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Early iowaPhoto: Bill Whittaker · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Health in Early · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Early residents get care

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

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

Fair or poor health
20%
About the same as IA (17.8%)
Obesity
42.4%
About the same as IA (37.7%)
No exercise
27%
About the same as IA (24.8%)
Uninsured
7.9%
About the same as IA (7.3%)
Feel lonely
32.7%
About the same as IA (32.3%)
Nearest ER
9.3 mi
Loring Hospital
What stands out

What stands out about health in Early

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

Care in and near Early

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

HNearest ERLoring HospitalSac City · 9.3 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyBuena Vista Regional Medical Center★★★★★ · 13.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careUnited Community Health Center of Storm Lake - ReplacementStorm Lake · 13.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.3 mi
Loring Hospital
Sac City · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
13.1 mi
Buena Vista Regional Medical Center
Storm Lake · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
13.2 mi
United Community Health Center of Storm Lake - Replacement
Storm Lake · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
Directions
17.8 mi
Horn Memorial Hospital
Ida Grove · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
24.6 mi
Stewart Memorial Community Hospital
Lake City · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
47.2 mi
Community Health Center of Fort Dodge
4 sites · nearest in Spencer
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Early itself
✓ Dental careEarly is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Early 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 Early; ≈ 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 Early adults…

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

35 of every 100 Early adults have high blood pressure
Iowa: 34 in 100 · about the same · likely 30.6–39%
Better than IAWorseAbout the sameIowa
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa

Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.

Get no exercise 27%IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 34.9%IA 32.5%
Binge drink 20.8%IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettes 17.3%IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Early, betterEarly, worseAbout the sameIowa
Where Early gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

77%Yearly checkupIA 78%
68%Dentist visitIA 67%
83%Cholesterol checkIA 84%
70%Colon screeningIA 67%
81%MammogramIA 79%
78%Taking BP medsIA 78%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Early 7.9% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How Early adults are doing

About the same as Iowa on each measure.

1 in 3Early adults feel lonely
32.7% · IA 32.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 4Early adults lack social or emotional support
24.4% · IA 23.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Early adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.7% · IA 20.7% · About the same as IA
1 in 6Early adults are in frequent mental distress
17.8% · IA 16.4% · About the same as IA
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Early 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 7
Early adults worry about having enough food
13.5% · IA 12%
About the same as IA
1 in 10
Early adults worry about keeping their housing
10.1% · IA 9.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 14
Early adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.9% · IA 6.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 13
Early adults lack reliable transportation
7.5% · IA 6.8%
About the same as IA

11.6% of Early adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Around town

Early 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.

31%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.2%
Thinking or memory15.4%
Hearing8%
Errands alone8.5%
Vision4.8%
Dressing or bathing3.9%
Iowa

Questions about health in Early

Why doesn’t Early have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Early?

Loring Hospital in Sac City, 9.3 miles in a straight line from Early’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 Early.

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.