Nursing homes in Iowa
How CMS rates the state's 390 certified nursing homes, where they are concentrated, and how that compares with the national dataset.
At a glance
- Nursing homes
- 390
- CMS-certified
- Rated by CMS
- 387
- of 390
- Counties
- 99
- CMS data
- 2026-08-21
How Iowa compares
The state's CMS overall rating profile against the full national dataset, on the same scale.
CMS overall rating distribution
How Iowa's certified nursing homes spread across the CMS five-star overall rating, compared with the national dataset.
View as a table
| Rating | Providers | Share | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMS overall rating 5 | 98 | 25.1% | 20.7% |
| CMS overall rating 4 | 76 | 19.5% | 19.0% |
| CMS overall rating 3 | 67 | 17.2% | 19.3% |
| CMS overall rating 2 | 69 | 17.7% | 20.5% |
| CMS overall rating 1 | 77 | 19.7% | 19.6% |
| Not rated | 3 | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| Total | 390 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
State shares are calculated from the 390 CMS-certified nursing homes in Iowa; national shares from all 14,700 in this dataset. CMS overall star ratings are shown exactly as CMS publishes them and summarize past data, not current conditions. Facilities CMS does not rate are counted separately and never treated as zero.
CMS-reported data
Iowa’s largest divergence from the national dataset is at 5★: 25.1% of the state’s facilities against 20.7% nationally (+4.5 points). This reflects what CMS publishes for these facilities and is not a judgement about care quality in either population.
Where facilities are concentrated
The counties holding the largest share, with the full directory available below.
The 8 largest counties hold 28% of the state’s 390 nursing homes, across 99 counties in total.
- Polk County30 · 8%Search →
- Linn County18 · 5%Search →
- Black Hawk County12 · 3%Search →
- Dubuque County12 · 3%Search →
- Scott County11 · 3%Search →
- Woodbury County9 · 2%Search →
- Dallas County9 · 2%Search →
- Johnson County7 · 2%Search →
Browse all 99 counties and 248 cities
Research federal records
CMS publishes enforcement and staffing records alongside the star ratings. These open the search workspace pre-filtered.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
How many nursing homes are in Iowa?
This dataset includes 390 CMS-certified nursing homes across 99 counties in Iowa, from the official CMS Provider Information file. The counties with the most are Polk County, Linn County, Black Hawk County, Dubuque County, Scott County.
How are Iowa nursing homes rated?
Each home carries the CMS five-star overall rating plus health-inspection, staffing, and quality-measure ratings. In this dataset, 98 are rated 5 stars, 77 are rated 1 star, and 3 are not rated by CMS.
How does Iowa compare with the national dataset?
387 of 390 Iowa facilities carry a CMS overall rating (99%), against 99% nationally across 14,700 facilities. The rating distribution above shows the state and national shares side by side. Differences reflect what CMS publishes and are not a judgement about care quality.
How can I verify a nursing home in Iowa with official sources?
SeniorCareRating.com organizes public CMS data and is not affiliated with CMS. Confirm current details on the official CMS Care Compare site and with the facility before making decisions.