Photo: Kiran891 · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Vero Beach is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns
Vero Beach differs from Florida on 16 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 11 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Vero Beach. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Vero Beach
Vero Beach is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Vero Beach is healthier than 65%. Against the 10,498 towns with similar household incomes ($52K–$87K), it’s healthier than 82%. Health Grade ↓
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Vero Beach
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (13%), vs 9.1% across Florida. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (33.2%), vs 26.6% across Florida. Heart disease is also above the state: 9.2%, vs 7.5% across Florida. In all, Vero Beach runs above Florida on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (Florida 21%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Vero Beach keeps up with checkups
It beats Florida on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (62.2% vs 57.4%) and cholesterol checks (89.1% vs 87%). Checkups ↓
Health varies a lot right around Vero Beach
Grades next door run from South Beach (A) to Gifford (D−). Vero Beach is a B+. Around town ↓
Fewer Vero Beach adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Florida. 1 in 8 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults 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 Florida figure falls outside Vero Beach’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A−.
What’s behind Vero Beach’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Vero Beach is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns, #250 of 636 in Florida. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 93% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 28%).
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). Vero Beach’s median household income is $69,758; among the 10,498 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($52K–$87K), it’s healthier than 82%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Vero Beach adults…
Vero Beach runs below FL on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Vero Beach is an older town: 29% of residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Florida. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Vero Beach as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Vero Beach adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Florida.
Vero Beach and the towns around it
Vero Beach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vero Beach | B+ | 26.3% | 13.6% | 12% | CDC place |
| Vero Beach South | B+ | 26.6% | 12.8% | 12.2% | CDC place |
| South Beach | A | 21.3% | 12.3% | 6.5% | CDC place |
| Indian River Shores | A− | 21.1% | 15% | 6.2% | CDC place |
| Gifford | D− | 41.3% | 22.8% | 22.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
12.1% of Vero Beach adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15% across Florida.
Care in and near Vero Beach
2 community health centers in Vero Beach, 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 Vero Beach; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with Florida
Share of adults, with the Florida figure marked.
10 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves
How Vero Beach adults are doing
On 1 of 3 measures, Vero Beach does better than Florida.
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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Vero Beach adults live with a disability (Florida 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Vero Beach
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Vero Beach is better than Florida on 11 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Florida figure falls inside Vero Beach’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Vero Beach | FL | U.S. | vs FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.2%16.9–21.5 | 20.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.8%13.1–16.5 | 14.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%12.9–16.1 | 15.8% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 26.3%21.4–31.2 | 31.9% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 13.6%11.9–15.3 | 13.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.5%34.7–42 | 36.6% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 42.2%38.2–45.9 | 39% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 33.2%30–36.2 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.2%8.2–10.4 | 9.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13%11.9–14.1 | 9.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.2%8.3–10.2 | 7.5% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.8%7.8–9.8 | 7.2% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.4%4–4.8 | 3.8% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.5%10.4–14.8 | 12.7% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12%10.4–13.8 | 12.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24.1%20.6–27.6 | 26.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.6%10.4–15 | 14.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.7%28.6–39 | 37.3% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 12.3%10.7–14 | 15.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.4%78.4–84 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.2%58.9–65.4 | 57.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.1%87.7–90.4 | 87% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.2%79.5–84.5 | 78.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.6%68.3–76.6 | 65.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.1%68.3–81.2 | 76.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.3%14.7–20 | 17.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21%18.3–23.8 | 24.7% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.7%11.4–14 | 16.8% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.8%8.7–11 | 13.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.4%5.7–7.2 | 8.6% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.3%6.6–7.9 | 9.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.1%10.9–13.3 | 15% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.8%28.2–35.3 | 31.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.2%14.3–18.2 | 15.1% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.6%11.2–14 | 13.7% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.6%8.6–10.6 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.6%5.1–6.2 | 6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.2%7.3–9.1 | 8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.1%3.7–4.5 | 4.1% | 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 Florida figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Vero Beach
Is Vero Beach a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Vero Beach is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #250 of 636 in Florida. 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 Vero Beach?
CDC estimates 26.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 21.4% and 31.2%, against 31.9% across Florida and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Vero Beach?
Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital in Vero Beach, 0.7 miles in a straight line from Vero Beach’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Vero Beach have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 12.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.7–14%), against 15.9% across Florida.
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 Vero Beach 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 Vero Beach.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Florida 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.