Olema Lime Kilns · Photo: Roger Sturtevant, photographer · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Lagunitas-Forest Knolls is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns
Lagunitas-Forest Knolls differs from California on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lagunitas-Forest Knolls. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls
Cancer and arthritis run high in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.3%), vs 6.4% across California. 1 in 4 adults have arthritis (27.3%), vs 20.8% across California. Age is part of it: 35% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Lagunitas-Forest Knolls is an active town
Only 16.2% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. The town has 20 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Lagunitas-Forest Knolls keeps up with checkups
It beats California on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (73.8% vs 62.8%) and cholesterol checks (91% vs 85.4%). 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 Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lagunitas-Forest Knolls is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than almost every town); the weakest is physical distress, still better than 80%.
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). Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ median household income is $130,682; among the 4,464 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($98K–$163K), it’s healthier than 80%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Lagunitas-Forest Knolls adults…
Lagunitas-Forest Knolls runs below CA on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Lagunitas-Forest Knolls is an older town: 35% of residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
20 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Lagunitas-Forest Knolls adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Care in and near Lagunitas-Forest Knolls
No hospital or community health center in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls 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 Lagunitas-Forest Knolls; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Lagunitas-Forest Knolls adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Lagunitas-Forest Knolls does better than California.
3 in 10 Lagunitas-Forest Knolls 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.
6.9% of Lagunitas-Forest Knolls adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Lagunitas-Forest Knolls and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lagunitas-Forest Knolls | A | 21.9% | 9.9% | 8.6% | CDC place |
| San Geronimo | — | — | — | — |
San Geronimo: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lagunitas-Forest Knolls adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lagunitas-Forest Knolls
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lagunitas-Forest Knolls is better than California on 17 and worse on 2; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lagunitas-Forest Knolls | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.4%13–18.3 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.1%10.4–13.9 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.5–16.2 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 21.9%16.5–28 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.9%8.4–11.6 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 33.1%29.1–37.3 | 30.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.1%33.8–42.5 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.3%23.9–30.7 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.1%8.9–11.3 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.3%10.1–12.4 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.3%5.6–7.2 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.5%4.6–6.7 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.2%2.8–3.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 5.1%3.9–6.3 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.6%6.8–10.6 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16.2%13.1–19.9 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.1%13.3–19.1 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.3%24.7–35.9 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.9%3.1–4.8 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.2%71.4–78.7 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73.8%70.6–76.7 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91%89.7–92.3 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.3%72.9–79.6 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.5%66.8–75.7 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.2%72.2–84.9 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.4%19–25.9 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.1%24–32.6 | 37.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20%17.1–23.2 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.2%5.7–8.9 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.9%5.7–8.3 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.1%3.4–4.8 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.9%4.1–5.6 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.9%5.4–8.7 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 26.3%22.5–30.5 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12%10.1–14.4 | 13.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.7%9.2–12.3 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.3%5.5–7.2 | 5.9% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.4%3–4 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6%5.1–7.1 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.9%2.5–3.4 | 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 Lagunitas-Forest Knolls
Is Lagunitas-Forest Knolls a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lagunitas-Forest Knolls is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns: A for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 80%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls?
CDC estimates 21.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 16.5% and 28%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lagunitas-Forest Knolls?
Kaiser Foundation Hospital in San Rafael, 7.5 miles in a straight line from Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.1–4.8%), 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 Lagunitas-Forest Knolls more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls.
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.