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Sac city iowaPhoto: Bill Whittaker · CC BY-SA 3.0
≈ B−Health Grade
Health in Sac City · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Sac City is healthier than 78%

Sac City differs from Iowa on 7 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 4 worse.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Sac City

Cancer, heart disease and stroke run high in Sac City

1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.2%), vs 8.7% across Iowa. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.2%), vs 6.6% across Iowa. Stroke is also above the state: 4.1%, vs 3.3% across Iowa. In all, Sac City runs above Iowa on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (Iowa 18%), and cancer, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Sac City is short on primary care and mental health care

Sac City’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓

Sac City is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Sac City is healthier than 48%. Against the 8,069 towns with similar household incomes ($43K–$71K), it’s healthier than 78%. Health Grade ↓

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 Sac City’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.

Health Grade

What’s behind Sac City’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sac City is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 72% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 17%).

B−Self-rated health19% · IA 17.8% · U.S. 19.4%
B−Physical distress13.9% · IA 12.7% · U.S. 13%
B+Mental distress15.7% · IA 16.4% · U.S. 15.9%
C−Obesity40.7% · IA 37.7% · U.S. 32.9%
B−Diabetes12.3% · IA 11.2% · U.S. 12%
B−Smoking14.7% smoke · IA 14.5% · U.S. 11.8%
C+Exercise26.7% · IA 24.8% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 48%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $43K–$71K (8,069)Healthier than 78%

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). Sac City’s median household income is $57,139; among the 8,069 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($43K–$71K), it’s healthier than 78%, more than its income alone would suggest.

Where Sac City compares well: lost all teeth (ages 65+), 7.9% (U.S. 12.3%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 81.2% (U.S. 76.5%); colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75), 72.8% (U.S. 65.5%).

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

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Sac City adults…

Sac City runs below IA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 4. Tap one to see it as people.

11 of every 100 Sac City adults have had cancer
Iowa: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 9.9–12.5%
Better than IAWorseAbout the sameIowa
Why age matters here

Sac City is an older town: 27% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Iowa. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Sac City as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Sac City27%
Iowa18%
Getting care

Care in and near Sac City

1 hospital in Sac City, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERLoring HospitalSac City · 1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyBuena Vista Regional Medical Center★★★★★ · 19.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careUnited Community Health Center of Storm Lake - ReplacementStorm Lake · 19 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1 mi
Loring Hospital
Sac City · not rated
ERRural critical accessIn Sac City
16.7 mi
Stewart Memorial Community Hospital
Lake City · not rated
ERRural critical access
19 mi
United Community Health Center of Storm Lake - Replacement
Storm Lake · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
19.1 mi
Buena Vista Regional Medical Center
Storm Lake · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
24.2 mi
Horn Memorial Hospital
Ida Grove · not rated
ERRural critical access
41.6 mi
Proteus, Inc. - Fort Dodge Site
Fort Dodge · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Sac City itself
✓ Dental careSac City is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Sac City 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 Sac 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa

Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.

Get no exercise 26.7%IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 32.6%IA 32.5%
Binge drink 18.6%IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettes 14.7%IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Sac City, betterSac City, worseAbout the sameIowa
Where Sac City gets moving

0.3 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%Yearly checkupIA 78%
70%Dentist visitIA 67%
86%Cholesterol checkIA 84%
73%Colon screeningIA 67%
83%MammogramIA 79%
81%Taking BP medsIA 78%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Sac City 6.7% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How Sac City adults are doing

About the same as Iowa on each measure.

3 in 10Sac City adults feel lonely
30.6% · IA 32.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Sac City adults lack social or emotional support
22.1% · IA 23.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Sac City adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.2% · IA 20.7% · About the same as IA
1 in 6Sac City adults are in frequent mental distress
15.7% · IA 16.4% · About the same as IA
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Sac City 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 9
Sac City adults worry about having enough food
10.6% · IA 12%
About the same as IA
1 in 13
Sac City adults worry about keeping their housing
8% · IA 9.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 18
Sac City adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.6% · IA 6.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 16
Sac City adults lack reliable transportation
6.2% · IA 6.8%
About the same as IA

9.1% of Sac City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Around town

Sac City and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Sac CityB−40.7%12.3%14.7%CDC place

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

31.6%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.4%
Thinking or memory13.5%
Hearing9.5%
Errands alone8.2%
Vision4.7%
Dressing or bathing3.8%
Iowa

Every CDC estimate for Sac City

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

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sac City is better than Iowa on 3 and worse on 4; on the rest, the Iowa figure falls inside Sac City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Sac CityIAU.S.vs IA
Overall health
Fair or poor health19%15.6–22.717.8%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)13.9%11.8–16.212.7%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)15.7%13.6–18.116.4%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity40.7%32.5–49.637.7%32.9%About the same
Diabetes12.3%10.4–14.311.2%12%About the same
High blood pressure38.1%33.8–42.633.9%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)38%33.5–42.735.3%37.1%About the same
Arthritis32.3%28.8–3627%25.3%Worse
Asthma10.1%8.9–11.59.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer11.2%9.9–12.58.7%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease8.2%7.2–9.46.6%6.4%Worse
COPD8.3%6.8–9.96.9%6.3%About the same
Stroke4.1%3.5–4.73.3%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)7.9%6.2–9.711.6%12.3%Better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes14.7%11.8–17.814.5%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work26.7%21.5–32.424.8%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking18.6%15.4–22.120.5%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours32.6%26.4–3932.5%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)6.7%5–8.97.3%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year79.4%75.9–82.877.5%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year69.7%66.4–72.766.8%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years86.3%84–88.384.1%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)81.2%78.5–83.677.8%76.5%Better
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)72.8%68.4–77.166.6%65.5%Better
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)82.5%76.3–87.578.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression20.2%17–23.720.7%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely30.6%25.7–3632.3%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support22.1%18.5–26.123.3%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food10.6%8.2–13.512%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing8%6.5–9.79.4%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off5.6%4.7–6.76.4%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation6.2%5.1–7.36.8%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)9.1%6.9–11.610%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability31.6%26.8–36.828.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs15.4%12.7–18.312.7%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering13.5%11.4–15.913.5%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty9.5%8.2–10.87.4%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty4.7%3.9–5.64.3%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone8.2%6.8–9.97.4%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.8%3.2–4.63.4%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 Sac City

Is Sac City a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sac City is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Sac City?

CDC estimates 40.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.5% and 49.6%, against 37.7% across Iowa and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Sac City?

Loring Hospital in Sac City, 1.0 miles in a straight line from Sac City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in Sac City have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 6.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5–8.9%), 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 Sac City more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Sac City.

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.