Health and Fitness : Iowa Health and Human Services Share a Snapshot of Benton County

A report from Iowa's Health and Human Services, released a snapshot of the county. Currently, the county is home to 25,796 residents out of Iowa's population of.3,207,004.

The life expectancy of Benton County, is 79.7 years, while across Iowa the expectancy is 78.1 years.

Concerning care in the county, Benton County is a shortage area for Primary Care Physicians but is not a shortage area for Dental Care Providers. (Access to care includes the ability to navigate the health care system, find care locally, and pay for services. When someone lacks one or more of these abilities, disparities may emerge.)

Iowa has fewer mental health providers than the national average. Access to mental health providers varies widely across the state. However, Benton County is not a shortage area for Mental Health Care Providers. Poor mental health is linked to smoking, physical inactivity, housing and food insecurity, and poor sleep. Disorders like depression and anxiety can affect people's ability to take part in healthy behaviors. Benton County experiences 4.6 Poor mental health days per month and Iowa's average is 4.5 days per month.

Alcohol is the most commonly misused substance in Iowa. Iowa's alcohol use rates for almost every demographic are among the highest in the nation. Substance use disorders involve misuse of one or more substances and may lead to social, physical, mental, and public health problems. Drug use rates in Iowa are similar to the rest of the nation.

In 2024, 81 Benton County residents received substance use treatment. Across the state, 16,994 total patients were admitted in Iowa. 25.5% of Benton County adults report excessive drinking, slightly higher than Iowa's average of 23.3%.

The report also shares information on social, economic and environmental factors. Economic stability is the connection between the financial resources people have and their physical and mental health. People living in poverty are at greater risk for mental illness and chronic diseases. The county's 8.3% poverty rate is lower in Benton County than the state's average of 11.1% and 4,438 are enrolled in Medicaid.

Housing and transportation needs or cost-burden, spending with more than 30% of income being spent on housing costs, is the most common housing problem in Iowa. Unstable, unsafe, unhealthy or unaffordable housing can harm a person's health, while transportation problems can delay care, be costly, and worsen health outcomes. 17.8% Households spend 30% or more on housing while across the state that number is 23.0%. When it comes to car ownership, 3.2% of Benton County households do not own a vehicle, also a statistic that is lower than the states average of 5.6%.

Healthy behaviors including active living and healthy eating, is higher in our county. 41.7% of adults have an unhealthy body weight (BMI of 30.0 or higher) the state average is 37.3% with 2,440 residents experiencing food insecurity.

Unfortunately, our cancer rates are also higher. Benton County has 513.6 cases per 100,000. county residents had incidence rate for cancer (*per 100,000 people) as compared to state which stands at 491.8. The County death rate from cancer (*per 100,000 people) is 141.4 compared to Iowa's average of 149.2.

Many unhealthy behaviors linked to cancer can be prevented such as excessive drinking, using tobacco products, physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and ultraviolet light exposure. Cancer screening tests can detect cancer early, making treatment easier and improving survival.

This Health and Human Services System Snapshot was last updated on January 27, 3035.