Berkeley, CA is a vibrant city with a diverse population and many health services available. The city is home to several local hospitals including Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Berkeley Outpatient Surgical Center, and Herrick Campus of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. These hospitals provide a range of services from emergency care to primary care and specialty care. In addition to these local hospitals, there are numerous medical facilities located throughout the city which offer various forms of health care services such as physical therapy, chiropractic care, and urgent care. These medical facilities provide convenient access to affordable health care for residents within Berkeley, as well as those living in surrounding areas. With so many different options for medical treatment available in Berkeley, it is easy to see why the citizens of this thriving city take their health seriously.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 226 physicians per 100,000 population in Berkeley. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Berkeley area is 97.6 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
97.6 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Berkeley area is 32 (100=best). The US average is 55.
32 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Berkeley area is 94 (100=best). The US average is 87.
94 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Berkeley commutes 28.7 minutes one-way, which is longer than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Berkeley area is 51 (100=best). The US average is 58.
51 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.