Health · New Sharon

New Sharon, IA health

New Sharon differs from Iowa on 6 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing food insecurity (8.9% vs 12%) and fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (5% vs 6.4%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (9.9% vs 8.7%).

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

New Sharon’s Health Grade: B+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, New Sharon is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns, and than 97% of towns with similar incomes.

A-Self-rated healthA-Physical distressB+Mental distressB-ObesityA-DiabetesBSmokingB-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 69%
Less healthyHealthier
Iowa towns we grade (281)Healthier than 70%
Towns with similar incomes, $37K–$61K (4,927)Healthier than 97%

Better than its income would suggest. New Sharon is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is B+.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, New Sharon could be anywhere from C 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 New Sharon 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. New Sharon 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 New Sharon 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 New Sharon adults…

35 of every 100 New Sharon adults have high blood pressure
Iowa: 34 in 100 · too close to call · margin 30.5–38.6%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

New Sharon, betterNew Sharon, worseToo close to callIowa
Get no exerciseshare of adults 25.1% New Sharon
IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 32.7% New Sharon
IA 32.5%
Binge drinkshare of adults 20% New Sharon
IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 14.1% New Sharon
IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%
Yearly checkup
IA 78%
72%
Dentist visit
IA 67%
86%
Cholesterol check
IA 84%
71%
Colon screening
IA 67%
82%
Mammogram
IA 79%
79%
Taking BP meds
IA 78%
1 in 17
working-age adults has no health insurance
New Sharon 5.8% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How New Sharon adults are doing

1 in 3New Sharon adults feel lonely
31.2% · Iowa 32.3% · too close to call
1 in 5New Sharon adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.6% · Iowa 20.7% · too close to call
1 in 4New Sharon adults lack social or emotional support
22.8% · Iowa 23.3% · too close to call
1 in 6New Sharon adults are in frequent mental distress
15.7% · 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
New Sharon adults worry about having enough food
8.9% · IA 12% · better
1 in 14
New Sharon adults worry about keeping their housing
7.4% · IA 9.4% · better
1 in 20
New Sharon adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5% · IA 6.4% · better
1 in 19
New Sharon adults lack reliable transportation
5.4% · IA 6.8% · better

7.1% of New Sharon adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Disability

Living with a disability

27%

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

Walking or climbing stairs12.3%
Thinking or memory12.4%
Hearing7.4%
Errands alone6.7%
Vision3.6%
Dressing or bathing2.9%

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

Getting care

Care in and near New Sharon

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

HNearest ERMahaska Health PartnershipOskaloosa · 11.9 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyPella Regional Health Center★★★★★ · 14.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careRiver Hills Community Health CenterOskaloosa · 12 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
11.9 mi
Mahaska Health Partnership
Oskaloosa · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
12 mi
River Hills Community Health Center
6 sites · nearest in Oskaloosa
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
14.1 mi
Pella Regional Health Center
Pella · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
19.4 mi
Grinnell Regional Medical Center
Grinnell · ★★★★★
ER
26.1 mi
Keokuk County Health Center
Sigourney · not rated
ERRural critical access
39.6 mi
Primary Health Care
2 sites · nearest in Marshalltown
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
! Primary careNew Sharon's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Mahaska County · need score 16 of 25
! Dental careNew Sharon's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Mahaska County · need score 15 of 25
! Mental healthNew Sharon's county is a federal shortage area.Mahaska County · need score 18 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 New Sharon. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for New Sharon
MeasureNew SharonMarginIowa
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure34.7%30.5–38.6%33.9%about the same
High cholesterol36.2%31.8–40.2%35.3%about the same
Obesity36.4%29–43.7%37.7%about the same
Arthritis28.7%25.2–31.9%27%about the same
Depression20.6%17.4–23.8%20.7%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)13.8%11–17%11.6%about the same
Asthma10%8.7–11.2%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)9.9%9–11%8.7%worse
Diabetes10.4%8.8–12%11.2%about the same
COPD6.7%5.5–7.9%6.9%about the same
Heart disease6.4%5.5–7.3%6.6%about the same
Stroke3.3%2.8–3.7%3.3%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes14.1%11.5–17%14.5%about the same
Binge drink20%16.6–23.3%20.5%about the same
Get no exercise25.1%20.4–29.8%24.8%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours32.7%26.4–39.5%32.5%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup77.6%73.9–80.9%77.5%about the same
Dentist visit72.4%69.1–75.6%66.8%better
Cholesterol check86.1%83.8–88.1%84.1%about the same
Colon screening70.8%65.7–75.5%66.6%about the same
Mammogram81.7%75.1–87.2%78.7%about the same
Taking BP meds79.2%76.3–81.8%77.8%about the same
No health insurance5.8%4.4–7.5%7.3%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely31.2%26.4–36.2%32.3%about the same
Lack emotional support22.8%19.3–26.7%23.3%about the same
Frequent mental distress15.7%13.6–17.8%16.4%about the same
Fair or poor health16%13.3–18.8%17.8%about the same
Frequent physical distress12.4%10.6–14.2%12.7%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity8.9%6.9–11.1%12%better
Housing insecurity7.4%6–9%9.4%better
Utility shut-off threat5%4.1–5.9%6.4%better
No reliable transportation5.4%4.5–6.3%6.8%better
Receive SNAP7.1%5.4–8.8%10%
Disability
Any disability27%22.6–31.2%28.1%
Walking or climbing stairs12.3%10.1–14.5%12.7%
Thinking or memory12.4%10.6–14.4%13.5%
Hearing7.4%6.4–8.4%7.4%
Vision3.6%3.1–4.2%4.3%
Dressing or bathing2.9%2.5–3.4%3.4%
Errands alone6.7%5.6–7.8%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 New Sharon door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Iowa figure falls inside it, we don't call New Sharon better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes New Sharon 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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