Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Rochester

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Rochester United Methodist Church (Iowa)Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Rochester · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Rochester residents get care

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

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Rochester

Rochester keeps up with checkups

It beats Iowa on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (71.4% vs 66.8%) and cholesterol checks (89% vs 84.1%). Checkups ↓

Cancer and arthritis run high in Rochester

1 in 9 adults have had cancer (10.7%), vs 8.7% across Iowa. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (31.1%), vs 27% across Iowa. Conditions ↓

Fewer Rochester adults struggle to make ends meet

Worries about housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Iowa. 1 in 14 adults worry about keeping their housing, vs 1 in 11 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 Rochester’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81%Yearly checkupIA 78%
71%Dentist visitIA 67%
89%Cholesterol checkIA 84%
76%Colon screeningIA 67%
79%MammogramIA 79%
82%Taking BP medsIA 78%
1 in 18
working-age adults has no health insurance
Rochester 5.6% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Rochester adults…

Rochester runs below IA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.

11 of every 100 Rochester adults have had cancer
Iowa: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 9.5–11.9%
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 11
Rochester adults worry about having enough food
9.4% · IA 12%
About the same as IA
1 in 14
Rochester adults worry about keeping their housing
7.4% · IA 9.4%
Better than IA
1 in 20
Rochester adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.1% · IA 6.4%
Better than IA
1 in 19
Rochester adults lack reliable transportation
5.2% · IA 6.8%
Better than IA

7.6% of Rochester adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Getting care

Care in and near Rochester

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

HNearest ERTrinity MuscatineMuscatine · 17.3 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyTrinity Muscatine★★★★★ · 17.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Health CareMuscatine · 17.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
17.3 mi
Trinity Muscatine
Muscatine · ★★★★★
ER
17.3 mi
Community Health Care
6 sites · nearest in Muscatine
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
19.8 mi
University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down
Iowa City · ★★★★★
ER
20.2 mi
Proteus, Inc. - Iowa City Site
Iowa City · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
21 mi
University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics
Iowa City · ★★★★★
ER
22 mi
Iowa City VA Medical Center
Iowa City · ★★★★★
ERFor veterans
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Rochester itself
✓ Dental careRochester is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthRochester is not a shortage area

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 Rochester; ≈ 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 24.8%IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 33.2%IA 32.5%
Binge drink 18.7%IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettes 14.8%IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Rochester, betterRochester, worseAbout the sameIowa
Where Rochester gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Mind & connection

How Rochester adults are doing

About the same as Iowa on each measure.

3 in 10Rochester adults feel lonely
30.6% · IA 32.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Rochester adults lack social or emotional support
22.1% · IA 23.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Rochester adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.1% · IA 20.7% · About the same as IA
1 in 7Rochester adults are in frequent mental distress
14.7% · IA 16.4% · About the same as IA
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Rochester 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

Rochester 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.

27.5%

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

Walking or climbing stairs13.4%
Thinking or memory11.9%
Hearing7.9%
Errands alone6.8%
Vision3.9%
Dressing or bathing3.4%
Iowa

Questions about health in Rochester

Why doesn’t Rochester have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Rochester?

Trinity Muscatine in Muscatine, 17.3 miles in a straight line from Rochester’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.