Photo: JaGa · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Santa Clara as a whole is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns
Santa Clara differs from California on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 22 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Santa Clara. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Santa Clara
COPD and heart disease are less common in Santa Clara
Santa Clara runs below California on nine chronic conditions, most of all COPD (2.8% vs 5.1%), heart disease (3.4% vs 5.6%) and stroke (1.9% vs 3.1%). A young population is part of it: only 11% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%). Conditions ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Santa Clara’s lead shrinks
Santa Clara is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns, but 76% of the 1,393 towns with similar household incomes ($134K–$224K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Few Santa Clara adults smoke
7.2% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 10.9% across California. Habits ↓
Santa Clara is an active town
Only 19.1% 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 Santa Clara’s likely range.
What’s behind Santa Clara’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Clara is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns, #54 of 847 in California. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than almost every town); the weakest is no exercise, still better than 87%.
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 Clara’s median household income is $178,958; among the 1,393 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($134K–$224K), it’s healthier than 76%, about where its income would put it.
At 133,446 residents, Santa Clara is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Out of every 100 Santa Clara adults…
Santa Clara runs below CA on 11 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 11% of Santa Clara residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
7.7 miles of trails across 38 parks and preserves
Care in and near Santa Clara
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Santa Clara, 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 Clara; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Santa Clara adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
How Santa Clara adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Santa Clara does better than California.
2 in 5 Santa Clara 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.
7.3% of Santa Clara adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Santa Clara and the towns around it
Santa Clara’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 4 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 Clara | A+ | 20.4% | 8.2% | 7.2% | CDC place |
| San Jose | A− | 23.7% | 11.1% | 9.4% | CDC place |
| Sunnyvale | A+ | 19.7% | 8.3% | 6.7% | CDC place |
| Cupertino | A+ | 16.3% | 9.8% | 5.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Santa Clara adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Santa Clara
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Santa Clara is better than California on 22 and worse on 1; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Santa Clara’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Santa Clara | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.5%12–15.2 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 8.7%7.7–9.8 | 13.4% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.9%12.4–15.5 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 20.4%17.1–23.9 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8.2%7.2–9.4 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 23%20.6–25.6 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 30.7%27.8–33.8 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 13.7%12.1–15.5 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 7.8%6.9–8.8 | 9.3% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.8%4.4–5.3 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.4%3.1–3.8 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 2.8%2.5–3.1 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 1.9%1.8–2 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 5.8%4.7–7.1 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 7.2%6.2–8.4 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 19.1%16.6–22 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 13.9%11.7–16.2 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.4%27.7–35.2 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.5%4.7–6.3 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 69.3%65.8–72.7 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.2%66.4–71.9 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.5%83.7–87.1 | 85.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 66.3%63–69.5 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 60.6%56.5–64.7 | 57.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.8%72.7–84 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.1%15.7–20.6 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 38.8%34.8–43 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.2%24.9–31.4 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.2%8.9–11.6 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.9%7.7–10 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.2%3.7–4.8 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6%5.3–6.6 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.3%6.4–8.3 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 20.9%18.6–23.5 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 7.6%6.7–8.6 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.1%9–11.3 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 4%3.5–4.5 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.2%2.9–3.4 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.9%4.4–5.4 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2%1.8–2.2 | 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 Santa Clara
Is Santa Clara a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Clara is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #54 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 76%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Santa Clara?
CDC estimates 20.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 17.1% and 23.9%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Santa Clara?
Kaiser Foundation Hospital-Santa Clara in Santa Clara, 1.4 miles in a straight line from Santa Clara’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Santa Clara have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.7–6.3%), 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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara.
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.