Photo: Tuxyso · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Rancho Santa Fe is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns
Rancho Santa Fe differs from California on 26 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 21 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Rancho Santa Fe. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Rancho Santa Fe
Cancer and arthritis run high in Rancho Santa Fe
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.8%), about twice the California rate. 1 in 4 adults have arthritis (27.1%), vs 20.8% across California. In all, Rancho Santa Fe runs above California on three of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Rancho Santa Fe is an active town
Only 14.1% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. Habits ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Rancho Santa Fe’s lead shrinks
Rancho Santa Fe is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns, but 82% of the 1,504 towns with similar household incomes ($132K–$220K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Rancho Santa Fe is older than California, yet healthier on chronic conditions
Rancho Santa Fe runs below California on obesity (21.9% vs 27.8%) and diabetes (9.6% vs 11.7%). That’s despite an older population: 29% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%). 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 Rancho Santa Fe’s likely range.
What’s behind Rancho Santa Fe’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rancho Santa Fe is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is smoking (fewer adults who smoke than almost every town); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 85%.
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 Santa Fe’s median household income is $175,792; among the 1,504 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($132K–$220K), it’s healthier than 82%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Rancho Santa Fe adults…
Rancho Santa Fe runs below CA on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Rancho Santa Fe is an older town: 29% of residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. Heart disease, arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Rancho Santa Fe as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
Care in and near Rancho Santa Fe
No hospital or community health center in Rancho Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Rancho Santa Fe adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
How Rancho Santa Fe adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Rancho Santa Fe does better than California.
3 in 10 Rancho Santa Fe 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.
5.1% of Rancho Santa Fe adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Rancho Santa Fe and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Santa Fe | A+ | 21.9% | 9.6% | 6.3% | CDC place |
| Fairbanks Ranch | A+ | 20.5% | 9.7% | 5.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Rancho Santa Fe adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Rancho Santa Fe
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Rancho Santa Fe is better than California on 21 and worse on 5; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Rancho Santa Fe’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Rancho Santa Fe | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.1%11–15.6 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.5%9.1–12.2 | 13.4% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.1%10.6–13.7 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 21.9%19–25.2 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 9.6%8.3–11.1 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 34.3%31.5–37.4 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.9%36.9–43 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 27.1%24.6–29.9 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 8.9%8–10 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.8%11.6–14.1 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.5%5.7–7.5 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 4.8%3.8–6 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.2%2.7–3.7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 4.7%3.7–5.8 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 6.3%4.7–8.1 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 14.1%11.6–17.1 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 14.5%12.7–16.7 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.3%24.3–30.4 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 2.9%2.3–3.8 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.2%77.9–82.5 | 71.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 77.6%75.4–79.7 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.5%91.2–93.6 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.7%73.6–79.7 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.8%67.1–74.1 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.1%74.6–84.9 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.3%18.1–22.8 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.3%26.2–32.7 | 37.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.3%17.6–23.2 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.5%4.2–7.2 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.3%4.2–6.6 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 2.8%2.3–3.5 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.8%3.2–4.6 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.1%3.6–6.9 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.3%20.3–26.7 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.2%9.3–13.4 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 8.9%7.6–10.5 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.8%5.9–7.7 | 5.9% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.1%2.7–3.7 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.4%4.5–6.4 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.6%2.1–3.1 | 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 Santa Fe
Is Rancho Santa Fe a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rancho Santa Fe is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns: A+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 82%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Rancho Santa Fe?
CDC estimates 21.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 19% and 25.2%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Rancho Santa Fe?
Scripps Memorial Hospital - Encinitas in Encinitas, 5.1 miles in a straight line from Rancho Santa Fe’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Rancho Santa Fe have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 2.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 2.3–3.8%), 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 Santa Fe 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 Rancho Santa Fe.
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.