Health · Garner

Garner, IA health

On most measures Garner looks like Iowa as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more adults who have had cancer (10.6% vs 8.7%) and more adults with heart disease (7.8% vs 6.6%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Garner

C+Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁺

Garner’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Garner is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns.

B-Self-rated healthB-Physical distressB+Mental distressDObesityB-DiabetesC+SmokingCExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 43%

Less healthyHealthier

Iowa towns we grade (281)Healthier than 31%

Towns with similar incomes, $53K–$88K (9,637)Healthier than 51%

About what its income would suggest. Garner does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Garner could be anywhere from D to A−.

How the Health Grade works

Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Iowa ranking.
Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Garner with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Garner uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.

Report card

How Garner 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 Garner adults…

38 of every 100 Garner adults have high blood pressure

Iowa: 34 in 100 · too close to call · margin 33.3–41.9%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Garner, betterGarner, worseToo close to callIowa

Get no exerciseshare of adults 28.3% Garner
IA 24.8%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 32.8% Garner
IA 32.5%

Binge drinkshare of adults 19.5% Garner
IA 20.5%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.4% Garner
IA 14.5%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

IA 78%

Dentist visit

IA 67%

Cholesterol check

IA 84%

Colon screening

IA 67%

Mammogram

IA 79%

Taking BP meds

IA 78%

1 in 14

working-age adults has no health insurance

Garner 7% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)

Mind & connection

How Garner adults are doing

1 in 3Garner adults feel lonely

32.5% · Iowa 32.3% · too close to call

1 in 5Garner adults have been diagnosed with depression

20.8% · Iowa 20.7% · too close to call

1 in 4Garner adults lack social or emotional support

23.4% · Iowa 23.3% · too close to call

1 in 6Garner adults are in frequent mental distress

15.9% · 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 9

Garner adults worry about having enough food

11.3% · IA 12% · about the same

1 in 12

Garner adults worry about keeping their housing

8.5% · IA 9.4% · about the same

1 in 17

Garner adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

5.9% · IA 6.4% · about the same

1 in 16

Garner adults lack reliable transportation

6.4% · IA 6.8% · about the same

9.5% of Garner adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Disability

Living with a disability

30.9%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.9%

Thinking or memory13.7%

Hearing9.1%

Errands alone8.1%

Vision4.6%

Dressing or bathing3.7%

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

Around Garner

Garner and the towns around it

Care nearby

Hancock County Health SystemBritt · 10.3 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Iowa Specialty Hospital - BelmondBelmond · 17.6 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Mercyone North Iowa Medical CenterMason City · 19.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Iowa Specialty Hospital - ClarionClarion · 27 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Community Health Center of Mason CityMason City · 20.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Proteus, Inc. - Fort Dodge SiteFort Dodge · 50.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careGarner is not a shortage area

✓ Dental careGarner is not a shortage area

! Mental healthGarner's county is a federal shortage area.Northcentral Iowa · need score 11 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Garner. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Garner

Measure	Garner	Margin	Iowa
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	37.6%	33.3–41.9%	33.9%	about the same
High cholesterol	37.9%	33.4–42.4%	35.3%	about the same
Obesity	41.7%	33.9–50%	37.7%	about the same
Arthritis	31.2%	27.7–34.9%	27%	worse
Depression	20.8%	17.5–24.2%	20.7%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	12.2%	9.9–15%	11.6%	about the same
Asthma	10.1%	8.9–11.4%	9.9%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	10.6%	9.5–11.7%	8.7%	worse
Diabetes	12.3%	10.5–14.4%	11.2%	about the same
COPD	8.1%	6.6–9.8%	6.9%	about the same
Heart disease	7.8%	6.7–9%	6.6%	worse
Stroke	3.9%	3.4–4.5%	3.3%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.4%	12.5–18.5%	14.5%	about the same
Binge drink	19.5%	16.2–23%	20.5%	about the same
Get no exercise	28.3%	23.2–34.1%	24.8%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	32.8%	26.4–39.9%	32.5%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	79.3%	75.8–82.5%	77.5%	about the same
Dentist visit	68.8%	65.4–72.2%	66.8%	about the same
Cholesterol check	85.7%	83.4–87.7%	84.1%	about the same
Colon screening	65.2%	60.1–70.4%	66.6%	about the same
Mammogram	80.3%	73.5–86.4%	78.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	80.6%	77.8–83%	77.8%	about the same
No health insurance	7%	5.4–9.2%	7.3%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	32.5%	27.3–37.8%	32.3%	about the same
Lack emotional support	23.4%	19.5–27.4%	23.3%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	15.9%	13.9–18.1%	16.4%	about the same
Fair or poor health	19.5%	16.1–23.3%	17.8%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	14%	11.9–16.2%	12.7%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	11.3%	8.6–14.3%	12%	about the same
Housing insecurity	8.5%	6.8–10.4%	9.4%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	5.9%	4.9–7.1%	6.4%	about the same
No reliable transportation	6.4%	5.3–7.6%	6.8%	about the same
Receive SNAP	9.5%	7.2–12.1%	10%
Disability
Any disability	30.9%	26–35.9%	28.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	14.9%	12.2–17.7%	12.7%
Thinking or memory	13.7%	11.6–16.1%	13.5%
Hearing	9.1%	7.9–10.3%	7.4%
Vision	4.6%	3.9–5.5%	4.3%
Dressing or bathing	3.7%	3.1–4.4%	3.4%
Errands alone	8.1%	6.7–9.6%	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 Garner door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Iowa figure falls inside it, we don't call Garner better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Garner 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.