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Richardson-Jakway HouseRichardson-Jakway House · Photo: Kevin Schuchmann · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Health in Aurora · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Aurora residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Aurora, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

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

Fair or poor health
18.1%
About the same as IA (17.8%)
Obesity
38.8%
About the same as IA (37.7%)
No exercise
24.9%
About the same as IA (24.8%)
Uninsured
7.4%
About the same as IA (7.3%)
Feel lonely
31.6%
About the same as IA (32.3%)
Nearest ER
9.6 mi
Mercyone Oelwein Medical Center
What stands out

What stands out about health in Aurora

2 of 3federal care shortage designations
★ What stands out · Getting care

Care in and near Aurora

No hospital or community health center in Aurora itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERMercyone Oelwein Medical CenterOelwein · 9.6 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyRegional Medical Center★★★★★ · 16.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost carePeoples Community Health ClinicWaterloo · 31.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.6 mi
Mercyone Oelwein Medical Center
Oelwein · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
14 mi
Buchanan County Health Center
Independence · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
16.4 mi
Regional Medical Center
Manchester · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
23 mi
Mercyone Elkader Medical Center
Elkader · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
31.6 mi
Peoples Community Health Clinic
Waterloo · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
Directions
34 mi
Eastern Iowa Health Center
6 sites · nearest in Vinton
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Aurora itself
✓ Dental careAurora is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Aurora 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 Aurora; ≈ 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).

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Aurora adults…

Aurora runs above IA on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

35 of every 100 Aurora adults have high blood pressure
Iowa: 34 in 100 · about the same · likely 31.2–39.6%
Better than IAWorseAbout the sameIowa
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa

Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.

Get no exercise 24.9%IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 36%IA 32.5%
Binge drink 21.8%IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettes 16.4%IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Aurora, betterAurora, worseAbout the sameIowa
Where Aurora gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

77%Yearly checkupIA 78%
65%Dentist visitIA 67%
83%Cholesterol checkIA 84%
71%Colon screeningIA 67%
80%MammogramIA 79%
78%Taking BP medsIA 78%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Aurora 7.4% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How Aurora adults are doing

About the same as Iowa on each measure.

1 in 3Aurora adults feel lonely
31.6% · IA 32.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 4Aurora adults lack social or emotional support
23.2% · IA 23.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Aurora adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.3% · IA 20.7% · About the same as IA
1 in 6Aurora adults are in frequent mental distress
17% · IA 16.4% · About the same as IA
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Aurora adults feel lonely. 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 8
Aurora adults worry about having enough food
11.9% · IA 12%
About the same as IA
1 in 11
Aurora adults worry about keeping their housing
9.3% · IA 9.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 16
Aurora adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.3% · IA 6.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 15
Aurora adults lack reliable transportation
6.8% · IA 6.8%
About the same as IA

9.9% of Aurora adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Around town

Aurora and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

28.7%

of Aurora adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs13%
Thinking or memory14.3%
Hearing7.7%
Errands alone7.7%
Vision4.3%
Dressing or bathing3.5%
Iowa

Questions about health in Aurora

Why doesn’t Aurora have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Aurora.

What hospital is closest to Aurora?

Mercyone Oelwein Medical Center in Oelwein, 9.6 miles in a straight line from Aurora’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.

Neighbors talk health

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

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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. 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.