West Branch, Iowa is a small town with a population of just under 4,000 people and is located in the heart of Cedar County. Despite its small size West Branch has access to some great healthcare options. There are two hospitals located nearby, Mercy Medical Center and Mercy West Lakes. Both offer a full range of medical services from emergency care to surgery and ongoing treatments. In addition to these two hospitals, there are numerous other medical facilities located in the area that provide excellent care for residents of West Branch. These include doctors’ offices, specialty clinics, an urgent care facility and even home health services. With all these options available it is easy to see why West Branch offers quality healthcare choices 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 33 physicians per 100,000 population in West Branch. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the West Branch area is 117.7 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
117.7 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the West Branch 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 West Branch 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 West Branch commutes 25.3 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 West Branch area is 80 (100=best). The US average is 58.
80 / 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.