Photo: ArtisticAbode · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Mount Vernon is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns
Mount Vernon differs from Iowa on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Mount Vernon. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Mount Vernon
Heart disease and stroke are less common in Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon runs below Iowa on nine chronic conditions, most of all heart disease (4.5% vs 6.6%), stroke (2.3% vs 3.3%) and COPD (4.9% vs 6.9%). A young population is part of it: only 11% of residents are 65 or older (Iowa 18%). Conditions ↓
Depression runs high in Mount Vernon
1 in 4 adults have been diagnosed with depression (24.4%), vs 20.7% across Iowa. Conditions ↓
Mount Vernon is an active town
Only 18.6% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.8% 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 Mount Vernon’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Mount Vernon’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mount Vernon is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, #16 of 140 in Iowa. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 96% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 44%).
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). Mount Vernon’s median household income is $112,656; among the 6,780 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($84K–$141K), it’s healthier than 78%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Mount Vernon adults…
Mount Vernon runs below IA on 10 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 11% of Mount Vernon residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Iowa. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa
Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.
1.5 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves
Care in and near Mount Vernon
No hospital or community health center in Mount Vernon 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 Mount Vernon; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Mount Vernon adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Iowa.
How Mount Vernon adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Mount Vernon runs above Iowa.
1 in 3 Mount Vernon 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.
6.6% of Mount Vernon adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.
Mount Vernon and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon | A | 31% | 8.1% | 11% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Mount Vernon adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Mount Vernon
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Mount Vernon is better than Iowa on 17 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Iowa figure falls inside Mount Vernon’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Mount Vernon | IA | U.S. | vs IA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.1%11–15.7 | 17.8% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.3%8.9–11.9 | 12.7% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.4%14.9–20.1 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31%27–35.3 | 37.7% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8.1%7–9.3 | 11.2% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 24.3%21.9–26.9 | 33.9% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 29.3%26.5–32.1 | 35.3% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 20.8%18.6–23 | 27% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.4%9.2–11.7 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7%6.3–7.7 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.5%3.9–5.2 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.9%4–5.8 | 6.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.3%2–2.6 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.7%6.2–9.5 | 11.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11%8.7–13.5 | 14.5% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 18.6%15.4–22.2 | 24.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 23.4%20.4–26.6 | 20.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.1%25.3–33.2 | 32.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.5%4–7.6 | 7.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.2%71.9–78.3 | 77.5% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73.1%70.3–75.8 | 66.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 80.9%77.5–83.9 | 84.1% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73.7%70.9–76.4 | 77.8% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70%65.9–74 | 66.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 81.5%75.8–86.5 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.4%21.4–27.6 | 20.7% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 35.8%31.8–40.2 | 32.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.1%20.6–28 | 23.3% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.5%7.2–12.3 | 12% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.5%5.8–9.2 | 9.4% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5%4.1–6 | 6.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.1%4.8–7.5 | 6.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.6%4.9–8.6 | 10% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 24.9%21.3–29 | 28.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.7%7.3–10.2 | 12.7% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.6%11.2–16.5 | 13.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.5%4.9–6.3 | 7.4% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.1%2.7–3.7 | 4.3% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.3%5.3–7.7 | 7.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.3%2–2.7 | 3.4% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Mount Vernon
Is Mount Vernon a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mount Vernon is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns: A for health, #16 of 140 in Iowa. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 78%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Mount Vernon?
CDC estimates 31% of adults have obesity, likely between 27% and 35.3%, against 37.7% across Iowa and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Mount Vernon?
Mercy Medical Center - Cedar Rapids in Cedar Rapids, 12.4 miles in a straight line from Mount Vernon’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Mount Vernon have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4–7.6%), 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 Mount Vernon more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Mount Vernon.
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.