Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Palm Springs is healthier than 54% of U.S. towns
Palm Springs differs from California on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 14 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Palm Springs. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Palm Springs
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Palm Springs
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.7%), vs 6.4% across California. 1 in 10 adults have heart disease (9.6%), vs 5.6% across California. Arthritis is also above the state: 34%, vs 20.8% across California. In all, Palm Springs runs above California on nine of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 35% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Palm Springs, and more people treating it
44% of adults have high blood pressure (California 30.5%), but 78.9% of them take medicine for it, vs 71.3% statewide. Checkups ↓
Palm Springs keeps up with checkups
It beats California on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (78.5% vs 71.9%) and dentist visits (66.1% 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 Palm Springs’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to B+.
What’s behind Palm Springs’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palm Springs is healthier than 54% of U.S. towns, #489 of 847 in California. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 92% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 16%).
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). Palm Springs’ median household income is $73,119; among the 10,745 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$91K), it’s healthier than 64%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Palm Springs adults…
Palm Springs runs above CA on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Palm Springs is an older town: 35% 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 Palm Springs as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Palm Springs adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Care in and near Palm Springs
1 hospital and 2 community health centers in Palm Springs, 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 Palm Springs; ≈ 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.
127 miles of trails across 14 parks and preserves
How Palm Springs adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Palm Springs does better than California.
3 in 10 Palm Springs 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.
11.4% of Palm Springs adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Palm Springs and the towns around it
Palm Springs’s Health Grade ranks 2nd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Springs | B− | 35.5% | 14.9% | 10.7% | CDC place |
| Cathedral City | C | 37.8% | 14.2% | 12.1% | CDC place |
| Desert Hot Springs | D | 41.2% | 13.7% | 14.9% | CDC place |
| Rancho Mirage | B | 31.9% | 15.4% | 9.1% | CDC place |
| Whitewater | D | 42.6% | 15.2% | 16% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Palm Springs adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Palm Springs
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Palm Springs is better than California on 14 and worse on 10; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Palm Springs’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Palm Springs | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.4%20.4–24.7 | 22.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.2%13.7–16.9 | 13.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.6%12.2–15.1 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.5%31.7–39.7 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 14.9%13.3–16.7 | 11.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 44%40.9–47.2 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 45.1%41.9–48.4 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34%31.3–36.9 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9%8.1–10.1 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.7%10.7–12.8 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.6%8.7–10.6 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.5%6.7–8.3 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.5%4.2–4.9 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.2%7.4–11.2 | 10.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.7%9.4–12.3 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23.8%21.2–26.7 | 24.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.3%10.6–14.3 | 15.3% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35%31.1–39 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.3%6.4–8.3 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.5%76–81 | 71.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 66.1%63.1–69 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.8%89.7–91.9 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.9%76.1–81.5 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.5%64.3–72.4 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80%74.5–84.9 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.2%17.9–22.7 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.2%26.9–33.7 | 37.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.5%19.9–25.2 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.5%11–14.1 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.4%9.1–11.7 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.9%5.1–6.7 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.9%6.1–7.7 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.4%10–12.9 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.2%32.3–38.4 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.6%16.8–20.6 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.3%11–13.6 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.6%8.6–10.6 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.5%5.1–6 | 5.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.2%7.4–9.1 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.4%4.1–4.9 | 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 Palm Springs
Is Palm Springs a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palm Springs is healthier than 54% of U.S. towns: B− for health, #489 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 64%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Palm Springs?
CDC estimates 35.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.7% and 39.7%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Palm Springs?
Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, 2.4 miles in a straight line from Palm Springs’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Palm Springs have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.4–8.3%), 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 Palm Springs 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 Palm Springs.
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.