Emmanuel Lutheran Church · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0On CDC estimates, Dakota City is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns
Dakota City differs from Nebraska on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 11 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Dakota City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Dakota City
Making ends meet is harder in Dakota City
1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food (16.7%), vs 12.3% across Nebraska. Housing insecurity (12.9% vs 9.5%) and no reliable transportation (8.3% vs 6.7%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
More Dakota City adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (30.8%), vs 24.3% across Nebraska. Habits ↓
Dakota City is behind on routine checkups
It trails Nebraska on three of five routine checkups and screenings: dentist visits (57.9% vs 64.3%), cholesterol checks (80.9% vs 83.7%) and colon screening (54.6% vs 62.3%). Checkups ↓
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 Nebraska figure falls outside Dakota City’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to B+.
What’s behind Dakota City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Dakota City is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 87% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 8%).
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). Dakota City’s median household income is $76,806; among the 10,817 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($58K–$96K), it’s healthier than 56%, about where its income would put it.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.2% of Dakota City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.
Everyday habits, side by side with Nebraska
Share of adults, with the Nebraska figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Keeping up with care
Share of Dakota City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Nebraska.
Out of every 100 Dakota City adults…
Dakota City runs below NE on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 11% of Dakota City residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Nebraska. Arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Dakota City
No hospital or community health center in Dakota City itself. These are the nearest.
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 Dakota 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).
How Dakota City adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Dakota City runs above Nebraska.
1 in 3 Dakota City adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Dakota City and the towns around it
Dakota City has the best Health Grade of the 3 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota City | B− | 43% | 11.8% | 14.6% | CDC place |
| South Sioux City | C+ | 44.8% | 12.2% | 14.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Dakota City adults live with a disability (Nebraska 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Dakota City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Dakota City is better than Nebraska on 2 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Nebraska figure falls inside Dakota City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Dakota City | NE | U.S. | vs NE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.5%16.1–21.2 | 16.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.1%10.7–13.7 | 11.6% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.7–16.1 | 14.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 43%38.1–47.9 | 37.7% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 11.8%10.3–13.4 | 10.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 30.1%27.2–33.1 | 32.6% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33%29.9–36.2 | 33% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 20.7%18.6–23 | 24% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 8.7%7.7–9.8 | 9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.5%5.8–7.2 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.8%5.1–6.6 | 6.1% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.9%5.1–6.9 | 6.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3%2.7–3.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.5%11.8–17.4 | 12.4% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.6%12.5–17 | 13.2% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 30.8%26.9–34.8 | 24.3% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 19.6%16.8–22.5 | 19.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.4%28.9–38.3 | 31.3% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 15.8%13.1–18.8 | 9.9% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.8%70.5–77 | 75.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 57.9%54.5–61.4 | 64.3% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 80.9%78.6–83.2 | 83.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.6%72.7–78.3 | 77.5% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 54.6%50–59 | 62.3% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 70.6%63.1–77.4 | 75% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 16.2%14–18.7 | 18.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.7%28.1–37.5 | 29.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.1%22.4–30 | 20.5% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.7%13.9–19.8 | 12.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.9%10.9–15.2 | 9.5% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.7%6.6–8.9 | 6.4% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.3%7.1–9.6 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.2%8.3–12.1 | 8.5% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30%26.6–33.8 | 27.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.5%10.8–14.5 | 12% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.3%11.6–15.1 | 12.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.4%6.5–8.3 | 7.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.7–5.9 | 4.4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7%6.2–8 | 6.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.5%3.1–4 | 3.2% | 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 Nebraska figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Dakota City
Is Dakota City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Dakota City is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns: B− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 56%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Dakota City?
CDC estimates 43% of adults have obesity, likely between 38.1% and 47.9%, against 37.7% across Nebraska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Dakota City?
Mercyone Siouxland Medical Center in Sioux City, 5.4 miles in a straight line from Dakota City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Dakota City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 15.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 13.1–18.8%), against 9.9% across Nebraska.
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 Dakota City more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Dakota City.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Nebraska 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.