Photo: Coolsheep2 · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Santa Ana is healthier than 17%
Santa Ana differs from California on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 16 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Santa Ana. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Santa Ana
Making ends meet is harder in Santa Ana
3 in 10 adults worry about having enough food (29.1%), vs 17.9% across California. Housing insecurity (23.4% vs 14.9%) and utility shut-off threats (10.7% vs 7.3%) are higher too. 23.3% of adults receive SNAP, vs 15.6% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
1 in 5 working-age adults in Santa Ana has no health insurance
20.7% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 10.6% across California. Checkups ↓
More Santa Ana adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (33.3%), vs 24.6% across California. There are 16 miles of trails across 37 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. 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 Santa Ana’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B.
What’s behind Santa Ana’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Ana is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns, #616 of 847 in California. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 87% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 6%).
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). Santa Ana’s median household income is $93,999; among the 9,430 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($70K–$117K), it’s healthier than 17%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Where Santa Ana compares well: high blood pressure, 27.2% (U.S. 34.4%); arthritis, 15.9% (U.S. 25.3%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 4.1% (U.S. 7.9%).
At 315,586 residents, Santa Ana is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
23.3% of Santa Ana adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Keeping up with care
Share of Santa Ana 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.
16 miles of trails across 37 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Santa Ana adults…
Santa Ana runs below CA on 4 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 11% of Santa Ana residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. COPD, arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Santa Ana
2 hospitals and 11 community health centers in Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana; ≈ 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).
How Santa Ana adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Santa Ana runs above California.
2 in 5 Santa Ana 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.
Santa Ana and the towns around it
Santa Ana’s Health Grade ranks 7th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana | C+ | 29% | 13% | 11.6% | CDC place |
| Tustin | A− | 24.3% | 10.4% | 9% | CDC place |
| Orange | A− | 25% | 10.1% | 9.2% | CDC place |
| Garden Grove | B− | 23.1% | 14.1% | 11.4% | CDC place |
| Fountain Valley | A− | 20.6% | 12.1% | 8.6% | CDC place |
| Costa Mesa | A− | 25.7% | 9.3% | 9.7% | CDC place |
| Irvine | A+ | 19.2% | 8.3% | 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 Santa Ana adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Santa Ana
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Santa Ana is better than California on 4 and worse on 16; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Santa Ana’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Santa Ana | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 30%27.5–32.5 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.3%13.8–16.9 | 13.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.7%16.9–20.6 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29%25.2–33 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13%11.6–14.6 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 27.2%24.7–29.7 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.1%31.3–37 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 15.9%14.2–17.7 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9%8.1–10.1 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.1%3.8–4.5 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.2%4.7–5.7 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 4.5%4–5 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.9%2.7–3.1 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.5%11.1–16.1 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.6%10.2–13.2 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 33.3%30–36.7 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.7%13.5–18.1 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.3%34.5–42.3 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 20.7%18.6–22.9 | 10.6% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 68.4%65.2–71.5 | 71.9% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 53.1%50.1–56.2 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.8%79.8–83.6 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 67.8%64.7–70.7 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 50.1%45.8–54.3 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.4%69.2–80.9 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19%16.7–21.5 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 39.1%35.3–42.8 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 33.3%29.8–36.6 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 29.1%26.3–32 | 17.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 23.4%20.9–25.9 | 14.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.7%9.4–12.1 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 13.6%12.1–15 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 23.3%20.9–25.6 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.5%31.4–37.6 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.4%13.9–17 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.5%16.8–20.2 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.5%4.9–6.1 | 5.9% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 8.1%7.5–8.7 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.5%8.6–10.4 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.8%4.4–5.2 | 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 Santa Ana
Is Santa Ana a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Ana is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns: C+ for health, #616 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 Santa Ana?
CDC estimates 29% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.2% and 33%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Santa Ana?
Coastal Communities Hospital in Santa Ana, 1.7 miles in a straight line from Santa Ana’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Santa Ana have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 20.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 18.6–22.9%), 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 Santa Ana more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Santa Ana.
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.