Iowa

State Office of Rural Health

Iowa State Office of Rural Health and Primary Care

Phone: 515.423.7900

Helps rural communities and organizations build rural health infrastructure. Supports health systems programming to enhance effectiveness and eliminate health disparities. Advocates for rural health, conducts outreach, coordinates resources, and offers consultancy services to healthcare providers and communities across rural Iowa.
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Iowa Nonmetro Population

3,188,836

Estimated population

1,230,658 (38.6%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-year estimate

Iowa Rural Healthcare Facilities

83

Critical Access Hospitals

0

Rural Emergency Hospitals

206

Rural Health Clinics

55

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

11

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites according to data.HRSA.gov (July 2024), showing only locations outside of U.S. Census Bureau Urban Areas with a population of 50,000 or more

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Iowa

4.1% of Iowa residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2022). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Iowans in 2021 was $57,163, with the rural per capita at $55,006. The ERS reports, based on 2021 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Iowa is 11.0%, compared with 11.0% in urban areas of the state. 8.2% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 6.5% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Iowa is at 2.8% while in urban Iowa it is at 2.7% (USDA-ERS, 2022).