Health · Alta

Alta, CA health

Alta differs from California on 19 of 40 measures. It has fewer uninsured adults (5.4% vs 10.6%) and fewer adults facing housing insecurity (10.1% vs 14.9%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.8% vs 6.4%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Alta
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 656 people are less certain, so we show Alta's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Alta compares with California

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Alta adults…

39 of every 100 Alta adults have high blood pressure
California: 31 in 100 · worse · margin 34.8–43.5%

Bars show Alta; the black tick is California. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Alta, betterAlta, worseToo close to callCalifornia
Get no exerciseshare of adults 22.2% Alta
CA 24.6%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 32.6% Alta
CA 35.1%
Binge drinkshare of adults 15.4% Alta
CA 15.3%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.7% Alta
CA 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Alta adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.

76%
Yearly checkup
CA 72%
62%
Dentist visit
CA 63%
89%
Cholesterol check
CA 85%
67%
Colon screening
CA 58%
74%
Mammogram
CA 76%
76%
Taking BP meds
CA 71%
1 in 19
working-age adults has no health insurance
Alta 5.4% · California 1 in 9 (10.6%)
Mind & connection

How Alta adults are doing

1 in 3Alta adults feel lonely
31.5% · California 37.3% · better
1 in 4Alta adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.2% · California 20.1% · worse
1 in 4Alta adults lack social or emotional support
23.1% · California 28.6% · better
1 in 6Alta adults are in frequent mental distress
17.5% · California 16.4% · too close to call
Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 8
Alta adults worry about having enough food
12.2% · CA 17.9% · better
1 in 10
Alta adults worry about keeping their housing
10.1% · CA 14.9% · better
1 in 16
Alta adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.2% · CA 7.3% · about the same
1 in 14
Alta adults lack reliable transportation
7.2% · CA 9.3% · better

13.1% of Alta adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.

Disability

Living with a disability

32.4%

of Alta adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs16.2%
Thinking or memory14.5%
Hearing8.4%
Errands alone8.8%
Vision5%
Dressing or bathing4.3%

Black tick: California. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Getting care

Care in and near Alta

No hospital or community health center in Alta itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERSierra Nevada Memorial HospitalGrass Valley · 13.3 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySutter Auburn Faith Hospital★★★★★ · 24.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careWestern Sierra Medical ClinicNevada City · 12.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
12.4 mi
Western Sierra Medical Clinic
8 sites · nearest in Nevada City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
13.3 mi
Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital
Grass Valley · ★★★★★
ER
24.8 mi
Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital
Auburn · ★★★★★
ER
32.8 mi
Tahoe Forest Hospital
Truckee · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
33.9 mi
Marshall Medical Center
Placerville · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careAlta is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careAlta is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthAlta is not a shortage area

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 Alta. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

All 40 measures for Alta
MeasureAltaMarginCalifornia
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure39.1%34.8–43.5%30.5%worse
High cholesterol40.2%36–44.5%35.4%worse
Obesity31.5%25.1–38.7%27.8%about the same
Arthritis30.6%27.1–34.4%20.8%worse
Depression24.2%20.7–27.9%20.1%worse
Lost all teeth (65+)13.5%11–16.5%10.6%worse
Asthma11%9.7–12.4%9.3%worse
Cancer (not skin)10.8%9.6–12%6.4%worse
Diabetes12.4%10.6–14.4%11.7%about the same
COPD8.2%6.6–9.9%5.1%worse
Heart disease8.4%7.2–9.6%5.6%worse
Stroke4.1%3.6–4.8%3.1%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes13.7%10.8–16.7%10.9%about the same
Binge drink15.4%12.6–18.4%15.3%about the same
Get no exercise22.2%17.8–26.9%24.6%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours32.6%27.2–38.5%35.1%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup75.7%71.8–79.3%71.9%about the same
Dentist visit62.3%58.8–65.7%62.8%about the same
Cholesterol check88.5%86.5–90.2%85.4%better
Colon screening66.6%61.4–71.4%57.5%better
Mammogram74.4%66.6–81.2%75.7%about the same
Taking BP meds76%72.4–79%71.3%better
No health insurance5.4%4.1–7.1%10.6%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely31.5%26.5–36.6%37.3%better
Lack emotional support23.1%19.2–27%28.6%better
Frequent mental distress17.5%15.2–19.9%16.4%about the same
Fair or poor health21.1%17.6–25.1%22.1%about the same
Frequent physical distress15.7%13.3–18.1%13.4%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity12.2%9.5–15.4%17.9%better
Housing insecurity10.1%8.1–12.3%14.9%better
Utility shut-off threat6.2%5–7.4%7.3%about the same
No reliable transportation7.2%6–8.6%9.3%better
Receive SNAP13.1%9.9–16.7%15.6%
Disability
Any disability32.4%27.6–37.6%30.4%
Walking or climbing stairs16.2%13.5–19.3%13.8%
Thinking or memory14.5%12.2–17%14.6%
Hearing8.4%7.2–9.6%5.9%
Vision5%4.2–5.8%5.6%
Dressing or bathing4.3%3.6–5.2%3.9%
Errands alone8.8%7.4–10.4%8.1%
About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Alta door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the California figure falls inside it, we don't call Alta better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Alta directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The California figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/19 · 2025-01-01