Photo: RifeIdeas · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Elk Run Heights is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns
Elk Run Heights differs from Iowa on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 11 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Elk Run Heights. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Elk Run Heights
COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Elk Run Heights
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.2%), vs 6.9% across Iowa. 1 in 24 adults have had a stroke (4.1%), vs 3.3% across Iowa. Heart disease is also above the state: 8.1%, vs 6.6% across Iowa. In all, Elk Run Heights runs above Iowa on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (Iowa 18%), and COPD, stroke and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Elk Run Heights
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (19.4%), vs 14.5% across Iowa. Habits ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Iowa figure falls outside Elk Run Heights’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Elk Run Heights’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Elk Run Heights is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 56% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 8%).
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). Elk Run Heights’ median household income is $76,500; among the 10,820 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($57K–$96K), it’s healthier than 22%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Elk Run Heights compares well: colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75), 73% (U.S. 65.5%).
Out of every 100 Elk Run Heights adults…
Elk Run Heights runs above IA on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Elk Run Heights is an older town: 27% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Iowa. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Elk Run Heights as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa
Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.
0 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Care in and near Elk Run Heights
No hospital or community health center in Elk Run Heights 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 Elk Run Heights; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Elk Run Heights adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Iowa.
How Elk Run Heights adults are doing
About the same as Iowa on each measure.
1 in 3 Elk Run Heights 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.
12.7% of Elk Run Heights adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.
Elk Run Heights and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Run Heights | C | 42.8% | 13.7% | 19.4% | CDC place |
| Evansdale | D | 44.5% | 14.5% | 21.7% | CDC place |
| Raymond | — | — | — | — |
Raymond: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Elk Run Heights adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Elk Run Heights
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Elk Run Heights is better than Iowa on 1 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Iowa figure falls inside Elk Run Heights’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Elk Run Heights | IA | U.S. | vs IA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.6%18.8–24.6 | 17.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%12.8–16.4 | 12.7% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%14.8–18.7 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 42.8%38.2–47.3 | 37.7% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 13.7%11.9–15.6 | 11.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 38.5%35.3–41.7 | 33.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41%37.8–44.4 | 35.3% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 32.2%29.4–35.1 | 27% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.6%9.4–11.9 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.6%8.7–10.5 | 8.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.1%7.2–9.1 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.2%7.9–10.6 | 6.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.6–4.6 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.1%9.9–14.3 | 11.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 19.4%16.6–22.2 | 14.5% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 26.8%23.2–30.4 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 19.9%17.4–22.7 | 20.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.2%31–37.6 | 32.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.7%6.3–9.3 | 7.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.6%77–82.1 | 77.5% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.3%62.7–68 | 66.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.3%83.4–87 | 84.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.6%77.2–82 | 77.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73%69.8–76.2 | 66.6% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.4%71.1–81.3 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.8%19.1–24.7 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.9%27.4–34.8 | 32.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.6%20.6–26.9 | 23.3% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.2%11–15.7 | 12% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.2%7.7–10.8 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.8%5.8–7.9 | 6.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.5%6.5–8.6 | 6.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.7%10.5–15.2 | 10% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.3%28.7–35.9 | 28.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.1%14–18.2 | 12.7% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.9%12.9–16.9 | 13.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.8%7.8–9.9 | 7.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.1%4.5–5.8 | 4.3% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.8%7.6–10 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.7–4.8 | 3.4% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Elk Run Heights
Is Elk Run Heights a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Elk Run Heights is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 22%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Elk Run Heights?
CDC estimates 42.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 38.2% and 47.3%, against 37.7% across Iowa and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Elk Run Heights?
Mercyone Waterloo Medical Center in Waterloo, 4.5 miles in a straight line from Elk Run Heights’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Elk Run Heights have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.3–9.3%), 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 Elk Run Heights more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Elk Run Heights.
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.