John Dielmann House · Photo: BriefEdits · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Redwood City is healthier than 52%
Redwood City differs from California on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 20 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Redwood City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Redwood City
Against towns with similar incomes, Redwood City’s lead shrinks
Redwood City is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns, but 52% of the 2,297 towns with similar household incomes ($118K–$197K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Redwood City
Redwood City runs below California on five chronic conditions, most of all COPD (3.7% vs 5.1%), stroke (2.3% vs 3.1%) and diabetes (8.8% vs 11.7%). Conditions ↓
Fewer Redwood City adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below California. 1 in 7 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Redwood City has a top-rated hospital
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
Redwood City is an active town
Only 19.6% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. The town has 14 miles of trails across 32 parks and preserves. 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 Redwood City’s likely range.
What’s behind Redwood City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Redwood City is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns, #136 of 847 in California. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 96% of towns); the weakest is fair or poor health, still better than 67%.
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). Redwood City’s median household income is $157,814; among the 2,297 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($118K–$197K), it’s healthier than 52%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Redwood City adults…
Redwood City runs below CA on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.7% of Redwood City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Care in and near Redwood City
1 hospital and 2 community health centers in Redwood City, 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 Redwood City; ≈ 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.
14 miles of trails across 32 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Redwood City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
How Redwood City adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Redwood City does better than California.
1 in 3 Redwood City 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.
Redwood City and the towns around it
Redwood City’s Health Grade ranks 8th of 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood City | A | 24.7% | 8.8% | 8.5% | CDC place |
| Emerald Lake Hills | A+ | 22.2% | 8.3% | 5.9% | CDC place |
| Woodside | A+ | 22.5% | 9.2% | 6.3% | CDC place |
| San Carlos | A+ | 22.3% | 8.4% | 7% | CDC place |
| Menlo Park | A+ | 22.3% | 7.9% | 6.5% | CDC place |
| North Fair Oaks | B | 29.2% | 10.9% | 10.8% | CDC place |
| Foster City | A+ | 17.8% | 8.7% | 5.8% | CDC place |
| Belmont | A+ | 21.3% | 8.6% | 6.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Redwood City adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Redwood City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Redwood City is better than California on 20 and worse on 1; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Redwood City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Redwood City | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.5%15.5–19.5 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11%9.7–12.2 | 13.4% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.7%13–16.3 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 24.7%19.7–29.7 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.8%7.6–10 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 25.8%22.6–28.9 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.8%29.9–37.3 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 18.1%15.8–20.4 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9%7.9–10.1 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.2%5.6–6.8 | 6.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.3%3.9–4.8 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.7%3.3–4.2 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.3%2.1–2.5 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.3%5.9–9 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.5%7.4–9.8 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 19.6%16.5–22.6 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17.2%14.3–20.1 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.3%23.7–33.2 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9%7.9–10.3 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 68.5%64.3–72.2 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.1%63.9–70.3 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.2%84.5–87.7 | 85.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 67.9%64.1–71.1 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62.2%57.6–66.7 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.8%70.9–83.7 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.3%17.2–23.2 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.9%30.7–39.4 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.4%22.3–28.7 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.6%11.9–15.3 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.8%10.3–13.3 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.8%5–6.5 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.3%6.5–8.2 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.7%9.3–12.1 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 24.4%21.3–27.5 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.1%8.8–11.4 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.3%11–13.7 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.7%4.2–5.3 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.9–4.6 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.3%5.7–6.9 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.6–3 | 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 Redwood City
Is Redwood City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Redwood City is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns: A for health, #136 of 847 in California. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Redwood City?
CDC estimates 24.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 19.7% and 29.7%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Redwood City?
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City in Redwood City, 1.9 miles in a straight line from Redwood City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Redwood City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.9–10.3%), 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 Redwood City 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 Redwood City.
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.