Best CMS-rated hospitals in California

What the Data Shows About Hospitals in California

California has 378 Medicare-certified hospitals tracked by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare program. Of these, 285 facilities operate an emergency department, an important signal for communities that rely on nearby acute-care access. The statewide average CMS overall star rating is 3.1 out of 5 , calculated across the 280 of 378 hospitals with enough reporting volume to generate a composite rating.

At the top of the quality distribution, 29 hospitals have earned the highest 5-star CMS overall rating in California. The single highest-rated facility in the state registry is Adventist Health Howard Memorial in Willits, currently listed at 5/5 stars. Star ratings are composite scores built from mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience (HCAHPS), and timely & effective care domains, so a single number conceals meaningful per-domain variation that matters for specific procedures.

Showing 300 of 378 hospitals on this page (page 6 of 8). Hospital quality varies materially within a state, urban academic centers, rural critical-access hospitals, and specialty facilities report against different baselines, so comparing individual facility profiles before choosing planned care is more useful than relying on the statewide average alone. All figures reflect the CMS Hospital Compare release from 2026-08-14, and nothing on this page is medical advice, consult a qualified clinician before making care decisions.