Counties with the highest cancer rates in Iowa

Written by:
July 12, 2023
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Counties with the highest cancer rates in Iowa

Several factors contribute to cancer rates, from personal habits and genetics to air pollution or groundwater quality in a given area. People experiencing social, economic, or environmental disadvantages are disproportionately affected by high cancer rates in certain regions—including access or barriers to early screening and care.

Cancer rates also fluctuate by jobs: Higher rates of cancer can be found among meat industry and rubber manufacturing workers, and farmers.

Stacker compiled the counties with the highest cancer rates in Iowa using data from the CDC. Keep reading to see where in your state cancer cases are the most common.

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#50. Guthrie County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 691.5
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 455.7
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#49. Benton County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 694.9
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 513.3
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#48. Boone County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 702.8
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 514.7
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#47. Fayette County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 703.0
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 472.1
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#46. Osceola County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 704.8
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 446.8
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#45. Iowa County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 708.1
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 507.8
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#44. Clinton County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 708.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 508.2
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#43. Tama County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 711.0
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 514.0
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#42. Grundy County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 711.1
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 477.1
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#41. Clayton County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 714.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 449.3
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#40. O'Brien County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 714.7
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 496.1
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#39. Hancock County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 715.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 469.3
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#38. Chickasaw County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 718.5
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 496.9
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#37. Wayne County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 719.0
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 481.9
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#36. Howard County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 721.7
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 501.7
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#35. Des Moines County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 723.0
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 499.5
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#34. Humboldt County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 727.0
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 486.0
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#33. Keokuk County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 730.1
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 516.0
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#32. Shelby County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 731.1
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 468.7
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#31. Harrison County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 733.5
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 521.5
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#30. Delaware County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 736.5
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 527.2
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#29. Floyd County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 738.2
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 501.6
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#28. Worth County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 738.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 524.3
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#27. Hardin County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 738.6
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 488.7
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#26. Kossuth County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 738.7
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 466.8
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#25. Jackson County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 739.1
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 512.6
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#24. Clay County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 739.9
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 506.6
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#23. Sac County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 743.5
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 470.7
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#22. Lee County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 745.9
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 517.7
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#21. Ida County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 749.1
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 509.7
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#20. Monroe County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 752.5
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 527.8
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#19. Audubon County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 756.5
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 444.9
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#18. Butler County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 767.9
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 502.3
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#17. Fremont County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 768.7
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 498.4
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#16. Emmet County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 785.2
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 531.1
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#15. Page County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 786.6
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 504.3
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#14. Calhoun County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 793.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 535.4
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#13. Adams County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 803.8
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 508.2
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#12. Franklin County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 812.6
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 542.8
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#11. Montgomery County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 814.7
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 554.8
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#10. Cerro Gordo County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 816.9
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 547.2
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#9. Monona County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 825.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 506.4
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#8. Appanoose County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 842.6
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 526.4
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#7. Greene County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 845.0
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 551.6
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#6. Ringgold County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 861.4
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 506.4
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#5. Pocahontas County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 862.5
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 541.5
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#4. Dickinson County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 863.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 507.3
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#3. Cass County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 868.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 567.8
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#2. Cherokee County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 872.3
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 554.3
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#1. Palo Alto County

- Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 914.9
- Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 658.1
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