Health Profile of Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz 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
Santa Cruz Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Santa Cruz | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.9% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Santa Cruz is 80.9 years, about 1.2 years longer than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 3.9%, lower than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.2% of residents, lower than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
15,617 residents in Santa Cruz are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 832 261 men · 571 women
- 75–84 1,894 770 men · 1,124 women
- 65–74 4,137 2,008 men · 2,129 women
- 50–64 8,755 4,287 men · 4,468 women
Younger residents
6,805 residents in Santa Cruz are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,136 1,126 boys · 1,010 girls
- 7–12 1,931 1,013 boys · 918 girls
- 3–7 1,564 832 boys · 732 girls
- 0–3 1,174 632 boys · 543 girls
About 1,401 residents in Santa Cruz (2.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Santa Cruz | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.1% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.9% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.4% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 25.0% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Santa Cruz is about 33% lower than in California. The rate of heart disease in Santa Cruz is about 31% lower than in California. The rate of cancer in Santa Cruz is about 22% lower than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Santa Cruz | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 10.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.7% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 16.4% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Santa Cruz is about 25% lower than in California. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Santa Cruz is about 25% lower than in California. The rate of binge drinking in Santa Cruz is about 15% higher than in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 53,633 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 589,960 minutes a day and 215.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Santa Cruz is 80.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.07 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 | Santa Cruz | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.80 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Santa Cruz is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Santa Cruz, California has an overall health index grade of A, making it notably better than California, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Santa Cruz, California.
What is the health grade for Santa Cruz, California?
Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, California?
People in Santa Cruz, California can expect to live 80.9 years on average, 1.2 years longer than the California average of 79.6.
What percentage of Santa Cruz, California residents are uninsured?
3.9% of residents in Santa Cruz, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 25 people, 2.6 points below the California rate of 6.6%.
What is the obesity rate in Santa Cruz, California?
25.0% of adults in Santa Cruz, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 5.6 points below the California rate of 30.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Santa Cruz, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 53,633 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.6 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 589,960 minutes a day and 215.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Santa Cruz is 80.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.07 lifetimes a year.
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