Health Profile of San Diego, California
San Diego 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
San Diego Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | San Diego | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.8% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.3% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in San Diego is 81.1 years, about 1.4 years longer than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 5.8%, lower than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.3% of residents, lower than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
406,975 residents in San Diego are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 22,689 9,248 men · 13,441 women
- 75–84 55,718 24,603 men · 31,115 women
- 65–74 102,800 47,733 men · 55,067 women
- 50–64 225,768 115,466 men · 110,302 women
Younger residents
247,211 residents in San Diego are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 72,519 37,707 boys · 34,813 girls
- 7–12 71,798 37,430 boys · 34,368 girls
- 3–7 57,994 29,673 boys · 28,321 girls
- 0–3 44,900 22,599 boys · 22,301 girls
About 41,185 residents in San Diego (3.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | San Diego | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.4% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.0% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.4% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 27.4% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in San Diego is about 30% lower than in California. The rate of cancer in San Diego is about 21% lower than in California. The rate of diabetes in San Diego is about 20% lower than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | San Diego | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 10.8% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.1% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 19.9% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in San Diego is about 22% lower than in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.2 million cigarettes a day, 36.5 million a month, or 443.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 13.4 million minutes a day and 4.9 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in San Diego is 81.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.31 lifetimes a day, or 114 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 | San Diego | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 10.62 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 10.6 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in San Diego is moderate — acceptable air quality, though unusually sensitive individuals may notice effects.
San Diego, CA Health Compared With Nearby Cities
San Diego, CA is the largest of the 6 cities compared here, 1,376,522 residents against a local median of 57,784. Where San Diego, CA breaks from the cities next to it is uninsured, sitting 18% below the local median of 7.1% at 5.8%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The cities themselves spread 9.3% on uninsured, so San Diego, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. San Diego, CA has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | 1,376,522 | 81.1 yrs #1/6 | 5.8% #3/6 | 27.4% #1/6 |
| La Mesa, CA | 61,731 | 79.7 yrs | 5.0% | 28.5% |
| Lemon Grove, CA | 28,050 | 78.1 yrs | 8.1% | 32.4% |
| Santee, CA | 58,712 | 79.5 yrs | 3.0% | 28.4% |
| National City, CA | 57,784 | 79.9 yrs | 12.3% | 31.1% |
| La Presa, CA | 34,750 | 78.9 yrs | 7.1% | 31.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, San Diego, California has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than California, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in San Diego, California.
Is San Diego, California a healthy place to live?
San Diego, 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 much healthier than the U.S. average.
How long do people live in San Diego, California?
People in San Diego, California can expect to live 81.1 years on average, 1.4 years longer than the California average of 79.6.
What percentage of San Diego, California residents are uninsured?
5.8% of residents in San Diego, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 17 people, 0.7 points below the California rate of 6.6%.
What percentage of San Diego, California residents are obese?
27.4% of adults in San Diego, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 3.2 points below the California rate of 30.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in San Diego, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.2 million cigarettes a day, 36.5 million a month, or 443.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 13.4 million minutes a day and 4.9 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in San Diego is 81.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.31 lifetimes a day, or 114 lifetimes a year.
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