Inyo County, California is a rural area made up of small towns and unincorporated areas. Despite this, the county has excellent health care access due to its proximity to larger cities such as Bishop and Lone Pine. Inyo County has several local hospitals and medical facilities that are able to provide basic services to residents. These include Northern Inyo Hospital in Bishop, Lone Pine Medical Center, Manzanar Health Center in Independence, and Owens Valley Indian Health Services in Bishop. Residents also benefit from access to nearby specialty medical centers or hospitals in Fresno, Bakersfield, and Mammoth Lakes. Additionally, there are numerous private practice physicians throughout the county who offer a variety of primary care services. The population is relatively small when compared to other counties in California, making it easier for community members to obtain quality health care services close to home.
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 186 physicians per 100,000 population in Inyo County. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Inyo County area is 94.7 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
94.7 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Inyo County area is 28 (100=best). The US average is 55.
28 / 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 Inyo County area is 79 (100=best). The US average is 87.
79 / 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 Inyo County commutes 16.9 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 Inyo County area is 88 (100=best). The US average is 58.
88 / 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.