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BHealth Grade
Health in Iona · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Iona is healthier than 84%

Iona differs from Florida on 24 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 16 better, 8 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Iona. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Iona

Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Iona

1 in 6 adults have had cancer (18.1%), about twice the Florida rate. 1 in 8 adults have heart disease (12.2%), vs 7.5% across Florida. Arthritis is also above the state: 40.6%, vs 26.6% across Florida. In all, Iona runs above Florida on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 59% of residents are 65 or older (Florida 21%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Iona is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Iona is healthier than 64%. Against the 10,173 towns with similar household incomes ($50K–$84K), it’s healthier than 84%. Health Grade ↓

More high blood pressure in Iona, and more people treating it

47.9% of adults have high blood pressure (Florida 36.6%), but 86.7% of them take medicine for it, vs 78.4% statewide. Checkups ↓

Iona keeps up with checkups

It beats Florida on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (86.1% vs 78.4%) and dentist visits (65.7% vs 57.4%). Checkups ↓

Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Florida figure falls outside Iona’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A−.

Health Grade

What’s behind Iona’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Iona is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns, #259 of 636 in Florida. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 98% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 10%).

BSelf-rated health18.7% · FL 20.3% · U.S. 19.4%
CPhysical distress15.2% · FL 14.3% · U.S. 13%
A+Mental distress11.6% · FL 15.8% · U.S. 15.9%
AObesity26.5% · FL 31.9% · U.S. 32.9%
DDiabetes16.1% · FL 13.5% · U.S. 12%
ASmoking9.8% smoke · FL 12.4% · U.S. 11.8%
B−Exercise25.8% · FL 26.3% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 64%
Less healthyHealthier
Florida towns we grade (636)Healthier than 59%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $50K–$84K (10,173)Healthier than 84%

Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Iona’s median household income is $66,827; among the 10,173 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$84K), it’s healthier than 84%, more than its income alone would suggest.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Iona could be anywhere from B− to A−.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Iona adults…

Iona runs below FL on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.

18 of every 100 Iona adults have had cancer
Florida: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 16.6–19.6%
Better than FLWorseAbout the sameFlorida
Why age matters here

Iona is an older town: 59% of residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Florida. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Iona as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Iona59%
Florida21%
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

86%Yearly checkupFL 78%
66%Dentist visitFL 57%
93%Cholesterol checkFL 87%
76%Colon screeningFL 66%
79%MammogramFL 76%
87%Taking BP medsFL 78%
1 in 10
working-age adults has no health insurance
Iona 10.1% · Florida 1 in 6 (15.9%)
Getting care

Care in and near Iona

1 community health center in Iona, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERGulf Coast Medical Center Lee HealthFort Myers · 7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyLee Memorial Hospital★★★★★ · 9.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careFamily Health Centers of Southwest FloridaFort Myers · 2.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
2.1 mi
Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida
7 sites · nearest in Fort Myers
Sliding-scale feesIn Iona
Directions to nearest
6.9 mi
Huntingdon Health Services Suite 203
Fort Myers · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
7 mi
Gulf Coast Medical Center Lee Health
Fort Myers · ★★★★★
ER
8.6 mi
Cape Coral Hospital
Cape Coral · ★★★★★
ER
9.3 mi
Lee Memorial Hospital
Fort Myers · ★★★★★
ER
19.9 mi
HCA Florida Lehigh Hospital
Lehigh Acres · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careIona is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careIona is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Iona itself

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 Iona; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Florida

Share of adults, with the Florida figure marked.

Get no exercise 25.8%FL 26.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 28.6%FL 37.3%
Binge drink 10.1%FL 14.6%
Smoke cigarettes 9.8%FL 12.4%
0%10%20%30%40%
Iona, betterIona, worseAbout the sameFlorida
Where Iona gets moving

9.8 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Iona adults are doing

On 2 of 3 measures, Iona does better than Florida.

1 in 5Iona adults lack social or emotional support
18.3% · FL 24.7% · Better than FL
1 in 6Iona adults have been diagnosed with depression
15.4% · FL 17.1% · About the same as FL
1 in 9Iona adults are in frequent mental distress
11.6% · FL 15.8% · Better than FL
The one neighbors can help with

A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

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 12
Iona adults worry about having enough food
8.3% · FL 16.8%
Better than FL
1 in 16
Iona adults worry about keeping their housing
6.1% · FL 13.9%
Better than FL
1 in 25
Iona adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4% · FL 8.6%
Better than FL
1 in 20
Iona adults lack reliable transportation
4.9% · FL 9.1%
Better than FL

7.5% of Iona adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15% across Florida.

