Charles J. Thompson House · Photo: Chuckmor · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Forest City is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns
Forest City beats Iowa on 1 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Forest City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Forest City
Forest City is short on primary care and mental health care
Forest City’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Forest City is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Forest City is healthier than 68%. Against the 10,461 towns with similar household incomes ($52K–$87K), it’s healthier than 85%. Health Grade ↓
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 Forest City’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind Forest City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forest City is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns, #49 of 140 in Iowa. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 79% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 41%).
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). Forest City’s median household income is $69,205; among the 10,461 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($52K–$87K), it’s healthier than 85%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Care in and near Forest City
No hospital or community health center in Forest City 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 Forest City; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 Forest City adults…
On every condition, Forest City is about the same as Iowa. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa
Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.
2 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Forest City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Iowa.
How Forest City adults are doing
About the same as Iowa on each measure.
1 in 3 Forest City 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.
8.9% of Forest City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.
Forest City and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest City | B+ | 37.4% | 10.2% | 13.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Forest City adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Forest City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Forest City is better than Iowa on 1 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Iowa figure falls inside Forest City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Forest City | IA | U.S. | vs IA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.8%14.2–19.5 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.2%10.6–14 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%14.6–19 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.4%30.5–44.8 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.2%8.8–11.8 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32.8%29.2–36.5 | 33.9% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.9%30.4–37.6 | 35.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 25.7%22.9–28.6 | 27% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10%8.9–11.2 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.7%7.9–9.6 | 8.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.3%5.6–7.1 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.5%5.5–7.6 | 6.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.2%2.8–3.6 | 3.3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.4%9.4–13.7 | 11.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.5%11.3–15.9 | 14.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23.7%19.7–28.3 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 20.9%17.8–24.4 | 20.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.2%25.8–37.1 | 32.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7%5.6–8.9 | 7.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.1%73.6–80.4 | 77.5% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.6%67.6–73.6 | 66.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.7%80.3–85 | 84.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77%74.6–79.2 | 77.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.8%66.6–74.8 | 66.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.6%72.5–84.1 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.7%17.8–24 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.7%28.2–37.5 | 32.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.3%19.9–26.8 | 23.3% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.3%9.1–13.7 | 12% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.8%7.3–10.5 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6%5.1–7 | 6.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.9%5.9–8 | 6.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.9%7.1–10.9 | 10% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.7%23.6–32.1 | 28.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.9%10.1–13.9 | 12.7% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.9%12–16.1 | 13.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.4%6.5–8.3 | 7.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.1%3.6–4.7 | 4.3% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.4%6.3–8.6 | 7.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.2%2.7–3.6 | 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 Forest City
Is Forest City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forest City is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #49 of 140 in Iowa. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 85%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Forest City?
CDC estimates 37.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.5% and 44.8%, against 37.7% across Iowa and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Forest City?
Hancock County Health System in Britt, 14.0 miles in a straight line from Forest City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Forest City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.6–8.9%), 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 Forest City more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Forest City.
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.