Ames, NE health
Ames differs from Nebraska on 13 of 40 measures. It has more adults screened for colon cancer (67.7% vs 62.3%) and more adults treating high blood pressure (81.5% vs 77.5%). Where it trails the state: more adults with COPD (8.6% vs 6.1%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 68621 (all of Ames)Not graded
Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 9 people are less certain, so we show Ames's figures without a grade.
How Ames compares with Nebraska
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
Habits
Care & screenings
Mind & connection
Everyday needs
Disability
Out of every 100 Ames adults…
Bars show Ames; the black tick is Nebraska. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
NE 24.3%
NE 31.3%
NE 19.7%
NE 13.2%
Keeping up with care
Share of Ames adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Nebraska.
How Ames adults are doing
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.8% of Ames adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.
Living with a disability
of Ames adults live with a disability (Nebraska 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Black tick: Nebraska. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Care in and near Ames
No hospital or community health center in Ames itself. These are the nearest.
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 Ames. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
All 40 measures for Ames
| Measure | Ames | Margin | Nebraska | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 37.5% | 34–41% | 32.6% | worse |
| High cholesterol | 36.6% | 32.9–40.3% | 33% | about the same |
| Obesity | 40.3% | 34.9–45.7% | 37.7% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 31.4% | 28.4–34.6% | 24% | worse |
| Depression | 17.3% | 14.9–20% | 18.3% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 11.2% | 9.1–13.7% | 12.4% | about the same |
| Asthma | 9.5% | 8.5–10.7% | 9% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 10.4% | 9.4–11.4% | 8.3% | worse |
| Diabetes | 13% | 11.3–14.8% | 10.7% | worse |
| COPD | 8.6% | 7.4–10% | 6.1% | worse |
| Heart disease | 8% | 7.1–9% | 6.1% | worse |
| Stroke | 4.1% | 3.7–4.6% | 3.1% | worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.3% | 13.8–19% | 13.2% | worse |
| Binge drink | 18.3% | 15.6–21.2% | 19.7% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 28.9% | 24.9–33.1% | 24.3% | worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.9% | 25–35.2% | 31.3% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 77.7% | 74.5–80.6% | 75.9% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 64.6% | 61.3–67.9% | 64.3% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 85% | 83.1–86.8% | 83.7% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 67.7% | 62.7–72.4% | 62.3% | better |
| Mammogram | 72.9% | 65.4–79.6% | 75% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 81.5% | 79–83.8% | 77.5% | better |
| No health insurance | 9.6% | 7.8–11.8% | 9.9% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 28.5% | 24.3–33.1% | 29.3% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 19.8% | 16.8–23.2% | 20.5% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 13.7% | 12.1–15.4% | 14.1% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 18.9% | 16.3–21.6% | 16.1% | worse |
| Frequent physical distress | 14.1% | 12.4–15.9% | 11.6% | worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 12.6% | 10.3–15.1% | 12.3% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 8.9% | 7.4–10.5% | 9.5% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 6.4% | 5.5–7.5% | 6.4% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 6.7% | 5.7–7.7% | 6.7% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 9.8% | 7.9–11.9% | 8.5% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.4% | 26.7–34.2% | 27.4% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 15.8% | 13.6–18% | 12% | |
| Thinking or memory | 12.7% | 11.1–14.4% | 12.1% | |
| Hearing | 9.5% | 8.4–10.6% | 7.3% | |
| Vision | 5.1% | 4.5–5.8% | 4.4% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 4.1% | 3.6–4.6% | 3.2% | |
| Errands alone | 8.3% | 7.3–9.5% | 6.9% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Nebraska 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.