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Vonco Waste Management - Becker, MinnesotaPhoto: Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0
A−Health Grade
Health in Becker · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Becker is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns

Becker differs from Minnesota on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 8 better, 3 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Becker. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Becker

Binge drinking is the habit Becker doesn’t win on

23.3% of adults binge drink, vs 17.8% across Minnesota. Smoking and exercise are about at the state’s level. Habits ↓

Heart disease and diabetes are less common in Becker

Becker runs below Minnesota on six chronic conditions, most of all heart disease (4.5% vs 5.9%), diabetes (7.8% vs 10.1%) and stroke (2.4% vs 3.1%). Conditions ↓

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 Becker’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.

Health Grade

What’s behind Becker’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Becker is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns, #122 of 271 in Minnesota. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 97% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 36%).

ASelf-rated health13.8% · MN 16% · U.S. 19.4%
APhysical distress10.6% · MN 11.3% · U.S. 13%
BMental distress16.7% · MN 15.1% · U.S. 15.9%
C+Obesity38% · MN 33.5% · U.S. 32.9%
A+Diabetes7.8% · MN 10.1% · U.S. 12%
BSmoking13.9% smoke · MN 13.1% · U.S. 11.8%
B+Exercise22% · MN 22.3% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 76%
Less healthyHealthier
Minnesota towns we grade (271)Healthier than 55%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $65K–$108K (10,308)Healthier than 81%

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). Becker’s median household income is $86,094; among the 10,308 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($65K–$108K), it’s healthier than 81%, about where its income would put it.

Most Minnesota towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Becker is healthier than 55% of graded towns, against 76% nationally.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Becker could be anywhere from B− to A.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota

Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.

Get no exercise 22%MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 28.6%MN 29.2%
Binge drink 23.3%MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 13.9%MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Becker, betterBecker, worseAbout the sameMinnesota
Where Becker gets moving

13 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Becker adults…

Becker runs below MN on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

5 of every 100 Becker adults have heart disease
Minnesota: 6 in 100 · better · likely 4–5.1%
Better than MNWorseAbout the sameMinnesota
Getting care

Care in and near Becker

No hospital or community health center in Becker itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERCentracare Health - MonticelloMonticello · 8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyFairview Northland Regional Hospital★★★★★ · 18.9 miDirections →
+Low-cost careNeighborhood HealthsourceCoon Rapids · 34 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8 mi
Centracare Health - Monticello
Monticello · not rated
ERRural critical access
13.4 mi
Buffalo Hospital
Buffalo · ★★★★★
18.9 mi
Fairview Northland Regional Hospital
Princeton · ★★★★★
ER
18.9 mi
Centracare - St. Cloud Hospital
Saint Cloud · ★★★★★
ER
34 mi
Neighborhood Healthsource
3 sites · nearest in Coon Rapids
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
39.2 mi
Hennepin County
4 sites · nearest in Minneapolis
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careBecker is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careBecker is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Becker itself

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 Becker; ≈ 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Becker adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.

71%Yearly checkupMN 75%
69%Dentist visitMN 68%
84%Cholesterol checkMN 85%
67%Colon screeningMN 69%
79%MammogramMN 79%
72%Taking BP medsMN 76%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Becker 6.9% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Mind & connection

How Becker adults are doing

About the same as Minnesota on each measure.

3 in 10Becker adults feel lonely
30.6% · MN 31.2% · About the same as MN
1 in 5Becker adults lack social or emotional support
20.6% · MN 21.5% · About the same as MN
1 in 4Becker adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.4% · MN 24.4% · About the same as MN
1 in 6Becker adults are in frequent mental distress
16.7% · MN 15.1% · About the same as MN
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Becker adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 10
Becker adults worry about having enough food
9.9% · MN 11.4%
About the same as MN
1 in 11
Becker adults worry about keeping their housing
8.7% · MN 9.3%
About the same as MN
1 in 19
Becker adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.3% · MN 5.7%
About the same as MN
1 in 16
Becker adults lack reliable transportation
6.4% · MN 7.1%
About the same as MN

6.7% of Becker adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Around town

Becker and the towns around it

Becker has the best Health Grade of the 5 graded towns around it.

