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Lester Iowa Main StreetPhoto: Chad Knoblock · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Lester · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Lester residents get care

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

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

Fair or poor health
16.7%
About the same as IA (17.8%)
Obesity
38.1%
About the same as IA (37.7%)
No exercise
24.4%
About the same as IA (24.8%)
Uninsured
7.7%
About the same as IA (7.3%)
Feel lonely
31.9%
About the same as IA (32.3%)
Nearest ER
8.2 mi
Avera Merrill Pioneer Hospital
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Lester adults…

Lester runs below IA on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

34 of every 100 Lester adults have high blood pressure
Iowa: 34 in 100 · about the same · likely 30.3–38.5%
Better than IAWorseAbout the sameIowa
Getting care

Care in and near Lester

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

HNearest ERAvera Merrill Pioneer HospitalRock Rapids · 8.2 miDirections →
+Low-cost careFalls Community HealthSioux Falls · 21.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8.2 mi
Avera Merrill Pioneer Hospital
Rock Rapids · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
14.7 mi
Sanford Canton-Inwood Medical Center - Cah
Canton · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
16.3 mi
Sanford Luverne Medical Center
Luverne · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
16.6 mi
Hegg Memorial Health Center
Rock Valley · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
21.4 mi
Falls Community Health
Sioux Falls · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
Directions
26 mi
Greater Sioux Community Health Center
Sioux Center · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
Directions
✓ Primary careLester is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careLester is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Lester 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 Lester; ≈ 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 24.4%IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 30.4%IA 32.5%
Binge drink 21.8%IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettes 14.3%IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Lester, betterLester, worseAbout the sameIowa
Where Lester gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

77%Yearly checkupIA 78%
70%Dentist visitIA 67%
85%Cholesterol checkIA 84%
72%Colon screeningIA 67%
81%MammogramIA 79%
78%Taking BP medsIA 78%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Lester 7.7% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How Lester adults are doing

About the same as Iowa on each measure.

1 in 3Lester adults feel lonely
31.9% · IA 32.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 4Lester adults lack social or emotional support
23.2% · IA 23.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Lester adults have been diagnosed with depression
19.3% · IA 20.7% · About the same as IA
1 in 6Lester adults are in frequent mental distress
15.9% · IA 16.4% · About the same as IA
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Lester 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
Lester adults worry about having enough food
10.1% · IA 12%
About the same as IA
1 in 12
Lester adults worry about keeping their housing
8.5% · IA 9.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 18
Lester adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.6% · IA 6.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 17
Lester adults lack reliable transportation
5.9% · IA 6.8%
About the same as IA

8% of Lester adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Around town

Lester 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.

27.9%

of Lester adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12.1%
Thinking or memory12.9%
Hearing7.6%
Errands alone6.7%
Vision3.8%
Dressing or bathing3%
Iowa

Questions about health in Lester

Why doesn’t Lester have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Lester?

Avera Merrill Pioneer Hospital in Rock Rapids, 8.2 miles in a straight line from Lester’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.