7–43 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 23.7%20.9–26.7 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 8.8%7.6–10.1 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 13.6%12.2–15.1 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.8%5.2–6.6 | 5.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.5%7.3–9.8 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.3%3.8–4.9 | 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 Laguna Woods
Is Laguna Woods a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Laguna Woods is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns: B for health, #457 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 Laguna Woods?
CDC estimates 19.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 16.3% and 22.4%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Laguna Woods?
Memorialcare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, 1.3 miles in a straight line from Laguna Woods’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Laguna Woods have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 2.8–4.2%), 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 Woods more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Laguna Woods.
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.