Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Woodlands is healthier than 21%
Woodlands differs from California on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 16 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Woodlands. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Woodlands
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Woodlands
1 in 6 adults have had cancer (16.3%), more than twice the California rate. 1 in 9 adults have heart disease (10.6%), about twice the California rate. Arthritis is also above the state: 38.7%, vs 20.8% across California. In all, Woodlands runs above California on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 76% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Woodlands’ lead shrinks
Woodlands is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns, but 21% of the 3,880 towns with similar household incomes ($102K–$171K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
More high blood pressure in Woodlands, and more people treating it
46.6% of adults have high blood pressure (California 30.5%), but 83.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 71.3% statewide. Checkups ↓
Woodlands keeps up with checkups
It beats California on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (83.2% vs 71.9%) and dentist visits (79.4% vs 62.8%). 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 Woodlands’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Woodlands’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Woodlands is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 98% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 19%).
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). Woodlands’ median household income is $136,618; among the 3,880 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($102K–$171K), it’s healthier than 21%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Woodlands adults…
Woodlands runs below CA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
Woodlands is an older town: 76% of residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Woodlands as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Woodlands adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
Care in and near Woodlands
No hospital or community health center in Woodlands 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 Woodlands; ≈ 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.
How Woodlands adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Woodlands does better than California.
3 in 10 Woodlands 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% of Woodlands adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Woodlands and the towns around it
Woodlands’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Woodlands adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Woodlands
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Woodlands is better than California on 16 and worse on 8; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Woodlands’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Woodlands | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.7%15.3–24.8 | 22.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.9%12.2–17.9 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.8%9.9–13.8 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.5%20.2–31.1 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.5%12.1–17.2 | 11.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 46.6%41.9–51.1 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 46.4%41.9–50.9 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 38.7%34.4–42.9 | 20.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.8%8.6–11.1 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 16.3%14.7–18.1 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 10.6%8.9–12.5 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.8%6.6–11.6 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.1%4.2–6.1 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6%4.8–7.4 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.2%6.3–12.4 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20.7%15.8–26.3 | 24.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 9.8%8–11.7 | 15.3% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 24.8%20.1–29.8 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.1%3.1–5.5 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.2%80.4–85.8 | 71.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 79.4%76.7–82 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 94.2%93.2–95.1 | 85.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.2%80.1–85.9 | 71.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 77.9%73.5–81.8 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.4%70–83.7 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.2%17.2–23.3 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.1%23.3–33.1 | 37.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.6%15.8–23.8 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.9%5.4–11 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.5%4.1–7 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.3%2.6–4.1 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.5%3.5–5.7 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8%5.2–11.3 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.4%26.7–38.3 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.3%14.3–22.7 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.2%8–12.4 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.4%8.8–12.1 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.7%3.7–5.9 | 5.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.4%5.8–9.3 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4%3.1–5.1 | 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 Woodlands
Is Woodlands a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Woodlands is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Woodlands?
CDC estimates 25.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.2% and 31.1%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Woodlands?
Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, 9.4 miles in a straight line from Woodlands’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Woodlands have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.1–5.5%), 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 Woodlands 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 Woodlands.
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.