Gerome Clark House · Photo: Dan Breyfogle · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Arnolds Park is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns
Arnolds Park differs from Iowa on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Arnolds Park. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Arnolds Park
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Arnolds Park
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (13.7%), vs 8.7% across Iowa. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.8%), vs 6.6% across Iowa. Arthritis is also above the state: 34.4%, vs 27% across Iowa. In all, Arnolds Park runs above Iowa on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 52% of residents are 65 or older (Iowa 18%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Arnolds Park keeps up with checkups
It beats Iowa on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (82.6% vs 77.5%) and dentist visits (75.3% vs 66.8%). Checkups ↓
Arnolds Park adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (26.6% vs 32.3%), frequent mental distress (12.3% vs 16.4%), lack of emotional support (19.2% vs 23.3%) and depression (17.4% vs 20.7%) all run below Iowa. Mind & connection ↓
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 Arnolds Park’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Arnolds Park’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Arnolds Park is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 97% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 32%).
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). Arnolds Park’s median household income is $86,833; among the 10,262 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($65K–$109K), it’s healthier than 71%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Arnolds Park adults…
Arnolds Park runs below IA on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.
Arnolds Park is an older town: 52% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Iowa. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Arnolds Park as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Arnolds Park adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Iowa.
How Arnolds Park adults are doing
On 4 of 4 measures, Arnolds Park does better than Iowa.
1 in 4 Arnolds Park 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.
Care in and near Arnolds Park
No hospital or community health center in Arnolds Park 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 Arnolds Park; ≈ 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.
3.8 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
5.7% of Arnolds Park adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.
Arnolds Park 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnolds Park | B+ | 36.9% | 13.3% | 11.7% | CDC place |
| Milford | B+ | 38.1% | 10.9% | 14.3% | CDC place |
| West Okoboji | — | — | — | — |
West Okoboji: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Arnolds Park adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Arnolds Park
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Arnolds Park is better than Iowa on 17 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Iowa figure falls inside Arnolds Park’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Arnolds Park | IA | U.S. | vs IA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.2%13.5–19 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.7%10.8–14.6 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.3%10.7–14.1 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.9%29.5–44.6 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.3%11.3–15.5 | 11.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 42.2%37.6–46.8 | 33.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.6%37–46.3 | 35.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.4%30.5–38.4 | 27% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.5%8.3–10.7 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.7%12.4–15.2 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.8%7.7–10 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.8%6.4–9.2 | 6.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.6–4.7 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.8%6.2–9.8 | 11.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.7%9.4–14.3 | 14.5% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 23%18.7–27.6 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16%13.2–18.9 | 20.5% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.9%24.4–36.2 | 32.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.4%3.4–5.5 | 7.3% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.6%79.6–85.3 | 77.5% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 75.3%72.4–78.3 | 66.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.9%89.6–92.2 | 84.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 84.8%82.2–87.1 | 77.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 74.5%70.1–78.9 | 66.6% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.5%73.9–86.4 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.4%14.7–20.6 | 20.7% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 26.6%22.5–31.4 | 32.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.2%16.3–22.7 | 23.3% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 6.9%5.4–8.6 | 12% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.4%4.4–6.5 | 9.4% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.9%3.2–4.7 | 6.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.3%3.6–5 | 6.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.7%4.4–7.1 | 10% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.4%24.1–32.9 | 28.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.3%11.9–16.8 | 12.7% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.1%8.7–11.7 | 13.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.8%8.5–11.1 | 7.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.8%3.3–4.4 | 4.3% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.3%5.3–7.3 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Lower |
| 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 Arnolds Park
Is Arnolds Park a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Arnolds Park is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 71%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Arnolds Park?
CDC estimates 36.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.5% and 44.6%, against 37.7% across Iowa and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Arnolds Park?
Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake, 4.0 miles in a straight line from Arnolds Park’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Arnolds Park have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.4–5.5%), 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 Arnolds Park 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 Arnolds Park.
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.