Health · Elgin

Elgin, IA health

On most measures Elgin looks like Iowa as a whole. It has more adults screened for colon cancer (71.3% vs 66.6%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.8% vs 8.7%).

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

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 735 people are less certain, so we show Elgin's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Elgin 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 Elgin adults…

38 of every 100 Elgin adults have high blood pressure
Iowa: 34 in 100 · too close to call · margin 33.9–41.9%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Elgin, betterElgin, worseToo close to callIowa
Get no exerciseshare of adults 27% Elgin
IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 31.8% Elgin
IA 32.5%
Binge drinkshare of adults 20.4% Elgin
IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.3% Elgin
IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%
Yearly checkup
IA 78%
68%
Dentist visit
IA 67%
85%
Cholesterol check
IA 84%
71%
Colon screening
IA 67%
78%
Mammogram
IA 79%
80%
Taking BP meds
IA 78%
1 in 16
working-age adults has no health insurance
Elgin 6.3% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How Elgin adults are doing

1 in 3Elgin adults feel lonely
30.6% · Iowa 32.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Elgin adults have been diagnosed with depression
19.8% · Iowa 20.7% · too close to call
1 in 4Elgin adults lack social or emotional support
23.2% · Iowa 23.3% · too close to call
1 in 6Elgin 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 10
Elgin adults worry about having enough food
10.4% · IA 12% · about the same
1 in 13
Elgin adults worry about keeping their housing
8% · IA 9.4% · about the same
1 in 18
Elgin adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.6% · IA 6.4% · about the same
1 in 16
Elgin adults lack reliable transportation
6.1% · IA 6.8% · about the same

8.7% of Elgin adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Disability

Living with a disability

30%

of Elgin adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.6%
Thinking or memory13.4%
Hearing9.1%
Errands alone7.8%
Vision4.4%
Dressing or bathing3.6%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Elgin

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

HNearest ERGundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and ClinicsWest Union · 8.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careScenic Bluffs Health Centers, Inc - Prairie Du ChienPrairie Du Chien · 25.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8.8 mi
Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics
West Union · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
13 mi
Mercyone Elkader Medical Center
Elkader · not rated
ERRural critical access
23.1 mi
Veterans Memorial Hospital
Waukon · not rated
ERRural critical access
23.6 mi
Mercyone Oelwein Medical Center
Oelwein · not rated
ERRural critical access
25.7 mi
Scenic Bluffs Health Centers, Inc - Prairie Du Chien
Prairie Du Chien · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
47.3 mi
Peoples Community Health Clinic
2 sites · nearest in Waterloo
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
! Primary careElgin's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Fayette County · need score 15 of 25
! Dental careElgin's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Fayette County · need score 15 of 25
! Mental healthElgin's county is a federal shortage area.Northeast Iowa Area · need score 16 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 Elgin. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Elgin
MeasureElginMarginIowa
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure38%33.9–41.9%33.9%about the same
High cholesterol38.1%33.8–42.3%35.3%about the same
Obesity36.7%29.9–43.7%37.7%about the same
Arthritis30.1%26.7–33.3%27%about the same
Depression19.8%16.8–23%20.7%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)13.5%11–16.3%11.6%about the same
Asthma9.8%8.6–11%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.8%9.7–12%8.7%worse
Diabetes12.1%10.4–13.9%11.2%about the same
COPD8%6.7–9.4%6.9%about the same
Heart disease8%7–9%6.6%worse
Stroke3.9%3.4–4.5%3.3%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.3%12.6–18.1%14.5%about the same
Binge drink20.4%17.1–23.9%20.5%about the same
Get no exercise27%22.5–31.8%24.8%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours31.8%26.1–38.1%32.5%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79.6%76.1–82.6%77.5%about the same
Dentist visit67.5%64–71%66.8%about the same
Cholesterol check85.3%83–87.3%84.1%about the same
Colon screening71.3%66.8–75.7%66.6%better
Mammogram77.8%70.7–84.2%78.7%about the same
Taking BP meds80.3%77.7–82.6%77.8%about the same
No health insurance6.3%4.7–8.1%7.3%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely30.6%25.6–35.7%32.3%about the same
Lack emotional support23.2%19.3–27.1%23.3%about the same
Frequent mental distress15.8%13.8–17.8%16.4%about the same
Fair or poor health18.5%15.6–21.6%17.8%about the same
Frequent physical distress13.6%11.8–15.6%12.7%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity10.4%8–12.9%12%about the same
Housing insecurity8%6.5–9.7%9.4%about the same
Utility shut-off threat5.6%4.6–6.6%6.4%about the same
No reliable transportation6.1%5–7.2%6.8%about the same
Receive SNAP8.7%6.7–10.8%10%
Disability
Any disability30%25.8–34.3%28.1%
Walking or climbing stairs14.6%12.3–17%12.7%
Thinking or memory13.4%11.5–15.5%13.5%
Hearing9.1%8–10.2%7.4%
Vision4.4%3.8–5.1%4.3%
Dressing or bathing3.6%3–4.2%3.4%
Errands alone7.8%6.7–9.1%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 Elgin door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Iowa figure falls inside it, we don't call Elgin better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Elgin 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