On CDC estimates, Winter Gardens is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns
Winter Gardens differs from California on 10 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Winter Gardens. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Winter Gardens
Depression is more common in Winter Gardens
1 in 4 adults have been diagnosed with depression (24.6%), vs 20.1% across California. Frequent mental distress is above the state too: 18.8%, vs 16.4% across California. Mind & connection ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Winter Gardens’ lead shrinks
Winter Gardens is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns, but 48% of the 8,877 towns with similar household incomes ($73K–$122K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
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 Winter Gardens’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A−.
What’s behind Winter Gardens’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Winter Gardens is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns, #408 of 847 in California. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 90% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 21%).
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). Winter Gardens’ median household income is $97,973; among the 8,877 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($73K–$122K), it’s healthier than 48%, about where its income would put it.
How Winter Gardens adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Winter Gardens runs above California.
4 in 10 Winter Gardens 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.
Out of every 100 Winter Gardens adults…
Winter Gardens runs below CA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 4. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Winter Gardens
No hospital or community health center in Winter Gardens 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 Winter Gardens; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Keeping up with care
Share of Winter Gardens adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
16.1% of Winter Gardens adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Winter Gardens and the towns around it
Winter Gardens’s Health Grade ranks 2nd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Gardens | B | 27.9% | 10.3% | 12.8% | CDC place |
| Santee | A− | 26.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% | CDC place |
| Lakeside | B | 27.9% | 10.6% | 12.8% | CDC place |
| El Cajon | C+ | 30% | 11.8% | 15.3% | CDC place |
| Bostonia | B− | 29.4% | 10.9% | 13.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Winter Gardens adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Winter Gardens
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Winter Gardens is better than California on 4 and worse on 6; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Winter Gardens’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Winter Gardens | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.6%18.7–22.8 | 22.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.9%12.5–15.4 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.8%17–20.7 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 27.9%24.7–31.7 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.3%9.1–11.6 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 30.7%28.4–33.3 | 30.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.3%31.8–37.2 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.8%20.9–25 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.1%9.1–11.3 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.8%7.2–8.6 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.9%5.3–6.5 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.3%5.6–7 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.2%3–3.5 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.6%9.5–13.9 | 10.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.8%11.3–14.6 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 21.6%19.1–24.4 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17.4%15.2–19.9 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.5%32–39.1 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.4%7.3–9.6 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.6%69.9–75.5 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.3%59.3–65.1 | 62.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.3%83.8–86.9 | 85.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 68.6%65.7–71.8 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62.2%58.1–66 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75%68.8–80.4 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.6%22.1–27.4 | 20.1% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 36.4%33.2–40 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.1%25.3–31.2 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 15.9%14.1–18.1 | 17.9% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.3%12.7–16.1 | 14.9% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.2%6.3–8.2 | 7.3% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9%8–10.1 | 9.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 16.1%14.3–18.2 | 15.6% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.8%27.1–32.8 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.7%12.2–15.2 | 13.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.9%14.4–17.6 | 14.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.1%5.5–6.8 | 5.9% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.2%4.7–5.7 | 5.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.7%7.9–9.7 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4%3.6–4.3 | 3.9% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Winter Gardens
Is Winter Gardens a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Winter Gardens is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #408 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 48%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Winter Gardens?
CDC estimates 27.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.7% and 31.7%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Winter Gardens?
Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, 6.2 miles in a straight line from Winter Gardens’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Winter Gardens have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.3–9.6%), 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 Winter Gardens more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Winter Gardens.
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.