Los Cerritos Ranch House · Photo: Dan Cathcart, photographer · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Long Beach as a whole is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns
Long Beach differs from California on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Long Beach. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Long Beach
Making ends meet is harder in Long Beach
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (22.9%), vs 17.9% across California. Housing insecurity (19% vs 14.9%) and no reliable transportation (11.5% vs 9.3%) are higher too. 21% of adults receive SNAP, vs 15.6% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Loneliness runs high in Long Beach
2 in 5 adults feel lonely (41.6%), vs 37.3% across California. Lack of emotional support is above the state too: 31.8%, vs 28.6% across California. Mind & connection ↓
Long Beach has five hospitals within its borders
5 hospitals and 13 community health centers are inside Long Beach. St. Mary Medical Center is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. 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 Long Beach’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to B+.
What’s behind Long Beach’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Long Beach is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns, #469 of 847 in California. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 91% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 19%).
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). Long Beach’s median household income is $87,430; among the 10,211 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($66K–$109K), it’s healthier than 49%, about where its income would put it.
At 450,469 residents, Long Beach is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Care in and near Long Beach
5 hospitals and 13 community health centers in Long Beach.
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 Long Beach; ≈ 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).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
21% of Long Beach adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
How Long Beach adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Long Beach runs above California.
2 in 5 Long 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.
Out of every 100 Long Beach adults…
Long Beach runs below CA on 3 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.
24 miles of trails across 75 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Long Beach adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Long Beach and the towns around it
Long Beach’s Health Grade ranks 5th of 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach | B | 27.4% | 11.7% | 11.9% | CDC place |
| Lakewood | A− | 24.2% | 10.6% | 9.7% | CDC place |
| Hawaiian Gardens | C | 29% | 14% | 12.7% | CDC place |
| Carson | B | 25.7% | 14.5% | 10.5% | CDC place |
| Los Angeles | B− | 27.3% | 11.9% | 11.9% | CDC place |
| Compton | C− | 33.7% | 14.7% | 14.5% | CDC place |
| Seal Beach | A− | 21.3% | 13% | 6.4% | CDC place |
| Paramount | C | 31.4% | 13.4% | 13.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Long Beach adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Long Beach
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Long Beach is better than California on 3 and worse on 10; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Long Beach’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Long Beach | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.2%22.5–25.9 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.9–15.3 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.5%16.1–19 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 27.4%24.7–30.2 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.7%10.6–12.8 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 29.1%27.1–31 | 30.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.2%33–37.4 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 19%17.5–20.6 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9.7%8.7–10.6 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.4%5–5.9 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.9%4.5–5.3 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.9%4.4–5.3 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.1%2.9–3.3 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10%8.3–11.8 | 10.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.9%10.7–13.2 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25.7%23.5–27.8 | 24.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.7%14–17.5 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.3%34.3–40.1 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.9%10.7–13.2 | 10.6% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 71%68.6–73.3 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 59.4%56.9–61.7 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.5%82–84.9 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 69.5%67–71.8 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 55.3%51.8–58.4 | 57.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.1%70–79.4 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.3%18.4–22.2 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 41.6%38.9–44.4 | 37.3% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 31.8%29.4–34.4 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 22.9%21.1–24.8 | 17.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 19%17.5–20.8 | 14.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.9%8–10 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.5%10.5–12.7 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 21%19.3–22.9 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.6%29.4–33.8 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14%12.8–15.2 | 13.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.5%15.1–17.8 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.2%4.7–5.7 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 6.5%6.1–7 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.2%8.4–10 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.5%4.2–4.9 | 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 Long Beach
Is Long Beach a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Long Beach is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns: B for health, #469 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 49%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Long Beach?
CDC estimates 27.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.7% and 30.2%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Long Beach?
St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, 1.6 miles in a straight line from Long Beach’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Long Beach have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.7–13.2%), 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 Long Beach more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Long 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.