Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Los Altos is healthier than 96%
Los Altos differs from Texas on 13 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Los Altos. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Los Altos
Los Altos is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Los Altos is healthier than 43%. Against the 127 towns with similar household incomes ($17K–$28K), it’s healthier than 96%. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Los Altos
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (27.4%), vs 19.3% across Texas. Housing insecurity (21.3% vs 16.4%) and no reliable transportation (13.3% vs 10.5%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Many Los Altos adults are uninsured, but health holds up
1 in 3 working-age adults has no health insurance (34.2%, vs 19.1% across Texas). Yet the share who say their health is fair or poor, 25.6%, is about level with the state’s 21.8%. Checkups ↓
Los Altos is older than Texas, yet healthier on chronic conditions
Los Altos runs below Texas on five chronic conditions, most of all COPD (3.6% vs 5.7%), cancer (4% vs 6.1%) and arthritis (16.6% vs 21.6%). That’s despite an older population: 31% of residents are 65 or older (Texas 13%). Conditions ↓
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 Texas figure falls outside Los Altos’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
What’s behind Los Altos’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Los Altos is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 92% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 8%).
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). Los Altos’ median household income is $22,177; among the 127 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($17K–$28K), it’s healthier than 96%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Los Altos compares well: high blood pressure, 28% (U.S. 34.4%); arthritis, 16.6% (U.S. 25.3%); asthma, 8.2% (U.S. 9.9%).
Out of every 100 Los Altos adults…
Los Altos runs below TX on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Los Altos is an older town: 31% of residents are 65 or older, vs 13% across Texas. Many conditions rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Los Altos as about how healthy they are.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
18.5% of Los Altos adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.6% across Texas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Los Altos adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Texas.
Care in and near Los Altos
No hospital or community health center in Los Altos 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 Los Altos; ≈ 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 Texas
Share of adults, with the Texas figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
How Los Altos adults are doing
About the same as Texas on each measure.
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.
Los Altos and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Altos | C+ | 37.3% | 13.5% | 8.9% | CDC place |
| Tanquecitos South Acres | — | — | — | — | |
| Laredo | C− | 42.2% | 16.4% | 13.1% | CDC place |
| Tanquecitos South Acres II | — | — | — | — |
Tanquecitos South Acres and Tanquecitos South Acres II: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Los Altos adults live with a disability (Texas 30.9%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Los Altos
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Los Altos is better than Texas on 7 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Texas figure falls inside Los Altos’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Los Altos | TX | U.S. | vs TX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 25.6%20.8–30.6 | 21.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.4%11.3–15.6 | 13.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.4%14.1–18.9 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.3%29.1–45.7 | 35.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.5%11.6–15.4 | 12.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 28%24.6–31.4 | 33.1% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.2%28.3–36.1 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 16.6%14.3–19 | 21.6% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 8.2%7.1–9.4 | 9.5% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4%3.5–4.5 | 6.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.1%4.3–6 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 3.6%2.8–4.5 | 5.7% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.6%2.2–3.1 | 3.2% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.3%8.2–12.8 | 12.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.9%6.8–11.2 | 12.5% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 34.7%28.6–41.2 | 27.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.5%13.4–19.9 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.2%30.5–44.1 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 34.2%25.8–44.2 | 19.1% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 70.9%66.2–75.3 | 73.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 47.5%43.6–51.5 | 54.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.4%77.5–85.1 | 84.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73%70.3–75.6 | 74.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.7%56.2–66.8 | 57.9% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.5%63.6–80 | 74.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.3%15.2–21.6 | 21.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 31.6%27.6–35.7 | 28.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 27.4%24.8–30.1 | 19.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 21.3%19.1–23.8 | 16.4% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 11.8%10.4–13.4 | 10.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 13.3%12–14.6 | 10.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 18.5%16.6–20.7 | 14.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.8%29.3–40.6 | 30.9% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.2%11.6–17 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.8%13.6–20.3 | 15.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.3%5.5–7.2 | 6.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 7.6%6.2–9 | 6.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8%6.4–9.8 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.1–4.6 | 4% | 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 Texas figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Los Altos
Is Los Altos a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Los Altos is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns: C+ 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 Los Altos?
CDC estimates 37.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.1% and 45.7%, against 35.6% across Texas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Los Altos?
Doctors Hospital of Laredo in Laredo, 6.0 miles in a straight line from Los Altos’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Los Altos have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 34.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 25.8–44.2%), against 19.1% across Texas.
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 Los Altos more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Los Altos.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Texas 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.