Around town

Iona and the towns around it

Iona’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 3 graded towns around it.

Punta Rassa: 21.3%McGregor: 25.9%Whiskey Creek: 27.8%Cypress Lake: 27.1%Fort Myers: 33%Iona: 26.5%IonaPunta RassaMcGregorGulf Coast Medical Center Lee Health · Fort Myers · 7 mi · 4★ MedicareHCape Coral Hospital · Cape Coral · 8.6 mi · 3★ MedicareHLee Memorial Hospital · Fort Myers · 9.3 mi · 5★ MedicareHSummerlin Health Center · Fort Myers · 2.1 mi+Huntingdon Health Services Suite 203 · Fort Myers · 6.9 mi+
Healthier than FLNear FLLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#3 of 6 towns on this map, healthiest first
Punta Rassa21.3%
McGregor25.9%
Iona26.5%
FL31.9%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
IonaB26.5%16.1%9.8%CDC place
Punta RassaB21.3%18.2%5.9%CDC place
McGregorA25.9%11.9%8.5%CDC place

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

35.3%

of Iona adults live with a disability (Florida 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs19.1%
Thinking or memory10.6%
Hearing12.7%
Errands alone8.1%
Vision5.5%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Florida

Every CDC estimate for Iona

Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Iona is better than Florida on 16 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Florida figure falls inside Iona’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…IonaFLU.S.vs FL
Overall health
Fair or poor health18.7%16.3–21.420.3%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.2%13.4–17.114.3%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)11.6%10.3–13.115.8%15.9%Better
Conditions
Obesity26.5%22.3–31.331.9%32.9%Better
Diabetes16.1%14.1–18.213.5%12%Worse
High blood pressure47.9%44.1–51.836.6%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)48%44.3–5239%37.1%Worse
Arthritis40.6%37.1–44.126.6%25.3%Worse
Asthma8.8%7.8–9.99.4%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer18.1%16.6–19.69.1%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease12.2%11–13.67.5%6.4%Worse
COPD10%8.8–11.37.2%6.3%Worse
Stroke5.5%5–6.13.8%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)12.3%10.2–14.812.7%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes9.8%8.3–11.412.4%11.8%Better
No exercise outside work25.8%22.2–29.726.3%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking10.1%8.5–1214.6%15.4%Better
Sleep under 7 hours28.6%24.5–33.137.3%36%Better
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)10.1%8.8–11.615.9%11%Better
Checkup in the past year86.1%84.1–88.178.4%77.4%Better
Dentist visit in the past year65.7%62.5–68.757.4%63.2%Better
Cholesterol check in 5 years93.3%92.5–94.187%87.1%Better
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)86.7%84.6–88.778.4%76.5%Better
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)75.7%71.8–79.365.7%65.5%Better
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)78.5%72.5–83.976.1%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression15.4%13.2–17.817.1%20.6%About the same
Lack social and emotional support18.3%15.7–2124.7%23.6%Better
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food8.3%7.4–9.316.8%15%Better
Worried about keeping housing6.1%5.4–713.9%12%Better
Threatened with a utility shut-off4%3.5–4.68.6%7.6%Better
Lack reliable transportation4.9%4.4–5.49.1%7.9%Better
Received SNAP (food stamps)7.5%6.6–8.415%11.6%Lower
Disability
Any disability35.3%31.6–39.331.3%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs19.1%16.7–21.815.1%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering10.6%9.3–1213.7%13.9%Lower
Hearing difficulty12.7%11.4–14.27.6%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5.5%4.9–6.26%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone8.1%7.1–9.28%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.1%3.6–4.64.1%3.8%About the same

Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Florida figure falls inside that range.

Questions about health in Iona

Is Iona a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Iona is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns: B for health, #259 of 636 in Florida. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Iona?

CDC estimates 26.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.3% and 31.3%, against 31.9% across Florida and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Iona?

Gulf Coast Medical Center Lee Health in Fort Myers, 7.0 miles in a straight line from Iona’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

How many people in Iona have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 10.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.8–11.6%), against 15.9% across Florida.

How accurate are these numbers?

They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Iona more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A−.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Iona.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Florida figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.