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St. Olaf AuditoriumPhoto: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in St. Olaf · CDC PLACES 2025

Where St. Olaf residents get care

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

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

Fair or poor health
19.4%
About the same as IA (17.8%)
Obesity
41.6%
About the same as IA (37.7%)
No exercise
27.9%
About the same as IA (24.8%)
Uninsured
7.3%
About the same as IA (7.3%)
Feel lonely
32.1%
About the same as IA (32.3%)
Nearest ER
4.8 mi
Mercyone Elkader Medical Center
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 St. Olaf adults…

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

37 of every 100 St. Olaf adults have high blood pressure
Iowa: 34 in 100 · about the same · likely 32.4–41.3%
Better than IAWorseAbout the sameIowa
Getting care

Care in and near St. Olaf

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

HNearest ERMercyone Elkader Medical CenterElkader · 4.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyCrossing Rivers Health Medical Center★★★★★ · 18.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost careScenic Bluffs Health Centers, Inc - Prairie Du ChienPrairie Du Chien · 15 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
4.8 mi
Mercyone Elkader Medical Center
Elkader · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
15 mi
Scenic Bluffs Health Centers, Inc - Prairie Du Chien
Prairie Du Chien · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
Directions
17.5 mi
Guttenberg Municipal Hospital
Guttenberg · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
18.7 mi
Crossing Rivers Health Medical Center
Prairie Du Chien · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
21.5 mi
Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics
West Union · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
44.5 mi
Crescent Community Health Center
7 sites · nearest in Dubuque
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers St. Olaf itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers St. Olaf itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers St. Olaf 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 St. Olaf; ≈ 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 27.9%IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 32.7%IA 32.5%
Binge drink 21.6%IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettes 17.9%IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
St. Olaf, betterSt. Olaf, worseAbout the sameIowa
Where St. Olaf gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%Yearly checkupIA 78%
67%Dentist visitIA 67%
85%Cholesterol checkIA 84%
63%Colon screeningIA 67%
76%MammogramIA 79%
78%Taking BP medsIA 78%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
St. Olaf 7.3% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How St. Olaf adults are doing

About the same as Iowa on each measure.

1 in 3St. Olaf adults feel lonely
32.1% · IA 32.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 4St. Olaf adults lack social or emotional support
24.1% · IA 23.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5St. Olaf adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.5% · IA 20.7% · About the same as IA
1 in 6St. Olaf adults are in frequent mental distress
17% · IA 16.4% · About the same as IA
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 St. Olaf 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 8
St. Olaf adults worry about having enough food
12.6% · IA 12%
About the same as IA
1 in 10
St. Olaf adults worry about keeping their housing
9.8% · IA 9.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 14
St. Olaf adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7% · IA 6.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 14
St. Olaf adults lack reliable transportation
7.1% · IA 6.8%
About the same as IA

11% of St. Olaf adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Around town

St. Olaf 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.

29.1%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.2%
Thinking or memory14.6%
Hearing7.8%
Errands alone8.1%
Vision4.7%
Dressing or bathing4%
Iowa

Questions about health in St. Olaf

Why doesn’t St. Olaf have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to St. Olaf?

Mercyone Elkader Medical Center in Elkader, 4.8 miles in a straight line from St. Olaf’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 St. Olaf.

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.