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Burlington, Cedar Rapids, and Minnesota Railroad Walker Station, Walker, IAPhoto: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Walker · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Walker residents get care

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

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

Fair or poor health
15.1%
About the same as IA (17.8%)
Obesity
34.4%
About the same as IA (37.7%)
No exercise
21%
About the same as IA (24.8%)
Uninsured
5.3%
Better than IA (7.3%)
Feel lonely
32.8%
About the same as IA (32.3%)
Nearest ER
14.2 mi
Buchanan County Health Center
What stands out

What stands out about health in Walker

9.3%worry about food · IA 12%
★ What stands out · 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
Walker adults worry about having enough food
9.3% · IA 12%
Better than IA
1 in 14
Walker adults worry about keeping their housing
7.4% · IA 9.4%
Better than IA
1 in 19
Walker adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.2% · IA 6.4%
Better than IA
1 in 18
Walker adults lack reliable transportation
5.5% · IA 6.8%
Better than IA

6.9% of Walker adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Walker adults…

Walker runs below IA on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

31 of every 100 Walker adults have high blood pressure
Iowa: 34 in 100 · better · likely 27.5–33.8%
Better than IAWorseAbout the sameIowa
Getting care

Care in and near Walker

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

HNearest ERBuchanan County Health CenterIndependence · 14.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyVirginia Gay Hospital★★★★★ · 14.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careEastern Iowa Health CenterVinton · 14.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
14.2 mi
Buchanan County Health Center
Independence · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
14.2 mi
Eastern Iowa Health Center
6 sites · nearest in Vinton
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
14.3 mi
Virginia Gay Hospital
Vinton · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
21.1 mi
Regional Medical Center
Manchester · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
21.8 mi
St. Lukes Hospital
Cedar Rapids · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
31.5 mi
Peoples Community Health Clinic
2 sites · nearest in Waterloo
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careWalker is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careWalker is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthWalker 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 Walker; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa

Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.

Get no exercise 21%IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.7%IA 32.5%
Binge drink 21.5%IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettes 13.5%IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Walker, betterWalker, worseAbout the sameIowa
Where Walker gets moving

0 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

1Walker Ball Diamonds5 acres2Walker City Park2 acres
Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%Yearly checkupIA 78%
70%Dentist visitIA 67%
86%Cholesterol checkIA 84%
71%Colon screeningIA 67%
80%MammogramIA 79%
78%Taking BP medsIA 78%
1 in 19
working-age adults has no health insurance
Walker 5.3% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How Walker adults are doing

About the same as Iowa on each measure.

1 in 3Walker adults feel lonely
32.8% · IA 32.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 4Walker adults lack social or emotional support
23.7% · IA 23.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 4Walker adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.6% · IA 20.7% · About the same as IA
1 in 6Walker adults are in frequent mental distress
16.1% · IA 16.4% · About the same as IA
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Walker 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

Walker 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.

26.8%

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

Walking or climbing stairs11.3%
Thinking or memory12.7%
Hearing6.8%
Errands alone6.6%
Vision3.5%
Dressing or bathing3%
Iowa

Questions about health in Walker

Why doesn’t Walker have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Walker?

Buchanan County Health Center in Independence, 14.2 miles in a straight line from Walker’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 Walker.

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.