Photo: Darb02 · CC BY-SA 4.0Within Minnesota, Austin is healthier than 8% of graded towns
Austin trails Minnesota on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Austin. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Austin
Making ends meet is harder in Austin
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (18.6%), vs 11.4% across Minnesota. Utility shut-off threats (8.4% vs 5.7%) and housing insecurity (13.5% vs 9.3%) are higher too. 14.1% of adults receive SNAP, vs 7.9% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Austin adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (31%), vs 22.3% across Minnesota. There are 13 miles of trails across 24 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
1 in 8 working-age adults in Austin has no health insurance
12.9% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 7.5% across Minnesota. Checkups ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Minnesota figure falls outside Austin’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Austin’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Austin is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns, #249 of 271 in Minnesota. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 61% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 19%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Austin’s median household income is $68,057; among the 10,334 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($51K–$85K), it’s healthier than 49%, about where its income would put it.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
14.1% of Austin adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
13 miles of trails across 24 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Austin adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
Out of every 100 Austin adults…
Austin runs above MN on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Austin
No hospital or community health center in Austin itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Austin; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
How Austin adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
1 in 3 Austin adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Austin and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | C+ | 38.7% | 12.4% | 17% | CDC place |
| Lansing Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Austin Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Mapleview | — | — | — | — | |
| Windom Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Red Rock Township | — | — | — | — |
Lansing Township, Austin Township, Mapleview, Windom Township and Red Rock Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Austin adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Austin
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Austin is better than Minnesota on 0 and worse on 16; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Austin’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Austin | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.8%18.5–23.4 | 16% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.5%12.1–15.2 | 11.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.5%14.8–18.4 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.7%32.8–45.1 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.4%10.9–14.1 | 10.1% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 33.3%30–36.9 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.6%29.2–36.4 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24.5%22–27.3 | 22.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.1%9.1–11.4 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.4%7.7–9.2 | 8.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.2%6.5–7.9 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.2%6.4–8 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.5–4.2 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.2%9.9–14.7 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17%14.9–19.2 | 13.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 31%27–35.3 | 22.3% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.2%13.5–19.2 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34%28.1–40.3 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 12.9%11.3–14.4 | 7.5% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.8%70.2–77.3 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 59.2%55.5–62.7 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.1%80.2–84 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.8%74.2–79.4 | 76.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.7%60.8–70.4 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.6%70.4–83.7 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.5%21.3–28 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.7%27.4–36.4 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.3%21.2–27.8 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 18.6%16.3–21.1 | 11.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.5%11.8–15.4 | 9.3% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.4%7.3–9.5 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.1%9–11.3 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14.1%12.3–16 | 7.9% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.8%29.1–36.7 | 27.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.6%12.9–16.5 | 11.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.8%14.2–17.5 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.4%7.5–9.3 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6%5.5–6.6 | 4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.4%8.4–10.4 | 7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.4%4–4.8 | 3.1% | 3.8% | Higher |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Minnesota figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Austin
Is Austin a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Austin is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #249 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 49%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Austin?
CDC estimates 38.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.8% and 45.1%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Austin?
Mayo Clinic Health System - Albert Lea and Austin in Albert Lea, 19.8 miles in a straight line from Austin’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Austin have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 12.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 11.3–14.4%), against 7.5% across Minnesota.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Austin more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Austin.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Minnesota figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.