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≈ A−Health Grade
Health in Lake Park · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Lake Park is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns

Lake Park differs from Iowa on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 8 better, 1 worse.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Lake Park

Cancer runs high in Lake Park

1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11%), vs 8.7% across Iowa. Conditions ↓

Fewer Lake Park adults struggle to make ends meet

Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Iowa. 1 in 12 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 8 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓

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 Lake Park’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.

Health Grade

What’s behind Lake Park’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake Park is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 85% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 47%).

A−Self-rated health15.5% · IA 17.8% · U.S. 19.4%
A−Physical distress12% · IA 12.7% · U.S. 13%
AMental distress14.5% · IA 16.4% · U.S. 15.9%
B−Obesity36.6% · IA 37.7% · U.S. 32.9%
B+Diabetes10.9% · IA 11.2% · U.S. 12%
B+Smoking12.8% smoke · IA 14.5% · U.S. 11.8%
B+Exercise23% · IA 24.8% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 75%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $56K–$93K (10,855)Healthier than 89%

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). Lake Park’s median household income is $74,500; among the 10,855 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($56K–$93K), it’s healthier than 89%, about where its income would put it.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Lake Park could be anywhere from C+ to A. The letter shows with “≈”.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Lake Park adults…

Lake Park runs above IA on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

11 of every 100 Lake Park adults have had cancer
Iowa: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 9.9–12.2%
Better than IAWorseAbout the sameIowa
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 12
Lake Park adults worry about having enough food
8.1% · IA 12%
Better than IA
1 in 15
Lake Park adults worry about keeping their housing
6.8% · IA 9.4%
Better than IA
1 in 22
Lake Park adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.6% · IA 6.4%
Better than IA
1 in 20
Lake Park adults lack reliable transportation
4.9% · IA 6.8%
Better than IA

6.4% of Lake Park adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Getting care

Care in and near Lake Park

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

HNearest ERLakes Regional HealthcareSpirit Lake · 10.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySanford Worthington Medical Center★★★★★ · 18.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careRural Health CareWorthington · 18.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
10.2 mi
Lakes Regional Healthcare
Spirit Lake · ★★★★★
ER
18.3 mi
Sanford Worthington Medical Center
Worthington · ★★★★★
ER
18.8 mi
Rural Health Care
3 sites · nearest in Worthington
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
20.2 mi
Sanford Jackson Medical Center
Jackson · not rated
ERRural critical access
21.4 mi
Osceola Community Hospital
Sibley · not rated
ERRural critical access
22.7 mi
Community Health Center of Spencer
Spencer · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
✓ Primary careLake Park is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careLake Park is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Lake Park 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 Lake Park; ≈ 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 23%IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 30.4%IA 32.5%
Binge drink 19%IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettes 12.8%IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Lake Park, betterLake Park, worseAbout the sameIowa
Where Lake Park gets moving

0.5 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%Yearly checkupIA 78%
72%Dentist visitIA 67%
87%Cholesterol checkIA 84%
68%Colon screeningIA 67%
78%MammogramIA 79%
81%Taking BP medsIA 78%
1 in 18
working-age adults has no health insurance
Lake Park 5.5% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How Lake Park adults are doing

About the same as Iowa on each measure.

3 in 10Lake Park adults feel lonely
29.8% · IA 32.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Lake Park adults lack social or emotional support
21.5% · IA 23.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Lake Park adults have been diagnosed with depression
19% · IA 20.7% · About the same as IA
1 in 7Lake Park adults are in frequent mental distress
14.5% · IA 16.4% · About the same as IA
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Lake Park 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.

Around town

Lake Park and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Lake ParkA−36.6%10.9%12.8%CDC place

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

27.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs12.5%
Thinking or memory11.7%
Hearing8.2%
Errands alone6.5%
Vision3.6%
Dressing or bathing3%
Iowa

Every CDC estimate for Lake Park

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lake Park is better than Iowa on 8 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Iowa figure falls inside Lake Park’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Lake ParkIAU.S.vs IA
Overall health
Fair or poor health15.5%12.7–18.617.8%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)12%10.1–1412.7%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)14.5%12.4–16.716.4%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity36.6%29–44.537.7%32.9%About the same
Diabetes10.9%9.1–12.811.2%12%About the same
High blood pressure36%31.7–40.433.9%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)36.5%32.1–40.935.3%37.1%About the same
Arthritis28.8%25.2–32.427%25.3%About the same
Asthma9.8%8.5–119.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer11%9.9–12.28.7%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease7%6–86.6%6.4%About the same
COPD6.7%5.5–86.9%6.3%About the same
Stroke3.5%3–43.3%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)9.6%7.6–1211.6%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes12.8%10–15.914.5%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work23%18.3–28.124.8%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking19%15.9–22.420.5%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours30.4%24.9–36.932.5%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)5.5%4.2–7.17.3%11%Better
Checkup in the past year78.9%75.4–82.177.5%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year72%68.9–75.166.8%63.2%Better
Cholesterol check in 5 years87.4%85.6–89.284.1%87.1%Better
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)80.9%78.2–83.477.8%76.5%Better
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)67.8%62.9–72.866.6%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)77.8%70.5–84.378.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression19%15.8–22.320.7%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely29.8%25.2–34.932.3%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support21.5%18.3–25.323.3%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food8.1%6.4–10.312%15%Better
Worried about keeping housing6.8%5.4–8.39.4%12%Better
Threatened with a utility shut-off4.6%3.8–5.46.4%7.6%Better
Lack reliable transportation4.9%4.1–5.86.8%7.9%Better
Received SNAP (food stamps)6.4%4.9–8.210%11.6%Lower
Disability
Any disability27.4%22.9–32.328.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs12.5%10.3–1512.7%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering11.7%9.8–13.813.5%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8.2%7.1–9.47.4%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty3.6%3.1–4.34.3%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone6.5%5.4–7.77.4%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3%2.5–3.53.4%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 Lake Park

Is Lake Park a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake Park is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns: ≈ A− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 89%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Lake Park?

CDC estimates 36.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 29% and 44.5%, against 37.7% across Iowa and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Lake Park?

Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake, 10.2 miles in a straight line from Lake Park’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.

How many people in Lake Park have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 5.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.2–7.1%), 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 Lake Park 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 Lake Park.

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. 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.