Photo: Roger Puta · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Portola is healthier than 73%
Portola differs from California on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 12 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Portola. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Portola
COPD, heart disease and cancer run high in Portola
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9%), vs 5.1% across California. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.2%), vs 5.6% across California. Cancer is also above the state: 9.2%, vs 6.4% across California. In all, Portola runs above California on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 28% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and COPD, heart disease and cancer are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Depression is more common in Portola
1 in 4 adults have been diagnosed with depression (26%), vs 20.1% across California. Frequent mental distress is above the state too: 20%, vs 16.4% across California. Mind & connection ↓
Smoking is more common in Portola
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (16.3%), vs 10.9% across California. Habits ↓
Portola is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Portola is healthier than 27%. Against the 3,816 towns with similar household incomes ($33K–$56K), it’s healthier than 73%. Health Grade ↓
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 Portola’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Portola’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Portola is healthier than 27% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 71% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 9%).
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). Portola’s median household income is $44,492; among the 3,816 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($33K–$56K), it’s healthier than 73%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Portola compares well: no health insurance (ages 18–64), 8.3% (U.S. 11%).
Out of every 100 Portola adults…
Portola runs above CA on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Portola is an older town: 28% 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 Portola as about how healthy they are.
How Portola adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Portola runs above California.
1 in 3 Portola 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.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
11 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Care in and near Portola
1 hospital in Portola, 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 Portola; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Portola adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
19.7% of Portola adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Portola and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portola | C | 33% | 13.3% | 16.3% | CDC place |
| Delleker | — | — | — | — | |
| Iron Horse | — | — | — | — | |
| Lake Davis | — | — | — | — |
Delleker, Iron Horse and Lake Davis: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Portola adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Portola
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Portola is better than California on 2 and worse on 12; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Portola’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Portola | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 25.5%22.1–29.2 | 22.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17%14.9–19.3 | 13.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20%17.7–22.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33%25.3–41.3 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.3%11.5–15.3 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.2%33–41.4 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.2%33.7–42.7 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.4%26–32.9 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.4%10.1–12.8 | 9.3% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.2%8.2–10.2 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.2%7.2–9.3 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9%7.7–10.5 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%3.9–4.9 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.5%9.1–14.2 | 10.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.3%13.6–19.4 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 26.7%22.1–31.6 | 24.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16%13.1–19.2 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.9%27.2–41.1 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.3%6.8–10.1 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.4%69.2–77.2 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.6%58.7–66.3 | 62.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.1%83–87 | 85.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.4%71.1–77.4 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.2%60.5–71.3 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.6%64.2–80 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26%22.3–30 | 20.1% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 35.4%29.5–40.9 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.2%21.1–29.1 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 18%14.8–21.3 | 17.9% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.3%12–16.5 | 14.9% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.7%7.4–10 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.1%8.6–11.5 | 9.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 19.7%16.3–23.1 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.5%32.6–42.6 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.5%15.9–21.3 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.6%15.4–20 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.2%7.3–9.3 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.4%5.7–7.2 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.7%9.4–12.2 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.2%4.5–5.9 | 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 Portola
Is Portola a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Portola is healthier than 27% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Portola?
CDC estimates 33% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.3% and 41.3%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Portola?
Eastern Plumas Hospital - Portola Campus in Portola, 1.1 miles in a straight line from Portola’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Portola have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.8–10.1%), 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 Portola more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Portola.
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.