Photo: Moharris11 · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Akron is healthier than 81%
Akron trails Iowa on 1 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Akron. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Akron
Cancer runs high in Akron
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.1%), vs 8.7% across Iowa. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (Iowa 18%), and cancer is more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Akron is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Akron is healthier than 61%. Against the 10,130 towns with similar household incomes ($50K–$83K), it’s healthier than 81%. Health Grade ↓
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 Iowa figure falls outside Akron’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A.
What’s behind Akron’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Akron is healthier than 61% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 74% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 27%).
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). Akron’s median household income is $66,250; among the 10,130 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$83K), it’s healthier than 81%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Akron adults…
Akron runs above IA on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Akron is an older town: 30% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Iowa. Cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Akron as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Akron
No hospital or community health center in Akron 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 Akron; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa
Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Keeping up with care
Share of Akron adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Iowa.
How Akron adults are doing
About the same as Iowa on each measure.
1 in 3 Akron adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8.3% of Akron adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.
Akron and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | B | 39.2% | 11.3% | 14.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Akron adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Akron
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Akron is better than Iowa on 0 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Iowa figure falls inside Akron’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Akron | IA | U.S. | vs IA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.8%13.9–20.3 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.7%10.8–14.8 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.6%13.4–17.9 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.2%31.7–47.4 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.3%9.6–13.3 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.7%31.5–40.1 | 33.9% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.9%31.9–40.3 | 35.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 28.8%25.5–32.4 | 27% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.8%8.6–11.2 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.1%9.1–11.2 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.2%6.2–8.3 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.1%5.9–8.6 | 6.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.5%3–4.1 | 3.3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.2%10.5–16.3 | 11.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.7%11.7–18 | 14.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24.8%20–30.2 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 20.5%17.1–24.1 | 20.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.4%24.5–36.8 | 32.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.5%5–8.4 | 7.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.2%74.5–81.6 | 77.5% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.2%63.6–70.7 | 66.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86%83.5–88.1 | 84.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.6%76.7–82.2 | 77.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.7%62.5–72.5 | 66.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.1%71.6–85.5 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.4%16.3–22.9 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31%25.6–36.5 | 32.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.5%18.6–26.8 | 23.3% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10%7.8–12.7 | 12% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8%6.4–9.9 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.6%4.5–6.6 | 6.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.9%4.9–7.1 | 6.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.3%6.3–10.7 | 10% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.9%23.4–32.7 | 28.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13%10.7–15.6 | 12.7% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.8%10.7–14.9 | 13.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.3%7.3–9.6 | 7.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.1%3.4–4.8 | 4.3% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.2%6–8.5 | 7.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.3%2.8–3.9 | 3.4% | 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 Iowa figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Akron
Is Akron a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Akron is healthier than 61% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Akron?
CDC estimates 39.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.7% and 47.4%, against 37.7% across Iowa and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Akron?
Hawarden Regional Healthcare in Hawarden, 12.5 miles in a straight line from Akron’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Akron have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5–8.4%), against 7.3% across Iowa.
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 Akron more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Akron.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Iowa 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.