Health · Dickens

Dickens, IA health

On most measures Dickens looks like Iowa as a whole. It has fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (5.2% vs 6.4%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Dickens
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 131 people are less certain, so we show Dickens's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Dickens compares with Iowa

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Dickens adults…

34 of every 100 Dickens adults have high blood pressure
Iowa: 34 in 100 · too close to call · margin 30.4–38.6%

Bars show Dickens; the black tick is Iowa. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Dickens, betterDickens, worseToo close to callIowa
Get no exerciseshare of adults 24.3% Dickens
IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 29.3% Dickens
IA 32.5%
Binge drinkshare of adults 21.5% Dickens
IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15% Dickens
IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Dickens adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Iowa.

77%
Yearly checkup
IA 78%
70%
Dentist visit
IA 67%
85%
Cholesterol check
IA 84%
65%
Colon screening
IA 67%
80%
Mammogram
IA 79%
78%
Taking BP meds
IA 78%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Dickens 6.5% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How Dickens adults are doing

1 in 3Dickens adults feel lonely
31.6% · Iowa 32.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Dickens adults have been diagnosed with depression
19.9% · Iowa 20.7% · too close to call
1 in 4Dickens adults lack social or emotional support
23.8% · Iowa 23.3% · too close to call
1 in 6Dickens adults are in frequent mental distress
15.8% · Iowa 16.4% · too close to call
Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 11
Dickens adults worry about having enough food
9.5% · IA 12% · about the same
1 in 13
Dickens adults worry about keeping their housing
7.7% · IA 9.4% · about the same
1 in 19
Dickens adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.2% · IA 6.4% · better
1 in 18
Dickens adults lack reliable transportation
5.6% · IA 6.8% · about the same

7.8% of Dickens adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Disability

Living with a disability

27.3%

of Dickens adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12.4%
Thinking or memory12.9%
Hearing7.7%
Errands alone6.8%
Vision3.8%
Dressing or bathing3.1%

Black tick: Iowa. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Getting care

Care in and near Dickens

No hospital or community health center in Dickens itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERSpencer Municipal HospitalSpencer · 6.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyLakes Regional Healthcare★★★★★ · 20.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Health Center of Fort DodgeSpencer · 6.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
6.2 mi
Spencer Municipal Hospital
Spencer · ★★★★★
ER
6.4 mi
Community Health Center of Fort Dodge
3 sites · nearest in Spencer
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
16.8 mi
Palo Alto County Hospital
Emmetsburg · not rated
ERRural critical access
20.3 mi
Lakes Regional Healthcare
Spirit Lake · ★★★★★
ER
21.3 mi
Avera Holy Family Hospital
Estherville · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
34.9 mi
United Community Health Center of Storm Lake - Replacement
Storm Lake · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
✓ Primary careDickens is not a shortage area
! Dental careDickens's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Medicaid Eligible - Clay County · need score 6 of 25
! Mental healthDickens's county is a federal shortage area.Spencer/ Spirit Lake Area · need score 15 of 25

Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Dickens. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Dickens
MeasureDickensMarginIowa
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure34.3%30.4–38.6%33.9%about the same
High cholesterol34.4%30.3–38.6%35.3%about the same
Obesity34.2%27.2–42.1%37.7%about the same
Arthritis26.9%23.7–30.5%27%about the same
Depression19.9%16.8–23.5%20.7%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)12.1%9.7–14.7%11.6%about the same
Asthma9.7%8.5–11.1%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)9.3%8.3–10.4%8.7%about the same
Diabetes10.8%9.2–12.6%11.2%about the same
COPD6.8%5.5–8.2%6.9%about the same
Heart disease6.7%5.8–7.7%6.6%about the same
Stroke3.3%2.9–3.8%3.3%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15%11.4–18.5%14.5%about the same
Binge drink21.5%17.9–25.2%20.5%about the same
Get no exercise24.3%19.5–29.7%24.8%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours29.3%23.5–35.4%32.5%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup76.5%72.5–80%77.5%about the same
Dentist visit69.9%66.5–73.2%66.8%about the same
Cholesterol check84.6%81.8–87.1%84.1%about the same
Colon screening64.7%59.9–69.4%66.6%about the same
Mammogram79.7%72.6–85.4%78.7%about the same
Taking BP meds78.3%75.3–80.9%77.8%about the same
No health insurance6.5%4.4–9.1%7.3%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely31.6%26.3–36.8%32.3%about the same
Lack emotional support23.8%19.8–28%23.3%about the same
Frequent mental distress15.8%13.6–18.3%16.4%about the same
Fair or poor health16.4%13.3–19.8%17.8%about the same
Frequent physical distress12.4%10.4–14.6%12.7%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity9.5%7.1–12.3%12%about the same
Housing insecurity7.7%5.9–9.6%9.4%about the same
Utility shut-off threat5.2%4.2–6.3%6.4%better
No reliable transportation5.6%4.5–6.8%6.8%about the same
Receive SNAP7.8%5.7–10.2%10%
Disability
Any disability27.3%22.9–32.3%28.1%
Walking or climbing stairs12.4%10.1–14.9%12.7%
Thinking or memory12.9%10.5–15.3%13.5%
Hearing7.7%6.6–8.8%7.4%
Vision3.8%3.1–4.5%4.3%
Dressing or bathing3.1%2.5–3.7%3.4%
Errands alone6.8%5.5–8.1%7.4%
About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Dickens door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Iowa figure falls inside it, we don't call Dickens better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Dickens directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Iowa figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01