Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Avoca is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns
Avoca differs from Iowa on 5 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Avoca. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Avoca
What’s behind Avoca’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Avoca is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 53% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 31%).
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). Avoca’s median household income is $73,056; among the 10,748 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$91K), it’s healthier than 48%, about where its income would put it.
Where Avoca compares well: lost all teeth (ages 65+), 5.9% (U.S. 12.3%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 80.7% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Avoca adults…
Avoca runs below IA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Avoca is an older town: 28% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Iowa. Stroke and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Avoca as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Avoca
No hospital or community health center in Avoca 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 Avoca; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa
Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.
1.3 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Keeping up with care
Share of Avoca adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Iowa.
How Avoca adults are doing
About the same as Iowa on each measure.
1 in 3 Avoca 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.
10.9% of Avoca adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.
Avoca and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avoca | C+ | 38% | 12% | 16.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Avoca adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Avoca
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Avoca is better than Iowa on 2 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Iowa figure falls inside Avoca’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Avoca | IA | U.S. | vs IA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.3%16.1–22.8 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14%11.9–16.1 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.9%14.7–19.1 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38%32.6–43.2 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12%10.3–13.9 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.8%33.3–40.4 | 33.9% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38%34.2–41.5 | 35.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.3%26.2–32.4 | 27% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.5%9.2–11.8 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.1%9–11.1 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.7%6.6–8.9 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8.4%6.9–10.1 | 6.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.4–4.5 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 5.9%4.7–7.3 | 11.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.7%13.5–20 | 14.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 27.8%23.1–32.6 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 19.6%16.7–22.6 | 20.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.8%30–40 | 32.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.3%5.4–9.5 | 7.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.2%74.8–81.1 | 77.5% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.6%59.2–66.1 | 66.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.5%81.9–86.7 | 84.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.7%78–83 | 77.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.1%62.5–71.5 | 66.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.6%71–83.3 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22%18.9–25.2 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.7%30.2–39.3 | 32.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.5%20.8–28.4 | 23.3% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.2%10.3–16.2 | 12% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.2%7.4–11.1 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.3%5.2–7.5 | 6.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.1%5.8–8.3 | 6.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.9%8.4–13.6 | 10% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.8%28.3–37.4 | 28.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.6%13–18.4 | 12.7% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.5%12.1–16.9 | 13.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.9%7.7–10.1 | 7.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.9%4.1–5.7 | 4.3% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.6%7.2–10.1 | 7.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.3–4.7 | 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 Avoca
Is Avoca a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Avoca is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 48%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Avoca?
CDC estimates 38% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.6% and 43.2%, against 37.7% across Iowa and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Avoca?
Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, 11.4 miles in a straight line from Avoca’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Avoca have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.4–9.5%), 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 Avoca more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Avoca.
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.