Altoona, IA is a wonderful city with a great quality of life and health. The city is home to several local hospitals and medical facilities that provide healthcare services to its citizens. These hospitals and medical centers offer a wide range of services from primary care to specialized medical treatments. They also have the latest technologies, equipment, and staffs of highly-skilled professionals dedicated to providing excellent care. Residents of Altoona can be sure that they have access to quality healthcare in their own community. Additionally, the city offers many programs and services designed to promote health among its residents such as public health clinics offering immunization and screenings for communicable diseases. All in all, Altoona has much to offer when it comes to health and well being for its residents.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 262 physicians per 100,000 population in Altoona. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Altoona area is 110.6 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
110.6 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Altoona area is 60 (100=best). The US average is 55.
60 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Altoona area is 91 (100=best). The US average is 87.
91 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Altoona commutes 21.2 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Altoona area is 69 (100=best). The US average is 58.
69 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.