Photo: Bluesnote · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Thousand Palms is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns
Thousand Palms differs from California on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 20 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Thousand Palms. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Thousand Palms
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Thousand Palms
1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.4%), vs 5.1% across California. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.2%), vs 5.6% across California. Stroke is also above the state: 4.7%, vs 3.1% across California. In all, Thousand Palms runs above California on nine of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
More Thousand Palms adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (33.1%), vs 24.6% across California. There are 30 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Thousand Palms
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (24.5%), vs 17.9% across California. Utility shut-off threats (10.1% vs 7.3%) and housing insecurity (19.3% vs 14.9%) are higher too. 22.2% of adults receive SNAP, vs 15.6% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Thousand Palms’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C+.
What’s behind Thousand Palms’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Thousand Palms is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns, #725 of 847 in California. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 65% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 5%).
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). Thousand Palms’ median household income is $77,000; among the 10,829 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($58K–$96K), it’s healthier than 12%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Thousand Palms compares well: binge drinking, 12.2% (U.S. 15.4%).
Out of every 100 Thousand Palms adults…
Thousand Palms runs above CA on 10 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
30 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
22.2% of Thousand Palms adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Care in and near Thousand Palms
No hospital or community health center in Thousand Palms itself. These are the nearest.
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 Thousand Palms; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Thousand Palms adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
How Thousand Palms adults are doing
About the same as California on each measure.
1 in 3 Thousand Palms 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.
Thousand Palms and the towns around it
Thousand Palms’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thousand Palms | C− | 39.8% | 16.3% | 13.2% | CDC place |
| Desert Palms | B− | 28.5% | 18.1% | 7.6% | CDC place |
| Sky Valley | C− | 39.4% | 17% | 14.5% | CDC place |
| Palm Desert | B | 33.5% | 13.4% | 9.5% | CDC place |
| Cathedral City | C | 37.8% | 14.2% | 12.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Thousand Palms adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Thousand Palms
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Thousand Palms is better than California on 3 and worse on 20; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Thousand Palms’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Thousand Palms | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 30.6%27.1–34.2 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.1%16–20.2 | 13.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.8%14.9–18.8 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.8%35.4–44.3 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 16.3%14.3–18.3 | 11.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.5%37.5–43.6 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.7%38.6–44.8 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 31%28.4–33.5 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.6%8.5–10.8 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.8%8–9.6 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.2%8.2–10.2 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.4%7.1–9.6 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.6%12.8–18.7 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.2%11–15.4 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 33.1%29–37.3 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 12.2%10.4–14.3 | 15.3% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.4%34.3–42.5 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 16%12.7–19.9 | 10.6% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.5%71.7–77.5 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 54.5%51.1–57.9 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.7%83.7–87.8 | 85.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.1%73.5–78.6 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62.8%58.4–67.1 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.7%71.7–82.9 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.8%19.3–24.6 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35.1%31.5–39 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.5%23.3–30 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 24.5%20.5–28.4 | 17.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 19.3%16.4–22.3 | 14.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.1%8.6–11.8 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.9%10.2–13.8 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 22.2%18.5–26 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 41.8%37.7–45.7 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 22.4%19.7–25.1 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.3%15.1–19.6 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.4%8.4–10.5 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 8.6%7.5–9.7 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.3%9.8–12.8 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.9%5.2–6.7 | 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 Thousand Palms
Is Thousand Palms a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Thousand Palms is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns: C− for health, #725 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 12%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Thousand Palms?
CDC estimates 39.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 35.4% and 44.3%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Thousand Palms?
Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, 5.4 miles in a straight line from Thousand Palms’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Thousand Palms have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 16% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 12.7–19.9%), 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 Thousand Palms more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Thousand Palms.
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.