Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome · Photo: Richard Wang took this photo and has released it under the GDFL. · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Santa Monica is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns
Santa Monica differs from California on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 22 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Santa Monica. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Santa Monica
Santa Monica is an active town
Only 16.2% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. Habits ↓
Santa Monica has a five-star hospital
Santa Monica - UCLA Medical Center & Orthopaedic Hospital is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
Binge drinking is the habit Santa Monica doesn’t win on
17.2% of adults binge drink, vs 15.3% across California, even though fewer of them smoke and more of them exercise. Habits ↓
Santa Monica keeps up with checkups
It beats California on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (72.3% vs 62.8%) and cholesterol checks (88.2% vs 85.4%). Checkups ↓
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 Monica’s likely range.
What’s behind Santa Monica’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Monica is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns, #86 of 847 in California. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 98% of towns); the weakest is fair or poor health, still better than 83%.
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 Monica’s median household income is $114,885; among the 6,463 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($86K–$144K), it’s healthier than 94%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
9.3 miles of trails across 23 parks and preserves
Care in and near Santa Monica
2 hospitals and 2 community health centers in Santa Monica, 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 Monica; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Santa Monica adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Out of every 100 Santa Monica adults…
Santa Monica runs below CA on 7 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
How Santa Monica adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Santa Monica does better than California.
4 in 10 Santa Monica 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.
8.7% of Santa Monica adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Santa Monica and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 Monica | A | 23% | 8.7% | 8% | CDC place |
| Los Angeles | B− | 27.3% | 11.9% | 11.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Santa Monica adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Santa Monica
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Santa Monica is better than California on 22 and worse on 2; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Santa Monica’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Santa Monica | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.2%13.9–16.4 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11%10–11.9 | 13.4% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.7%13.5–15.9 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 23%20.5–25.5 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8.7%7.8–9.6 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 27.8%25.9–29.8 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.8%33.6–38.1 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 20.7%19.1–22.3 | 20.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.3%8.5–10.3 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.1%7.5–8.8 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.7%4.3–5.1 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.1%3.7–4.5 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.6%2.4–2.8 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 5.4%4.4–6.4 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8%7.1–9 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16.2%14.7–17.9 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17.2%15.4–19.1 | 15.3% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.6%28.9–34.2 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.6%4–5.2 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.7%71.4–75.8 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72.3%70.1–74.2 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.2%87–89.3 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 72%69.6–74.3 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.6%60.3–66.6 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.6%73.9–82.6 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.3%19.4–23.3 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 36%33.4–38.7 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.8%21.8–26.1 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.3%8.4–10.4 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.8%7.9–9.8 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.3%3.8–4.9 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.7%5.1–6.4 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.7%7.7–9.8 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 24.6%22.8–26.5 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.3%9.4–11.3 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.4%10.4–12.4 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.3%4.8–5.8 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.6%3.3–3.9 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.2%5.7–6.8 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.5–3 | 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 Santa Monica
Is Santa Monica a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Monica is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns: A for health, #86 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 94%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Santa Monica?
CDC estimates 23% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.5% and 25.5%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Santa Monica?
Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, 1.8 miles in a straight line from Santa Monica’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Santa Monica have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4–5.2%), 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 Monica 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 Monica.
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.