Photo: RightCowLeftCoast · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Rancho San Diego is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns
Rancho San Diego differs from California on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Rancho San Diego. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Rancho San Diego
Cancer and arthritis run high in Rancho San Diego
1 in 11 adults have had cancer (9.4%), vs 6.4% across California. 1 in 4 adults have arthritis (24%), vs 20.8% across California. Conditions ↓
Rancho San Diego keeps up with checkups
It beats California on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (75.2% vs 71.9%) and dentist visits (68.6% vs 62.8%). Checkups ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Rancho San Diego’s lead shrinks
Rancho San Diego is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns, but 69% of the 5,924 towns with similar household incomes ($89K–$148K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Rancho San Diego is an active town
Only 18.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. Habits ↓
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 Rancho San Diego’s likely range.
What’s behind Rancho San Diego’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rancho San Diego is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns, #197 of 847 in California. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 95% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 63%.
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). Rancho San Diego’s median household income is $118,682; among the 5,924 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($89K–$148K), it’s healthier than 69%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Rancho San Diego adults…
Rancho San Diego runs below CA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of Rancho San Diego adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
4.4 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
Care in and near Rancho San Diego
No hospital or community health center in Rancho San Diego itself. These are the nearest.
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 Rancho San Diego; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Rancho San Diego adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Rancho San Diego runs above California.
1 in 3 Rancho San Diego 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.
10.9% of Rancho San Diego adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Rancho San Diego and the towns around it
Rancho San Diego’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho San Diego | A | 25% | 9.7% | 10% | CDC place |
| El Cajon | C+ | 30% | 11.8% | 15.3% | CDC place |
| Casa de Oro-Mount Helix | A | 25.2% | 10.1% | 9.3% | CDC place |
| Jamul | A | 24.5% | 9.9% | 9.1% | CDC place |
| Spring Valley | B+ | 28% | 10.8% | 11.2% | CDC place |
| Granite Hills | B+ | 26.6% | 11.3% | 11.3% | CDC place |
| Crest | B+ | 26.2% | 10% | 11.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Rancho San Diego adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Rancho San Diego
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Rancho San Diego is better than California on 13 and worse on 3; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Rancho San Diego’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Rancho San Diego | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.2%15.4–19.2 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.3%11.1–13.8 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.3%14.7–18 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25%22–28.5 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.7%8.6–11 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 31.3%29–34 | 30.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.7%33.1–38.7 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24%21.9–26.2 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.7%8.7–10.8 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.4%8.7–10.3 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.9%5.4–6.6 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.6%4.9–6.4 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.2%2.9–3.5 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9%7.3–10.8 | 10.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10%8.6–11.5 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 18.3%16.1–20.9 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.7%14.7–19.2 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.3%29–35.7 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.8%5–6.7 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.2%72.7–77.9 | 71.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 68.6%65.9–71.2 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.1%86.7–89.4 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 71.7%68.8–74.7 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68%64.3–71.5 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.7%72–82.6 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23%20.7–25.7 | 20.1% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 34.2%31.1–37.8 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.4%22.8–28.5 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.1%9.6–12.7 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.1%8.9–11.6 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.1%4.5–5.9 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.6%5.9–7.5 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.9%9.4–12.5 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 26.9%24.4–29.8 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.5%11.1–14.2 | 13.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13%11.7–14.6 | 14.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.2%5.6–7 | 5.9% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.8–4.7 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.3%6.5–8.2 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.3%3–3.7 | 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 Rancho San Diego
Is Rancho San Diego a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rancho San Diego is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns: A for health, #197 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 69%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Rancho San Diego?
CDC estimates 25% of adults have obesity, likely between 22% and 28.5%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Rancho San Diego?
Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, 5.3 miles in a straight line from Rancho San Diego’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Rancho San Diego have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5–6.7%), 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 Rancho San Diego more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Rancho San Diego.
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.