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–Not graded
Health in Elgin · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Elgin residents get care

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

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

Fair or poor health
18.5%
About the same as IA (17.8%)
Obesity
36.7%
About the same as IA (37.7%)
No exercise
27%
About the same as IA (24.8%)
Uninsured
6.3%
About the same as IA (7.3%)
Feel lonely
30.6%
About the same as IA (32.3%)
Nearest ER
8.8 mi
Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics
What stands out

What stands out about health in Elgin

10.8%have had cancer · IA 8.7%
★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Elgin adults…

Elgin runs above IA on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

11 of every 100 Elgin adults have had cancer
Iowa: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 9.7–12%
Better than IAWorseAbout the sameIowa
Why age matters here

Elgin is an older town: 32% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Iowa. Heart disease, stroke and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Elgin as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Elgin32%
Iowa18%
Getting care

Care in and near Elgin

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

HNearest ERGundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and ClinicsWest Union · 8.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyGundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics★★★★★ · 8.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careScenic Bluffs Health Centers, Inc - Prairie Du ChienPrairie Du Chien · 25.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8.8 mi
Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics
West Union · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
13 mi
Mercyone Elkader Medical Center
Elkader · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
23.1 mi
Veterans Memorial Hospital
Waukon · not rated
ERRural critical accessFor veterans
DirectionsMedicare profile
23.6 mi
Mercyone Oelwein Medical Center
Oelwein · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
25.7 mi
Scenic Bluffs Health Centers, Inc - Prairie Du Chien
Prairie Du Chien · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
Directions
47.3 mi
Peoples Community Health Clinic
2 sites · nearest in Waterloo
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Elgin itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Elgin itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Elgin 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 Elgin; ≈ 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 27%IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.8%IA 32.5%
Binge drink 20.4%IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettes 15.3%IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Elgin, betterElgin, worseAbout the sameIowa
Where Elgin gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%Yearly checkupIA 78%
68%Dentist visitIA 67%
85%Cholesterol checkIA 84%
71%Colon screeningIA 67%
78%MammogramIA 79%
80%Taking BP medsIA 78%
1 in 16
working-age adults has no health insurance
Elgin 6.3% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How Elgin adults are doing

About the same as Iowa on each measure.

3 in 10Elgin adults feel lonely
30.6% · IA 32.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 4Elgin adults lack social or emotional support
23.2% · IA 23.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Elgin adults have been diagnosed with depression
19.8% · IA 20.7% · About the same as IA
1 in 6Elgin adults are in frequent mental distress
15.8% · IA 16.4% · About the same as IA
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Elgin 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 10
Elgin adults worry about having enough food
10.4% · IA 12%
About the same as IA
1 in 13
Elgin adults worry about keeping their housing
8% · IA 9.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 18
Elgin adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.6% · IA 6.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 16
Elgin adults lack reliable transportation
6.1% · IA 6.8%
About the same as IA

8.7% of Elgin adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Around town

Elgin 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.

30%

of Elgin adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.6%
Thinking or memory13.4%
Hearing9.1%
Errands alone7.8%
Vision4.4%
Dressing or bathing3.6%
Iowa

Questions about health in Elgin

Why doesn’t Elgin have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Elgin?

Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics in West Union, 8.8 miles in a straight line from Elgin’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.