Photo: The Sands of Time 0 · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Sunnyvale as a whole is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns
Sunnyvale differs from California on 25 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 24 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Sunnyvale. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Sunnyvale
COPD and heart disease are less common in Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale runs below California on nine chronic conditions, most of all COPD (2.6% vs 5.1%), heart disease (3.4% vs 5.6%) and stroke (1.9% vs 3.1%). Conditions ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Sunnyvale’s lead shrinks
Sunnyvale is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns, but 82% of the 1,223 towns with similar household incomes ($140K–$233K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Few Sunnyvale adults smoke
6.7% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 10.9% across California. Habits ↓
Sunnyvale is an active town
Only 18.6% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. The town has 16 miles of trails across 31 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 Sunnyvale’s likely range.
What’s behind Sunnyvale’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sunnyvale is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns, #26 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 89%.
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). Sunnyvale’s median household income is $186,170; among the 1,223 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($140K–$233K), it’s healthier than 82%, about where its income would put it.
At 156,577 residents, Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale adults…
Sunnyvale runs below CA on 12 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Sunnyvale 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.
16 miles of trails across 31 parks and preserves
Care in and near Sunnyvale
2 community health centers in Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Sunnyvale adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
How Sunnyvale adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Sunnyvale does better than California.
2 in 5 Sunnyvale 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.
6.4% of Sunnyvale adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Sunnyvale and the towns around it
Sunnyvale’s Health Grade ranks 4th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale | A+ | 19.7% | 8.3% | 6.7% | CDC place |
| Cupertino | A+ | 16.3% | 9.8% | 5.3% | CDC place |
| Mountain View | A+ | 21.3% | 7.6% | 6.9% | CDC place |
| Santa Clara | A+ | 20.4% | 8.2% | 7.2% | CDC place |
| Los Altos | A+ | 19.7% | 9.5% | 5.1% | CDC place |
| San Jose | A− | 23.7% | 11.1% | 9.4% | CDC place |
| Fremont | A+ | 17.3% | 9.8% | 7.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Sunnyvale adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Sunnyvale
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sunnyvale is better than California on 24 and worse on 1; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Sunnyvale’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Sunnyvale | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 12.8%11.4–14.4 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 8.4%7.4–9.4 | 13.4% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.9%11.5–14.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 19.7%16.5–23.2 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8.3%7.3–9.5 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 23.2%20.8–25.9 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 31.4%28.4–34.6 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 13.9%12.3–15.7 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 7.5%6.6–8.4 | 9.3% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.1%4.6–5.6 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.4%3.1–3.8 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 2.6%2.4–2.9 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 1.9%1.7–2 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 4.9%3.9–6 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 6.7%5.8–7.7 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 18.6%16.1–21.3 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 13.5%11.4–15.7 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.7%27.1–34.5 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.2%4.5–5.9 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 70%66.5–73.3 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.7%68–73.3 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.6%84.9–88.1 | 85.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 67.3%64.1–70.5 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.5%57.3–65.6 | 57.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.1%73.1–84.3 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.2%14.9–19.6 | 20.1% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 37.9%33.9–42 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.7%24.5–30.8 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.3%8–10.6 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.1%7.1–9.2 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.8%3.3–4.4 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.4%4.7–6 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.4%5.6–7.4 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 19.9%17.6–22.4 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 7.4%6.5–8.4 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.2%8.2–10.3 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 4%3.5–4.5 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3%2.7–3.2 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.5%4–4.9 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 1.9%1.7–2 | 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 Sunnyvale
Is Sunnyvale a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sunnyvale is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #26 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 82%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Sunnyvale?
CDC estimates 19.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 16.5% and 23.2%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Sunnyvale?
El Camino Health in Mountain View, 3.1 miles in a straight line from Sunnyvale’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Sunnyvale have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.5–5.9%), 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 Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale.
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.