Health · Iowa
Iowa, LA health
Iowa differs from Louisiana on 8 of 40 measures. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (11.2% vs 18.1%) and fewer adults with diabetes (12.2% vs 15.2%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for IowaTownTapestry Health GradeNew
C
Iowa’s Health Grade: C
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Iowa is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns, and than 45% of towns with similar incomes.
C+Self-rated healthBPhysical distressC-Mental distressDObesityB-DiabetesCSmokingC-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 28%
Less healthyHealthier
Louisiana towns we grade (261)Healthier than 79%
Towns with similar incomes, $45K–$75K (8,069)Healthier than 45%
Better than its income would suggest. Iowa is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C.
These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Iowa could be anywhere from D to B.
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 Louisiana 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 Iowa 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. Iowa 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 Iowa compares with Louisiana
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
41.8% have obesity
5 better7 close0 worse
Habits
30.8% get no exercise
0 better4 close0 worse
Care & screenings
80.6% had a checkup
0 better7 close0 worse
Mind & connection
37.4% feel lonely
0 better5 close0 worse
Everyday needs
18.5% face food insecurity
3 better2 close0 worse
Disability
36.4% have a disability
7 measures · shown without a better/worse judgment
Chronic conditions
Out of every 100 Iowa adults…
39 of every 100 Iowa adults have high blood pressure
Louisiana: 43 in 100 · too close to call · margin 35.6–43%
Bars show Iowa; the black tick is Louisiana. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Habits
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
Iowa, betterIowa, worseToo close to callLouisiana
Get no exerciseshare of adults
30.8% Iowa
LA 30.3%
LA 30.3%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults
39.6% Iowa
LA 40.1%
LA 40.1%
Binge drinkshare of adults
18% Iowa
LA 16.9%
LA 16.9%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults
16.2% Iowa
LA 17.3%
LA 17.3%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Care & screenings
Keeping up with care
Share of Iowa adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Louisiana.
Yearly checkup
LA 82%Dentist visit
LA 57%Cholesterol check
LA 86%Colon screening
LA 66%Mammogram
LA 79%Taking BP meds
LA 79%1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Iowa 7.5% · Louisiana 1 in 11 (8.9%)
Mind & connection
How Iowa adults are doing
1 in 3Iowa adults feel lonely
37.4% · Louisiana 36.6% · too close to call
1 in 4Iowa adults have been diagnosed with depression
27.6% · Louisiana 26.6% · too close to call
1 in 3Iowa adults lack social or emotional support
29% · Louisiana 28.6% · too close to call
1 in 5Iowa adults are in frequent mental distress
19.4% · Louisiana 19.3% · 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 5
Iowa adults worry about having enough food
18.5% · LA 22.5% · better
1 in 7
Iowa adults worry about keeping their housing
14.7% · LA 16.8% · about the same
1 in 10
Iowa adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
10.3% · LA 12.4% · better
1 in 10
Iowa adults lack reliable transportation
9.7% · LA 11.3% · better
14.4% of Iowa adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 19% across Louisiana.
Disability
Living with a disability
36.4%
of Iowa adults live with a disability (Louisiana 38%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Walking or climbing stairs14.5%
Thinking or memory17.9%
Hearing6.9%
Errands alone9%
Vision5.2%
Dressing or bathing3.9%
Black tick: Louisiana. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Getting care
Care in and near Iowa
No hospital or community health center in Iowa itself. These are the nearest.
HNearest ERLake Charles Memorial HospitalLake Charles · 11.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSouthwest Louisiana Aids CouncilLake Charles · 10.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
10.3 mi
Southwest Louisiana Aids Council
2 sites · nearest in Lake Charles
Comprehensive Care Center of Southwest Louisiana Admin & Health CenterLake Charles · 10.3 mi
Comprehensive Care Center of Southwest Louisiana - Health CenterLake Charles · 12.1 mi
10.7 mi
Swla Center for Health Services
5 sites · nearest in Lake Charles
Swla--Jd Clifton Elementary SchoolLake Charles · 10.7 mi
Swla Center for Health Services - Lake CharlesLake Charles · 10.7 mi
Swla Center for Health Services--Debakey Drive Temporary LocationLake Charles · 12.9 mi
Swla Center for Health Services - OberlinOberlin · 30.1 mi
Swla Center for Health Services - CrowleyCrowley · 38.9 mi
Nothing matches.
✓ Primary careIowa is not a shortage area
! Dental careIowa's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Calcasieu Parish · need score 18 of 25
! Mental healthIowa's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Calcasieu · need score 19 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 Iowa. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Iowa
| Measure | Iowa | Margin | Louisiana | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 39.3% | 35.6–43% | 42.6% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 36.9% | 33.3–40.7% | 38.3% | about the same |
| Obesity | 41.8% | 36.1–47.8% | 40% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 27.7% | 24.9–30.7% | 29.7% | about the same |
| Depression | 27.6% | 24.1–31.4% | 26.6% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 11.2% | 9.2–13.7% | 18.1% | better |
| Asthma | 10.4% | 9.2–11.8% | 10.3% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 7.3% | 6.5–8% | 7.5% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 12.2% | 10.6–14% | 15.2% | better |
| COPD | 7% | 6–8.2% | 8.5% | better |
| Heart disease | 6.1% | 5.3–6.8% | 7.5% | better |
| Stroke | 3.5% | 3.1–3.9% | 4.3% | better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.2% | 13.5–19.1% | 17.3% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 18% | 15.2–21.1% | 16.9% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 30.8% | 26.2–35.4% | 30.3% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.6% | 34.7–45% | 40.1% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 80.6% | 77.3–83.5% | 81.8% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 57.9% | 54.2–61.7% | 57.2% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 86% | 84–88.1% | 86.4% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 65.7% | 61.3–70.4% | 66.3% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 79.5% | 73.7–85% | 79.3% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 76.2% | 73.4–78.8% | 78.8% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 7.5% | 6–9.3% | 8.9% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 37.4% | 32.7–42.1% | 36.6% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 29% | 25.1–33.1% | 28.6% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 19.4% | 17.2–21.9% | 19.3% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 21.3% | 18.3–24.6% | 24.4% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 13.8% | 12–15.7% | 15.2% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 18.5% | 15.3–21.6% | 22.5% | better |
| Housing insecurity | 14.7% | 12.4–17.1% | 16.8% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 10.3% | 8.9–11.9% | 12.4% | better |
| No reliable transportation | 9.7% | 8.3–11.2% | 11.3% | better |
| Receive SNAP | 14.4% | 11.8–17.1% | 19% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.4% | 32.1–41.1% | 38% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 14.5% | 12.4–16.7% | 17.6% | |
| Thinking or memory | 17.9% | 15.6–20.4% | 18.4% | |
| Hearing | 6.9% | 6.1–7.9% | 8% | |
| Vision | 5.2% | 4.6–5.9% | 6.7% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 3.9% | 3.4–4.5% | 5.1% | |
| Errands alone | 9% | 7.8–10.3% | 10.3% | |
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 Iowa door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Louisiana figure falls inside it, we don't call Iowa better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Iowa directly, so these are its own figures.
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Louisiana 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.