State Profile

Iowa

Population (2019): 3,155 million

Iowa’s public health outcomes stack up unevenly against those of the United States, and it has not taken several steps that would strengthen its preparedness for public health emergencies. Deaths owed to drug misuse, alcohol, or suicide trail the country as a whole. Its rates of obesity and related conditions indicate a mixed picture, with the percentage of adults with obesity higher than the U.S. median, even as rates of diabetes and hypertension rank in the middle of the pack. Finally, the state achieved a score of four out of a possible 10 measures of public health preparedness for diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism.