On CDC estimates, Lemon Grove is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns
Lemon Grove trails California on 5 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lemon Grove. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lemon Grove
Making ends meet is harder in Lemon Grove
1 in 5 adults worry about keeping their housing (18.2%), vs 14.9% across California. Utility shut-off threats (8.8% vs 7.3%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Lemon Grove has a community health center but no hospital
Family Health Centers of San Diego is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, 3.5 miles away. Getting care ↓
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 Lemon Grove’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Lemon Grove’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lemon Grove is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns, #463 of 847 in California. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 88% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 24%).
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). Lemon Grove’s median household income is $88,009; among the 10,159 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($66K–$110K), it’s healthier than 50%, about where its income would put it.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
19.5% of Lemon Grove adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Care in and near Lemon Grove
2 community health centers in Lemon Grove, 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 Lemon Grove; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 Lemon Grove adults…
Lemon Grove runs above CA on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
1.5 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Lemon Grove adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
How Lemon Grove adults are doing
About the same as California on each measure.
2 in 5 Lemon Grove 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.
Lemon Grove and the towns around it
Lemon Grove’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon Grove | B | 28.6% | 11.9% | 11.7% | CDC place |
| San Diego | A | 24.2% | 9.2% | 9.3% | CDC place |
| Spring Valley | B+ | 28% | 10.8% | 11.2% | CDC place |
| La Mesa | A− | 26.3% | 9.4% | 10.4% | CDC place |
| La Presa | B | 28% | 11.7% | 11% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lemon Grove adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lemon Grove
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lemon Grove is better than California on 0 and worse on 5; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Lemon Grove’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lemon Grove | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.1%21.1–25.4 | 22.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.8%12.6–15.3 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.7%16.1–19.6 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.6%25.4–32.4 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.9%10.6–13.3 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 31.3%29–33.9 | 30.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34%31.4–36.8 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 21%19.2–23 | 20.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.5%8.5–10.6 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.4%5.9–7 | 6.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.7%5.2–6.3 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.5%4.9–6.1 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.4%3.1–3.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13%10.7–15.4 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.7%10.4–13.3 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25.1%22.5–28.1 | 24.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.7%13.7–18 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.7%33.1–40.2 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.6%10.1–13.4 | 10.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.8%70.1–75.6 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 61.2%58.2–64 | 62.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.9%83.4–86.5 | 85.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 69.2%66.5–72 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 60.5%56.5–64.3 | 57.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.4%69.2–80.7 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.1%18.9–23.6 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 38%34.7–41.5 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 31.4%28.4–34.6 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 20.8%18.5–23.3 | 17.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 18.2%16.2–20.4 | 14.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.8%7.7–10 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.8%9.7–12.1 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 19.5%17.4–21.8 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.9%28.4–33.8 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.6%13.2–16.2 | 13.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16%14.6–17.7 | 14.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.9%5.3–6.6 | 5.9% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 6.3%5.8–6.9 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.9%8.1–9.9 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.3%4–4.7 | 3.9% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Lemon Grove
Is Lemon Grove a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lemon Grove is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #463 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 50%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lemon Grove?
CDC estimates 28.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.4% and 32.4%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lemon Grove?
Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, 3.5 miles in a straight line from Lemon Grove’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Lemon Grove have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.1–13.4%), 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 Lemon Grove 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 Lemon Grove.
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.