Photo: Billwhittaker · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Fort Madison is healthier than 74%
Fort Madison trails Iowa on 7 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Fort Madison. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Fort Madison
COPD and stroke run high in Fort Madison
1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.5%), vs 6.9% across Iowa. 1 in 25 adults have had a stroke (4%), vs 3.3% across Iowa. In all, Fort Madison runs above Iowa on three of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Fort Madison is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Fort Madison is healthier than 37%. Against the 6,041 towns with similar household incomes ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 74%. 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 Fort Madison’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Fort Madison’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fort Madison is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns, #102 of 140 in Iowa. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 58% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 25%).
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). Fort Madison’s median household income is $50,705; among the 6,041 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 74%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Fort Madison adults…
Fort Madison runs above IA on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Fort Madison
No hospital or community health center in Fort Madison 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 Fort Madison; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa
Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.
4.8 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Fort Madison adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Iowa.
How Fort Madison adults are doing
About the same as Iowa on each measure.
3 in 10 Fort Madison 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.
12.5% of Fort Madison adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.
Fort Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Madison | C+ | 37.7% | 12.8% | 17.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Fort Madison adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Fort Madison
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Fort Madison is better than Iowa on 0 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Iowa figure falls inside Fort Madison’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Fort Madison | IA | U.S. | vs IA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.6%17.9–23.5 | 17.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.7%13–16.6 | 12.7% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.6%14.8–18.7 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.7%31.2–44.6 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.8%11.2–14.7 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.2%33.3–41.4 | 33.9% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.4%33.3–41.6 | 35.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.5%27.3–33.8 | 27% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.2%9–11.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.6%8.7–10.6 | 8.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.8%7–8.7 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.5%7.3–9.6 | 6.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4%3.6–4.4 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.4%9.1–13.9 | 11.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.4%14.9–20 | 14.5% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 28.6%24.3–33.1 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.1%15.2–21.5 | 20.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.7%29.7–41.9 | 32.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.1%6.8–9.6 | 7.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.8%74.3–81.2 | 77.5% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.2%61.6–68.7 | 66.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.3%82.4–86.1 | 84.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.4%76.6–81.9 | 77.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.9%60.9–70.7 | 66.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.8%68.4–82.4 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.9%16.9–23.2 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.6%26.3–35.3 | 32.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.3%21–27.8 | 23.3% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.8%11.7–16 | 12% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.4%8.9–12 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.3%6.3–8.3 | 6.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.6%6.6–8.5 | 6.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.5%10.6–14.5 | 10% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.7%27.7–35.8 | 28.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.9%13.8–18.1 | 12.7% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.4%12.7–16.2 | 13.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.7%7.7–9.8 | 7.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.2%4.6–5.8 | 4.3% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.6%7.5–9.7 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.1%3.7–4.6 | 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 Fort Madison
Is Fort Madison a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fort Madison is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #102 of 140 in Iowa. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Fort Madison?
CDC estimates 37.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.2% and 44.6%, against 37.7% across Iowa and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Fort Madison?
Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in West Burlington, 16.0 miles in a straight line from Fort Madison’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Fort Madison have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.8–9.6%), 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 Fort Madison 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 Fort Madison.
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.