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ColoWelcomeSign2026Photo: Chipchicken · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Colo · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Colo residents get care

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

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

Fair or poor health
15.7%
About the same as IA (17.8%)
Obesity
34.3%
About the same as IA (37.7%)
No exercise
21.9%
About the same as IA (24.8%)
Uninsured
5.7%
About the same as IA (7.3%)
Feel lonely
31.7%
About the same as IA (32.3%)
Nearest ER
6 mi
Story County Hospital
What stands out

What stands out about health in Colo

9%worry about food · IA 12%
★ What stands out · 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 11
Colo adults worry about having enough food
9% · IA 12%
Better than IA
1 in 13
Colo adults worry about keeping their housing
7.6% · IA 9.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 20
Colo adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.1% · IA 6.4%
Better than IA
1 in 19
Colo adults lack reliable transportation
5.4% · IA 6.8%
Better than IA

6.9% of Colo adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Colo adults…

On every condition, Colo is about the same as Iowa. Tap one to see it as people.

34 of every 100 Colo adults have high blood pressure
Iowa: 34 in 100 · about the same · likely 29.7–37.3%
Better than IAWorseAbout the sameIowa
Getting care

Care in and near Colo

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

HNearest ERStory County HospitalNevada · 6 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMary Greeley Medical Center★★★★★ · 15.0 miDirections →
+Low-cost carePrimary Health CareAmes · 17.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
6 mi
Story County Hospital
Nevada · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
15 mi
Mary Greeley Medical Center
Ames · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
17.9 mi
Primary Health Care
8 sites · nearest in Ames
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
21.6 mi
Unitypoint Health - Marshalltown
Marshalltown · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
25.6 mi
Mercyone Newton Medical Center
Newton · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Colo itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Colo itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Colo 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 Colo; ≈ 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 Iowa

Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.

Get no exercise 21.9%IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 29.7%IA 32.5%
Binge drink 22%IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettes 14%IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Colo, betterColo, worseAbout the sameIowa
Where Colo gets moving

0.4 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

1Carmody Park2 acres
Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%Yearly checkupIA 78%
66%Dentist visitIA 67%
86%Cholesterol checkIA 84%
71%Colon screeningIA 67%
77%MammogramIA 79%
77%Taking BP medsIA 78%
1 in 18
working-age adults has no health insurance
Colo 5.7% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How Colo adults are doing

About the same as Iowa on each measure.

1 in 3Colo adults feel lonely
31.7% · IA 32.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Colo adults lack social or emotional support
20.9% · IA 23.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Colo adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.1% · IA 20.7% · About the same as IA
1 in 6Colo adults are in frequent mental distress
15.6% · IA 16.4% · About the same as IA
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Colo 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.

Around town

Colo 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.

26.1%

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

Walking or climbing stairs11.4%
Thinking or memory12.6%
Hearing7%
Errands alone6.6%
Vision3.6%
Dressing or bathing3%
Iowa

Questions about health in Colo

Why doesn’t Colo have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Colo?

Story County Hospital in Nevada, 6.0 miles in a straight line from Colo’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 Colo.

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.