State Profile

California

Population (2024): 38,138,100 million

California’s public health outcomes and emergency preparedness betters some states but falls behind others. According to TFAH’s 2025 Ready or Not: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism report, the state placed in the middle-performance tier for public health emergency preparedness. Deaths within the state due to drug misuse, alcohol, or suicide are lower than the average for other states. Based on 2024 data, its rates of obesity and related conditions indicate a mixed picture with the percentage of adults with obesity and diabetes lower than the U.S. median, while hypertension rates are higher than the U.S median.