Health Profile of Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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A+
Palo Alto Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Palo Alto | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 84.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 2.0% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 8.0% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Palo Alto is 84.9 years, about 5.2 years longer than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 2.0%, lower than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 8.0% of residents, lower than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
26,888 residents in Palo Alto are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,594 915 men · 1,679 women
- 75–84 4,216 1,737 men · 2,479 women
- 65–74 5,698 2,708 men · 2,990 women
- 50–64 14,380 7,102 men · 7,278 women
Younger residents
14,176 residents in Palo Alto are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 5,002 2,519 boys · 2,483 girls
- 7–12 4,209 2,147 boys · 2,063 girls
- 3–7 2,915 1,453 boys · 1,461 girls
- 0–3 2,049 958 boys · 1,091 girls
About 2,649 residents in Palo Alto (3.9% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 84.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Palo Alto | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.7% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.2% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.7% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 19.5% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of obesity in Palo Alto is about 36% lower than in California. The rate of diabetes in Palo Alto is about 27% lower than in California. The rate of heart disease in Palo Alto is about 26% lower than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Palo Alto | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 6.0% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.8% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 13.5% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Palo Alto is about 57% lower than in California. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Palo Alto is about 38% lower than in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 32,118 cigarettes a day, 963,552 a month, or 11.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 353,302 minutes a day and 129.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Palo Alto is 84.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.89 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Palo Alto | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.38 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.4 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Palo Alto is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Palo Alto, CA Health Compared With Nearby Cities
How Palo Alto, CA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto, CA | 68,352 | 84.9 yrs #2/2 | 2.0% #2/2 | 19.5% #2/2 |
| Los Altos, CA | 30,560 | 85.5 yrs | 1.4% | 19.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Palo Alto, California has an overall health index grade of A+, making it far better than California, and far better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Palo Alto, California.
How healthy is Palo Alto, California?
Palo Alto, California has a Map AI Health Index grade of A+, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A+ grade means residents are among the healthiest and longest-living in the country.
What is the life expectancy in Palo Alto, California?
People in Palo Alto, California can expect to live 84.9 years on average, 5.2 years longer than the California average of 79.6.
What is the uninsured rate in Palo Alto, California?
2.0% of residents in Palo Alto, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 50 people, 4.6 points below the California rate of 6.6%.
What percentage of Palo Alto, California residents are obese?
19.5% of adults in Palo Alto, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 5, 11.1 points below the California rate of 30.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Palo Alto, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 32,118 cigarettes a day, 963,552 a month, or 11.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 353,302 minutes a day and 129.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Palo Alto is 84.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.89 lifetimes a year.
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