Photo: Don DeBold from San Jose, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0On CDC estimates, Santa Cruz is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns
Santa Cruz differs from California on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Santa Cruz. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Santa Cruz
Binge drinking is the habit Santa Cruz doesn’t win on
18.8% of adults binge drink, vs 15.3% across California, even though fewer of them smoke and more of them exercise. Habits ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Santa Cruz’s lead shrinks
Santa Cruz is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns, but 68% of the 6,393 towns with similar household incomes ($87K–$144K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Santa Cruz is an active town
Only 18.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. The town has 76 miles of trails across 54 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Diabetes and stroke are less common in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz runs below California on diabetes (8% vs 11.7%), stroke (2.4% vs 3.1%) and heart disease (4.6% vs 5.6%). 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 Santa Cruz’s likely range.
What’s behind Santa Cruz’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Cruz is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns, #220 of 847 in California. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 96% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 28%).
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 Cruz’s median household income is $115,475; among the 6,393 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($87K–$144K), it’s healthier than 68%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
76 miles of trails across 54 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Santa Cruz adults…
Santa Cruz runs below CA on 8 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Santa Cruz
2 community health centers in Santa Cruz, 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 Cruz; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Santa Cruz adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
How Santa Cruz adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Santa Cruz runs above California.
4 in 10 Santa Cruz 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.
12.1% of Santa Cruz adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Santa Cruz and the towns around it
Santa Cruz has the best Health Grade of the 3 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 Cruz | A− | 24.5% | 8% | 9.2% | CDC place |
| Live Oak | B+ | 26.9% | 10.8% | 10.9% | CDC place |
| Paradise Park | — | — | — | — | |
| Pasatiempo | — | — | — | — | |
| Twin Lakes | A− | 26.7% | 10.3% | 10.3% | CDC place |
Paradise Park and Pasatiempo: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Santa Cruz adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Santa Cruz
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Santa Cruz is better than California on 17 and worse on 4; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Santa Cruz’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Santa Cruz | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.6%15.5–19.8 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.6%10.3–13 | 13.4% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.3%16.4–20.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 24.5%19.2–30.1 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8%7–9.1 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 26%22.9–29.2 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 30.7%27.2–34.3 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 18%15.8–20.2 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.1%8.9–11.3 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.5%5.9–7.2 | 6.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.6%4.2–5.1 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.5%4–5 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.4%2.3–2.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.7%6.1–9.4 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.2%7.9–10.6 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 18.3%15.3–21.6 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 18.8%15.6–22.2 | 15.3% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.7%27.3–38.7 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.3%6.3–8.4 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 69.1%64.9–72.9 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65%61.6–68.4 | 62.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.6%79.5–83.6 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 67.4%64.3–70.2 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66%61.1–70.5 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.2%71.3–84 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.2%20.9–27.8 | 20.1% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 37%32.2–42.1 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.7%20.5–27.2 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.9%12–16 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.3%9.8–13 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.4%5.6–7.3 | 7.3% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9%7.9–10 | 9.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.1%10.5–13.8 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.6%24–31.3 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.3%9–11.7 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15%13.3–16.7 | 14.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.1%4.5–5.7 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.4%4–4.8 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.7%6.9–8.6 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.9%2.7–3.2 | 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 Cruz
Is Santa Cruz a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Cruz is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #220 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 68%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Santa Cruz?
CDC estimates 24.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 19.2% and 30.1%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Santa Cruz?
Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, 3.0 miles in a straight line from Santa Cruz’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Santa Cruz have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.3–8.4%), 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 Cruz 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 Santa Cruz.
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.