Dorchester, IA is a small rural community with a population of just over 300 people. Despite its size, Dorchester has several health resources available to its residents. The local hospital, Mercy Medical Center-New Hampton, offers quality inpatient and outpatient care in addition to emergency services and specialized care for the community. In addition, there are several local medical facilities such as the Dorchester Family Clinic, Parkview Clinic, and New Hampton Animal Care which provide primary care services. These health resources allow residents of Dorchester to access the medical care they need close to home. Furthermore, the local public health department works with local organizations such as churches and schools on initiatives that focus on promoting good nutrition, exercising regularly, and leading healthy lifestyles in order to improve the overall health of the population.
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 Unlock physicians per 100,000 population in Dorchester (zip 52140). The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Dorchester (zip 52140) area is Unlock. The US average is 100.
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Dorchester (zip 52140) area is Unlock. The US average is 55.
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 Dorchester (zip 52140) area is Unlock. The US average is 87.
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 Dorchester (zip 52140) commutes Unlock 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 Dorchester (zip 52140) area is Unlock. The US average is 58.
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.