Photo: Mattofwashington · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Prairie City is healthier than 67% of U.S. towns
Prairie City beats Iowa on 1 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Prairie City. How CDC estimates town health
What’s behind Prairie City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Prairie City is healthier than 67% of U.S. towns. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 79% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 40%).
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). Prairie City’s median household income is $78,295; among the 10,827 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($59K–$98K), it’s healthier than 76%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Prairie City adults…
Prairie City runs below IA on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Prairie City
No hospital or community health center in Prairie 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 Prairie 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa
Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.
0.2 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Keeping up with care
Share of Prairie City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Iowa.
How Prairie City adults are doing
About the same as Iowa on each measure.
3 in 10 Prairie 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.
8.2% of Prairie City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.
Prairie City and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie City | B+ | 37.5% | 10.2% | 15.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Prairie City adults live with a disability (Iowa 28.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Prairie City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Prairie City is better than Iowa on 1 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Iowa figure falls inside Prairie City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Prairie City | IA | U.S. | vs IA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.1%13.5–19 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.2%10.4–14.1 | 12.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.6%14.3–19 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.5%30.7–44.9 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.2%8.6–11.9 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 33.3%29.3–37.4 | 33.9% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.3%30.3–38.4 | 35.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 26%22.9–29.3 | 27% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.1%8.9–11.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.5%7.6–9.4 | 8.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.7%5–6.5 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 6.3%5.3–7.5 | 6.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3%2.6–3.4 | 3.3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.5%10.1–15.4 | 11.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.3%12.1–18.7 | 14.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 22.7%18.3–27.4 | 24.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 21%17.7–24.7 | 20.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.6%26–37.8 | 32.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.9%4.5–7.6 | 7.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.8%74.2–81 | 77.5% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.5%64.1–71 | 66.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.2%82.9–87.2 | 84.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.1%72.9–79 | 77.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.8%62.8–72.4 | 66.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.5%70.1–83.7 | 78.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.2%17.9–24.9 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.8%25.2–34.8 | 32.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.6%19.2–26.4 | 23.3% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10%7.6–12.6 | 12% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.5%6.7–10.4 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.8%4.7–6.9 | 6.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.9%4.8–7 | 6.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.2%6.1–10.5 | 10% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 26.6%22.4–31.1 | 28.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.6%9.7–13.8 | 12.7% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.1%11.1–15.3 | 13.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.6%5.8–7.5 | 7.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.6%3.2–4.2 | 4.3% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.8%5.8–8 | 7.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3%2.6–3.5 | 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 Prairie City
Is Prairie City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Prairie City is healthier than 67% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 76%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Prairie City?
CDC estimates 37.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.7% and 44.9%, against 37.7% across Iowa and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Prairie City?
Mercyone Newton Medical Center in Newton, 12.2 miles in a straight line from Prairie City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Prairie City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.5–7.6%), 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 Prairie 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 Prairie 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.