Lake County Earns Blue Zones Community® Designation as Well-Being Climbs

Blue Zones announced today that Lake County, California has earned the designation of a  Certified Blue Zones Community®, recognizing the county’s sustained, community-wide efforts to improve well-being through evidence-based changes to environments, policies, and social connection. Certification reflects measurable progress achieved through a multi-year Blue Zones Project initiative focused on making healthy choices easier for residents across the county.

The Blue Zones Project initiative was brought to Lake County by Adventist Health in 2021. Together, partners worked alongside residents, volunteers, businesses, schools, and local governments to implement proven strategies that support longer, healthier, and more connected lives.

“In a time when communities across the nation are facing real social, health, and economic challenges, Lake County has moved the needle in the opposite direction — improving meaningful health risks and strengthening the foundations of well‑being. Residents are now prouder than ever to call Lake County home,” said Parker Pridgen, North Coast Network President, Adventist Health. “When policies, places, and social connection improve, so do productivity, stability, and long-term economic resilience.”

Since 2021, a broad coalition of local leaders and community members has worked to embed Blue Zones principles into everyday life. As a result, Lake County has demonstrated measurable improvements across key dimensions of well-being, including physical health, social connection, purpose, and community belonging.

Early and ongoing outcomes show that key county-wide health indicators are improving, including reductions in tobacco use, stress, and physical inactivity, along with decreases in chronic diseases like diabetes. Youth health outcomes are improving, and more seniors and higher-risk residents are accessing and consuming healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables from local farmers’ markets.

According to the Community Well-Being Index (CWBI), overall well-being across the four communities in the Project’s focused transformation area (Clearlake, Lakeport, Kelseyville, and Lower Lake) improved from 62.52 in 2021 to 63.54 in 2026. Each point increase in well-being for a population leads to approximately a two percent reduction in ER visits and hospital utilization, and to approximately a one percent reduction in total healthcare costs. 

Additionally, progress in Lake County shows:

• • Residents in Clearlake, Lakeport, Kelseyville, and Lower Lake report higher well-being across multiple elements, including purpose, social connection, and community pride.
• • Lake County improved from failing to passing grades in both Tobacco Control and Retail standards from the American Lung Association. Stronger tobacco grades mean fewer young people ever start using tobacco, lower lifetime risk of chronic disease, and long-term reductions in healthcare costs and smoking-related absences. This shifts community norms for an entire generation—creating healthier environments that deliver measurable benefits 20+ years into the future.
• • More than $7.2 Million in grant funding was awarded to support Blue Zones Project–aligned initiatives.

Community engagement has been central to Lake County’s success. More than 5,000 residents have participated in Blue Zones Project programming, including moai walking groups, cooking demonstrations, purpose workshops, and community events. In addition, hundreds of volunteers have served as Blue Zones champions, contributing more than 5,000 hours to support well-being efforts across the county and generating over $204,000 in value through their donated time.

Local organizations have also played a critical role. Twenty-four worksites have achieved Blue Zones Project Approved™ status by implementing policies and practices that support employee well-being. Fourteen community organizations became partners to help promote Blue Zones programming. Fifteen schools, more than half of local schools, impacting more than 6,600 students, have earned approval by integrating daily movement, healthier food environments, and health and well-being strategies. Graduation rates jumped across area schools, and chronic absenteeism dropped sharply.

At Konocti Unified School District, one of the largest Walking School Bus events in Blue Zones history brought together more than 400 students, families, and community partners. This effort helped identify safety needs and led to Safe Routes to School plans, with two schools partnering with the City of Clearlake to make street improvements that support safer and more walkable routes.

Three grocery stores (25% of local grocers) made nutritious choices more visible and accessible through product placement and pricing strategies. Eight restaurants throughout the county highlighted Blue Zones-inspired items through menu design and promotion, to encourage making the healthier choice the easier choice. Additionally, 47 policies, plans, or infrastructure improvements have been adopted to improve walkability, strengthen local food systems, reduce tobacco exposure, and support long-term well-being.

“As someone who proudly calls Lake County home, I’ve seen how powerful it is when neighbors come together for the place they love,” said Shelly Trumbo, COO of Blue Zones. “This milestone reflects the heart and resilience of our community —and I’m excited to witness it continue to strengthen the health and spirit of our region for many years to come.”

“Each Certified Blue Zones Community demonstrated that well-being is built through lasting changes to the environments where people live, work, and connect,” said Ben Leedle, Co-Founder of Blue Zones Project. “Lake County’s progress reflects the strength and resilience of its people — residents who show up for one another and lead the way in creating healthier places for everyone. This achievement is a testament to a community committed to shaping a better future for generations to come.”

With its Certified Blue Zones Community designation, Lake County has established a strong foundation for continued progress. Local leaders plan to build on this momentum by sustaining and expanding efforts that embed well-being into policies, places, and daily life—supporting health, resilience, and economic vitality for all who call Lake County home.

Additional Blue Zones transformation will continue through a second phase of work. In partnership with the Konocti Unified School District (KUSD) and Lakeport Unified School District (LUSD), Lake County’s next chapter will focus specifically on students and families—continuing to integrate proven well-being principles directly into the environments where area students learn and grow.  

About Blue Zones

Blue Zones employs evidence-based ways to help people live better, longer. The company’s work is rooted in explorations and research done by founder and National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner in blue zones regions around the world, where people live extraordinarily long and/or happy lives. The original research and findings were released in Buettner’s bestselling books The Blue Zones Solution, The Blue Zones of Happiness, The Blue Zones, Thrive, and Blue Zones Kitchen—all published by National Geographic books. A hit docuseries, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, was released on Netflix in 2023. Using original Blue Zones research, Blue Zones works with cities and counties to make healthy choices easier through permanent and semi-permanent changes to our human-made surroundings. Participating communities have experienced double-digit drops in obesity and tobacco use and have saved millions of dollars in healthcare costs. For more information, visit bluezones.com.