What is the CMS overall star rating distribution for California hospitals?

Among the 280 rated hospitals in California: 29 hospitals received 1 star; 59 hospitals received 2 stars; 76 hospitals received 3 stars; 87 hospitals received 4 stars; 29 hospitals received 5 stars. CMS star ratings summarize performance across quality measures; a higher rating indicates relatively stronger measured performance. For the full methodology and to view individual hospitals, visit Medicare.gov Care Compare (https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/).

What do patients report about their hospital experiences in California?

The average HCAHPS (patient experience) star rating across rated hospitals in California is 2.9 out of 5, based on CMS Care Compare data. HCAHPS measures patient-reported experiences such as communication with nurses and doctors, hospital cleanliness, and overall rating. This figure is a state aggregate — individual hospital scores vary. View individual hospital HCAHPS results at Medicare.gov Care Compare (https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/).

Where can I compare hospitals in California and find one for my care?

For individual hospital comparisons, quality scores, patient reviews, and to find care near you, visit Medicare.gov Care Compare (https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/). Care Atlas provides state-level aggregate reference data from CMS; it does not select or recommend hospitals for individual patients.

Hospital Quality in California — CMS Care Compare Data

Q: How many hospitals are in California according to CMS?

CMS Care Compare reports 378 hospitals in California. Of those, 280 have a CMS overall star rating and 98 do not (star ratings are not assigned to all hospital types). This is a count from the dataset; it is not a recommendation about any hospital.

Q: What types of hospitals are in California?

California hospitals in the CMS Care Compare dataset include: 277 Acute Care Hospitals, 40 Psychiatric, 38 Critical Access Hospitals, 10 Childrens, 8 Acute Care - Veterans Administration, 5 Acute Care - Department of Defense. Hospital type affects which quality measures apply and whether a CMS star rating is assigned.

378 hospitals are reported in California in CMS Care Compare. 280 have a CMS overall star rating — per the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Last updated: June 20, 2026 · Source: CMS Care Compare (2026)

378

Hospitals reported

280

With CMS star rating

2.9

Avg HCAHPS star (state)

Hospital types

This page informs and compares using provenanced CMS quality data. It does not recommend a hospital, say any hospital is "good" or "best", diagnose, or substitute for clinical judgment. For individual hospital comparisons, quality scores, and to find care, go to Medicare.gov Care Compare.

How many hospitals are in California?

CMS Care Compare reports 378 hospitals in California. Of those, 280 have a CMS overall star rating and 98 do not. Star ratings are not assigned to all hospital types — psychiatric hospitals, children's hospitals, and some specialty facilities are excluded from the overall rating calculation.

Segment	Count
Total hospitals reported	378
Hospitals with CMS star rating	280
Hospitals without star rating	98

Source: CMS Care Compare (2026).

How do California hospitals compare on CMS star ratings?

The CMS overall star rating summarizes performance across quality measures on a 1–5 scale. A higher rating indicates relatively stronger measured performance. This is a comparison metric drawn from the CMS Care Compare dataset — it is not a recommendation, and no hospital is labeled "good" or "best" here.

CMS star rating	Hospitals	Share of rated
1 star	29	10%
2 stars	59	21%
3 stars	76	27%
4 stars	87	31%
5 stars	29	10%
Not rated	98	—

Source: CMS Care Compare (2026). Star ratings apply only to eligible hospital types.

What do patients report about hospital experiences in California?

The average HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) patient-experience star across rated hospitals in California is 2.9 out of 5, per CMS Care Compare. HCAHPS measures patient-reported experiences such as nurse and doctor communication, hospital cleanliness, and overall rating of the hospital. This is a state aggregate — individual hospital scores vary. View individual hospital HCAHPS results at Medicare.gov Care Compare .

Source: CMS Care Compare (2026). Average computed over hospitals with a reported HCAHPS star rating in this dataset.

How do California hospitals perform on outcome measures vs. national benchmarks?

CMS compares each hospital's quality measures to national benchmarks. The figures below show the median number of measures per hospital in California in each benchmark category — they describe the distribution across hospitals, not any individual hospital.

Benchmark category	Median measures per hospital
Better than national rate	0
No different from national rate	13
Worse than national rate	0

Source: CMS Care Compare (2026). Medians across hospitals in California; not figures for any individual hospital.

What types of hospitals are in California?

Acute Care Hospitals is the most common hospital type in California (277 hospitals). Hospital type affects which quality measures CMS applies and whether an overall star rating is assigned.

Hospital type	Count	Share
Acute Care Hospitals	277	73%
Psychiatric	40	11%
Critical Access Hospitals	38	10%
Childrens	10	3%
Acute Care - Veterans Administration	8	2%
Acute Care - Department of Defense	5	1%

Source: CMS Care Compare (2026).

Sources & provenance

Every figure on this page comes from CMS Care Compare (2026) (source id src:cms:care-compare:2026), published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/.

This page shows state-level aggregate counts and distributions only. It does not identify, name, or score individual hospitals. No figure here constitutes a recommendation, ranking, or clinical judgment.

Data exported June 20, 2026 · content hash 3b575f8c050b8728 · machine-readable brief: /care/states/ca/context.md