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Webster City Post OfficeWebster City Post Office · Photo: Ann Sullivan-Larson · CC BY-SA 3.0
≈ BHealth Grade
Health in Webster City · CDC PLACES 2025

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

Webster City trails Iowa on 1 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Webster City

Webster City is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Webster City is healthier than 55%. Against the 9,639 towns with similar household incomes ($48K–$79K), it’s healthier than 78%. Health Grade ↓

Webster City is short on primary care and mental health care

Webster 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 ↓

Webster City has a five-star hospital

Van Diest Medical Center is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓

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

Health Grade

What’s behind Webster City’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Webster City is healthier than 55% of U.S. towns, #70 of 140 in Iowa. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 76% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 41%).

BSelf-rated health18.8% · IA 17.8% · U.S. 19.4%
BPhysical distress13.4% · IA 12.7% · U.S. 13%
A−Mental distress15.4% · IA 16.4% · U.S. 15.9%
B−Obesity36.5% · IA 37.7% · U.S. 32.9%
B−Diabetes12.2% · IA 11.2% · U.S. 12%
B−Smoking14.9% smoke · IA 14.5% · U.S. 11.8%
C+Exercise26.9% · IA 24.8% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 55%
Less healthyHealthier
Iowa towns we grade (140)Healthier than 50%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $48K–$79K (9,639)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). Webster City’s median household income is $63,430; among the 9,639 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($48K–$79K), it’s healthier than 78%, more than its income alone would suggest.

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

How TownRatings grades health →

Getting care

Care in and near Webster City

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

HNearest ERVan Diest Medical CenterWebster City · 0.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyVan Diest Medical Center★★★★★ · 0.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Health Center of Fort DodgeEagle Grove · 14.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
0.7 mi
Van Diest Medical Center
Webster City · ★★★★★
ERRural critical accessIn Webster City
14.6 mi
Community Health Center of Fort Dodge
4 sites · nearest in Eagle Grove
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
18.4 mi
Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion
Clarion · not rated
ERRural critical access
19.1 mi
Trinity Regional Medical Center
Fort Dodge · ★★★★★
ER
19.1 mi
Proteus, Inc. - Fort Dodge Site
Fort Dodge · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
28.1 mi
Humboldt County Memorial Hospital
Humboldt · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Webster City itself
✓ Dental careWebster City is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Webster 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 Webster 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).

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Webster City adults…

On every condition, Webster City is about the same as Iowa. Tap one to see it as people.

36 of every 100 Webster City adults have high blood pressure
Iowa: 34 in 100 · about the same · likely 32.1–40.6%
Better than IAWorseAbout the sameIowa
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Iowa

Share of adults, with the Iowa figure marked.

Get no exercise 26.9%IA 24.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 30.7%IA 32.5%
Binge drink 19%IA 20.5%
Smoke cigarettes 14.9%IA 14.5%
0%10%20%30%40%
Webster City, betterWebster City, worseAbout the sameIowa
Where Webster City gets moving

0.2 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%Yearly checkupIA 78%
70%Dentist visitIA 67%
85%Cholesterol checkIA 84%
66%Colon screeningIA 67%
79%MammogramIA 79%
80%Taking BP medsIA 78%
1 in 11
working-age adults has no health insurance
Webster City 9% · Iowa 1 in 14 (7.3%)
Mind & connection

How Webster City adults are doing

About the same as Iowa on each measure.

1 in 3Webster City adults feel lonely
31.8% · IA 32.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 4Webster City adults lack social or emotional support
23.8% · IA 23.3% · About the same as IA
1 in 5Webster City adults have been diagnosed with depression
19.3% · IA 20.7% · About the same as IA
1 in 6Webster City adults are in frequent mental distress
15.4% · IA 16.4% · About the same as IA
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Webster 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 8
Webster City adults worry about having enough food
12.4% · IA 12%
About the same as IA
1 in 10
Webster City adults worry about keeping their housing
9.6% · IA 9.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 16
Webster City adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.2% · IA 6.4%
About the same as IA
1 in 15
Webster City adults lack reliable transportation
6.7% · IA 6.8%
About the same as IA

9.6% of Webster City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10% across Iowa.

Around town

Webster City and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Webster CityB36.5%12.2%14.9%CDC place

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

28.9%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14%
Thinking or memory13.6%
Hearing8.4%
Errands alone7.7%
Vision4.7%
Dressing or bathing3.6%
Iowa

Every CDC estimate for Webster City

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

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Webster City is better than Iowa on 0 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Iowa figure falls inside Webster City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Webster CityIAU.S.vs IA
Overall health
Fair or poor health18.8%16–22.117.8%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)13.4%11.6–15.312.7%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)15.4%13.4–17.516.4%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity36.5%28.7–44.537.7%32.9%About the same
Diabetes12.2%10.4–1411.2%12%About the same
High blood pressure36.4%32.1–40.633.9%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)35.5%31.2–39.935.3%37.1%About the same
Arthritis28.2%24.8–31.627%25.3%About the same
Asthma9.8%8.5–119.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.6%8.7–10.68.7%7.9%About the same
Coronary heart disease7.3%6.4–8.36.6%6.4%About the same
COPD7.4%6.3–8.76.9%6.3%About the same
Stroke3.7%3.2–4.13.3%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)11.4%9.2–1411.6%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes14.9%12.3–17.614.5%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work26.9%22.2–31.824.8%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking19%15.6–22.420.5%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours30.7%24.6–37.332.5%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)9%7.5–10.77.3%11%Worse
Checkup in the past year78.8%75.1–81.977.5%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year69.8%66.4–73.166.8%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years85.1%83.1–86.984.1%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)79.6%76.9–82.177.8%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)66.4%61.2–71.366.6%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)79%71.6–85.278.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression19.3%16.1–22.620.7%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely31.8%26.9–37.132.3%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support23.8%20.4–27.823.3%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food12.4%10.3–14.912%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing9.6%8.1–11.39.4%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off6.2%5.3–7.36.4%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation6.7%5.8–7.96.8%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)9.6%7.9–11.610%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability28.9%24.6–33.428.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs14%11.8–16.412.7%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering13.6%11.7–15.613.5%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8.4%7.4–9.57.4%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty4.7%4.1–5.44.3%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone7.7%6.6–8.97.4%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.6%3.1–4.13.4%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 Webster City

Is Webster City a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Webster City is healthier than 55% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #70 of 140 in Iowa. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Webster City?

CDC estimates 36.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.7% and 44.5%, against 37.7% across Iowa and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Webster City?

Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City, 0.7 miles in a straight line from Webster City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.

How many people in Webster City have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.5–10.7%), 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 Webster 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 Webster 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.