Tulelake is an isolated rural community located in Siskiyou County, California. With a population of just under 2,000 people, Tulelake is a small community that faces unique health challenges due to its size and remote location. Local healthcare resources are limited, but there are two hospitals within a 50-mile radius from Tulelake offering primary care services. In addition, the area has several local medical facilities including a community health center providing low-cost medical treatment and preventive care for the uninsured, as well as other specialized services such as mental health counseling and home health support. Despite these limited resources, residents of Tulelake benefit from the many natural beauty spots nearby which provide opportunities for outdoor recreation and exercise. The county also offers free health assessments to encourage healthy lifestyles and prevention of chronic diseases like heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
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 149 physicians per 100,000 population in Tulelake. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Tulelake 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 Tulelake area is 60 (100=best). The US average is 55.
60 / 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 Tulelake area is 37 (100=best). The US average is 87.
37 / 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 Tulelake commutes 18.9 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Tulelake area is 89 (100=best). The US average is 58.
89 / 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.