Photo: Sanfranman59 · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Palo Alto is among the healthiest U.S. towns
Palo Alto differs from California on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 23 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Palo Alto. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Palo Alto
Against towns with similar incomes, Palo Alto’s lead shrinks
Palo Alto is healthier than 99% of U.S. towns, but 73% of the 585 towns with similar household incomes ($173K–$289K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Palo Alto is an active town
Only 16.7% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. The town has 82 miles of trails across 38 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Few Palo Alto adults smoke
5.8% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 10.9% across California. Habits ↓
COPD and obesity are less common in Palo Alto
Palo Alto runs below California on five chronic conditions, most of all COPD (3.3% vs 5.1%), obesity (20.2% vs 27.8%) and stroke (2.4% vs 3.1%). Conditions ↓
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 Palo Alto’s likely range.
What’s behind Palo Alto’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palo Alto is among the healthiest U.S. towns, #14 of 847 in California. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than almost every town); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 90%.
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). Palo Alto’s median household income is $231,101; among the 585 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($173K–$289K), it’s healthier than 73%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
82 miles of trails across 38 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Palo Alto adults…
Palo Alto runs below CA on 7 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Palo Alto
2 hospitals and 3 community health centers in Palo Alto, 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 Palo Alto; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Palo Alto adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
How Palo Alto adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Palo Alto does better than California.
1 in 3 Palo Alto 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.
4.6% of Palo Alto adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Palo Alto and the towns around it
Palo Alto’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto | A+ | 20.2% | 9.1% | 5.8% | CDC place |
| Menlo Park | A+ | 22.3% | 7.9% | 6.5% | CDC place |
| Los Altos | A+ | 19.7% | 9.5% | 5.1% | CDC place |
| Mountain View | A+ | 21.3% | 7.6% | 6.9% | CDC place |
| Los Altos Hills | A+ | 19.5% | 10.8% | 5% | CDC place |
| East Palo Alto | B | 30.6% | 10.9% | 10.5% | CDC place |
| Stanford | A | 22.2% | 3.3% | 7.8% | CDC place |
| Portola Valley | A+ | 21.2% | 9.8% | 6% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Palo Alto adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Palo Alto
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Palo Alto is better than California on 23 and worse on 1; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Palo Alto’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Palo Alto | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 12.1%10.7–13.7 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 8.8%7.8–9.9 | 13.4% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.9%10.6–13.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 20.2%16.9–23.8 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 9.1%8–10.4 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 28%25.2–31 | 30.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.4%32.1–38.7 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 19.2%17–21.4 | 20.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 8.1%7.1–9.1 | 9.3% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.3%7.6–9.1 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.3%2.9–3.7 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.4%2.2–2.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 4.2%3.4–5.1 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 5.8%4.9–6.7 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16.7%14.4–19.3 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 13%11–15.2 | 15.3% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.6%24.2–31.2 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.4%2.9–3.9 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.6%71.5–77.5 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 76.4%74–78.7 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.9%88.7–91.1 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.1%70.9–77 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.1%61.1–69 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.4%74.7–85.4 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.3%15.9–20.8 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.6%30.7–38.6 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.1%20.3–26.1 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 6.2%5.3–7.2 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.7%4.9–6.6 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3%2.6–3.5 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.1%3.6–4.7 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.6%3.9–5.4 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 21.2%18.7–23.8 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.8%7.7–10.1 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 8.2%7.3–9.3 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.3%4.7–6 | 5.9% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 2.8%2.6–3.1 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.5%4–5 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2%1.8–2.2 | 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 Palo Alto
Is Palo Alto a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palo Alto is among the healthiest U.S. towns: A+ for health, #14 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 73%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Palo Alto?
CDC estimates 20.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 16.9% and 23.8%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Palo Alto?
Stanford Health Care in Stanford, 2.1 miles in a straight line from Palo Alto’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Palo Alto have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 2.9–3.9%), 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 Palo Alto more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Palo Alto.
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.