Health · Felton

Felton, CA health

Felton differs from California on 19 of 40 measures. It has fewer uninsured adults (4.4% vs 10.6%) and fewer adults facing food insecurity (7.5% vs 17.9%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (9.3% vs 6.4%).

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

Felton’s Health Grade: A

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Felton is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns and 90% of California towns.

ASelf-rated healthAPhysical distressA-Mental distressA+ObesityADiabetesASmokingA+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 94%
Less healthyHealthier
California towns we grade (1,056)Healthier than 90%
Towns with similar incomes, $92K–$154K (4,971)Healthier than 90%

About what its income would suggest. Felton does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Felton could be anywhere from A− to A+.
How the Health Grade works
  • Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in California ranking.
  • Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
  • Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Felton with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
  • Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Felton uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
Report card

How Felton 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 Felton adults…

30 of every 100 Felton adults have high blood pressure
California: 31 in 100 · too close to call · margin 26.3–33.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Felton, betterFelton, worseToo close to callCalifornia
Get no exerciseshare of adults 15% Felton
CA 24.6%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 31.1% Felton
CA 35.1%
Binge drinkshare of adults 18.8% Felton
CA 15.3%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 8.6% Felton
CA 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

73%
Yearly checkup
CA 72%
73%
Dentist visit
CA 63%
90%
Cholesterol check
CA 85%
70%
Colon screening
CA 58%
82%
Mammogram
CA 76%
72%
Taking BP meds
CA 71%
1 in 23
working-age adults has no health insurance
Felton 4.4% · California 1 in 9 (10.6%)
Mind & connection

How Felton adults are doing

1 in 3Felton adults feel lonely
31.8% · California 37.3% · better
1 in 4Felton adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.2% · California 20.1% · too close to call
1 in 5Felton adults lack social or emotional support
20.4% · California 28.6% · better
1 in 7Felton adults are in frequent mental distress
15% · 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 13
Felton adults worry about having enough food
7.5% · CA 17.9% · better
1 in 14
Felton adults worry about keeping their housing
7.4% · CA 14.9% · better
1 in 23
Felton adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.3% · CA 7.3% · better
1 in 20
Felton adults lack reliable transportation
5.1% · CA 9.3% · better

6.6% of Felton adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.

Disability

Living with a disability

23.7%

of Felton adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs10.5%
Thinking or memory10.9%
Hearing5.4%
Errands alone5.8%
Vision3.2%
Dressing or bathing2.6%

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

Around Felton

Felton and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Felton.

Ben Lomond: 25.3% Bonny Doon: 25.8% Mount Hermon: 23.7% Brookdale: 25.3% Lompico: 25.6% Zayante: 25.7% Felton: 24.6% Felton Ben Lomond Bonny Doon Mount Hermon Santa Cruz Mountain Health Center 2 · Ben Lomond · 3.6 mi+
23.7%25.8%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#2 of 7towns on this map, healthiest first
Mount Hermon23.7%
Felton24.6%
Ben Lomond25.3%
Bonny Doon25.8%
6 places to get careNearest ER 6.4 mi

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

Getting care

Care in and near Felton

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

HNearest ERDominican HospitalSanta Cruz · 6.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyGood Samaritan Hospital★★★★★ · 16.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSanta Cruz Community Health CentersBen Lomond · 3.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
3.6 mi
Santa Cruz Community Health Centers
2 sites · nearest in Ben Lomond
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
4.4 mi
County of Santa Cruz
6 sites · nearest in Santa Cruz
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
6.4 mi
Dominican Hospital
Santa Cruz · ★★★★★
ER
6.7 mi
Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz · not rated
16.4 mi
Good Samaritan Hospital
San Jose · ★★★★★
ER
17.6 mi
Watsonville Community Hospital
Watsonville · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careFelton is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careFelton is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthFelton 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 Felton. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

All 40 measures for Felton
MeasureFeltonMarginCalifornia
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure30%26.3–33.7%30.5%about the same
High cholesterol35.6%31.5–39.8%35.4%about the same
Obesity24.6%19.3–30.4%27.8%about the same
Arthritis22.7%19.7–25.6%20.8%about the same
Depression23.2%19.9–26.8%20.1%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)6.2%5–7.7%10.6%better
Asthma9.9%8.8–11.2%9.3%about the same
Cancer (not skin)9.3%8.4–10.3%6.4%worse
Diabetes8.6%7.3–9.9%11.7%better
COPD4.6%3.9–5.4%5.1%about the same
Heart disease5.2%4.5–5.8%5.6%about the same
Stroke2.7%2.4–3%3.1%better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes8.6%6.8–10.3%10.9%better
Binge drink18.8%15.7–22.1%15.3%worse
Get no exercise15%12–18.1%24.6%better
Sleep under 7 hours31.1%25.7–37%35.1%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup73.3%69.5–76.9%71.9%about the same
Dentist visit72.7%69.6–75.6%62.8%better
Cholesterol check89.5%87.9–90.9%85.4%better
Colon screening69.6%65–73.9%57.5%better
Mammogram81.5%75.2–86.7%75.7%about the same
Taking BP meds72.3%68.6–75.8%71.3%about the same
No health insurance4.4%3.6–5.3%10.6%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely31.8%27.2–36.6%37.3%better
Lack emotional support20.4%17.2–23.9%28.6%better
Frequent mental distress15%13.2–16.9%16.4%about the same
Fair or poor health14.6%12.3–16.9%22.1%better
Frequent physical distress11.3%9.8–12.9%13.4%better
Everyday needs
Food insecurity7.5%6.1–9.2%17.9%better
Housing insecurity7.4%6.1–8.8%14.9%better
Utility shut-off threat4.3%3.6–5.1%7.3%better
No reliable transportation5.1%4.4–6%9.3%better
Receive SNAP6.6%5.3–8.2%15.6%
Disability
Any disability23.7%20.1–27.4%30.4%
Walking or climbing stairs10.5%8.8–12.2%13.8%
Thinking or memory10.9%9.4–12.5%14.6%
Hearing5.4%4.7–6.1%5.9%
Vision3.2%2.8–3.6%5.6%
Dressing or bathing2.6%2.3–3%3.9%
Errands alone5.8%5–6.7%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 Felton door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the California figure falls inside it, we don't call Felton better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Felton 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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