Photo: shadowhound · CC BY-SA 2.0On CDC estimates, Lake Arrowhead is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns
Lake Arrowhead differs from California on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lake Arrowhead. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lake Arrowhead
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Lake Arrowhead
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.4%), vs 6.4% across California. 3 in 10 adults have arthritis (30.4%), vs 20.8% across California. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.7%, vs 5.6% across California. In all, Lake Arrowhead runs above California on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Lake Arrowhead, and more people treating it
37.9% of adults have high blood pressure (California 30.5%), but 75.8% of them take medicine for it, vs 71.3% statewide. Checkups ↓
Lake Arrowhead keeps up with checkups
It beats California on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (75.2% vs 71.9%) and cholesterol checks (88.9% 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 Lake Arrowhead’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A−.
What’s behind Lake Arrowhead’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake Arrowhead is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns, #397 of 847 in California. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 80% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 37%).
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). Lake Arrowhead’s median household income is $95,236; among the 9,262 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($71K–$119K), it’s healthier than 54%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Lake Arrowhead adults…
Lake Arrowhead runs above CA on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Lake Arrowhead is an older town: 26% 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 Lake Arrowhead as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Lake Arrowhead adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Care in and near Lake Arrowhead
1 hospital in Lake Arrowhead, 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 Lake Arrowhead; ≈ 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.
33 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
How Lake Arrowhead adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Lake Arrowhead does better than California.
1 in 3 Lake Arrowhead 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.
12.6% of Lake Arrowhead adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Lake Arrowhead and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Arrowhead | B+ | 31.5% | 12.1% | 11.6% | CDC place |
| Crestline | B+ | 31.3% | 11% | 12.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lake Arrowhead adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lake Arrowhead
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lake Arrowhead is better than California on 12 and worse on 7; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Lake Arrowhead’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lake Arrowhead | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.1%19–23.3 | 22.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.9–16 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%14.3–17.7 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.5%27.3–35.7 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.1%10.7–13.7 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.9%34.7–40.9 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.7%36.3–42.9 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 30.4%27.6–33.1 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.5%9.3–11.6 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.4%9.4–11.4 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.7%6.9–8.4 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7%6.2–7.8 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.5–4.2 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.6%7–10.6 | 10.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.6%10.1–13.2 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20.7%18–23.4 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15%12.7–17.3 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.3%29.4–37.6 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.2%6.3–8.2 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.2%72.2–77.9 | 71.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.3%62.3–68.3 | 62.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.9%87.6–90.1 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.8%72.6–78.5 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.4%62.4–70.6 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.6%68.2–80.6 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.6%18.9–24.2 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.9%29.4–36.6 | 37.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.8%20.9–26.6 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.7%11.1–14.4 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.4%9.1–11.8 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.8%5–6.6 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.2%6.4–8.1 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.6%11–14.3 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.2%27.2–33.3 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.9%13.2–16.6 | 13.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.3%12–14.7 | 14.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.5%6.7–8.3 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5%4.6–5.5 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.1%7.2–8.9 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4%3.7–4.4 | 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 Lake Arrowhead
Is Lake Arrowhead a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake Arrowhead is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #397 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 54%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lake Arrowhead?
CDC estimates 31.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.3% and 35.7%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lake Arrowhead?
Mountains Community Hospital in Lake Arrowhead, 1.3 miles in a straight line from Lake Arrowhead’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Lake Arrowhead have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.3–8.2%), 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 Lake Arrowhead more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Lake Arrowhead.
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.