Becker Township: 38.4%Silver Creek Township: 36.6%Monticello Township: 36.5%Monticello: 37.1%Clear Lake Township: 38.7%Santiago Township: 38.1%Big Lake Township: 38%Orrock Township: 38.8%Palmer Township: 40.6%Maple Lake Township: 36.3%Clearwater Township: 36.1%Corinna Township: 36.2%Otsego: 34.5%Buffalo Township: 36%Lynden Township: 36.2%Clearwater: 34.6%St. Cloud: 38.9%Haven Township: 43.6%Becker: 38%BeckerBecker TownshipSilver Creek TownshipMonticello TownshipMonticelloClear Lake TownshipCentracare Health - Monticello · Monticello · 8 miHBuffalo Hospital · Buffalo · 13.4 mi · 5★ MedicareHFairview Northland Regional Hospital · Princeton · 18.9 mi · 4★ MedicareHCentracare - St. Cloud Hospital · Saint Cloud · 18.9 mi · 4★ MedicareH
Healthier than MNNear MNLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#11 of 19 towns on this map, healthiest first
Monticello Township36.5%
Silver Creek Township36.6%
Monticello37.1%
Becker38%
Becker Township38.4%
Clear Lake Township38.7%
MN33.5%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
BeckerA−38%7.8%13.9%CDC place
Becker Township————
Silver Creek TownshipB+36.6%9.9%14.4%ZIP codes
Monticello TownshipB+36.5%9.6%14.3%ZIP codes
MonticelloB+37.1%9.4%15.1%CDC place
Clear Lake TownshipB+38.7%9.8%13.7%ZIP codes

Becker Township: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

26.6%

of Becker adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs9.1%
Thinking or memory13.4%
Hearing5.7%
Errands alone6.5%
Vision3.2%
Dressing or bathing2.5%
Minnesota

Every CDC estimate for Becker

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Becker is better than Minnesota on 8 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Becker’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…BeckerMNU.S.vs MN
Overall health
Fair or poor health13.8%11.6–16.216%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)10.6%9.2–12.111.3%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)16.7%14.7–1915.1%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity38%32.5–43.933.5%32.9%About the same
Diabetes7.8%6.7–910.1%12%Better
High blood pressure26.2%23.2–29.431%34.4%Better
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)29.5%26.2–32.933.4%37.1%Better
Arthritis19.9%17.5–22.522.3%25.3%About the same
Asthma10%8.9–11.39.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer7.2%6.5–7.98.5%7.9%Better
Coronary heart disease4.5%4–5.15.9%6.4%Better
COPD4.5%3.8–5.35.4%6.3%Better
Stroke2.4%2.1–2.73.1%3.4%Better
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)5.3%4.2–6.68.9%12.3%Better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes13.9%11.5–16.613.1%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work22%18.4–26.122.3%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking23.3%19.9–26.917.8%15.4%Worse
Sleep under 7 hours28.6%24.5–33.529.2%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)6.9%5.4–8.67.5%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year70.7%66.8–74.474.8%77.4%Worse
Dentist visit in the past year69.3%66.2–72.367.5%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years83.6%81.2–85.985.3%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)71.5%68.1–74.776.1%76.5%Worse
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)66.9%62.6–71.268.7%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)78.6%72.3–84.378.5%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression25.4%22–2924.4%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely30.6%26.2–35.231.2%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support20.6%17.5–23.921.5%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food9.9%7.9–12.111.4%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing8.7%7.1–10.59.3%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off5.3%4.4–6.25.7%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation6.4%5.5–7.57.1%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)6.7%5.2–8.47.9%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability26.6%23–30.627.4%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs9.1%7.7–10.711.4%13.6%Lower
Difficulty concentrating or remembering13.4%11.6–15.512.8%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty5.7%5–6.56.8%6.7%Lower
Vision difficulty3.2%2.8–3.74%5.4%Lower
Difficulty doing errands alone6.5%5.6–7.57%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing2.5%2.2–2.93.1%3.8%Lower

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 Becker

Is Becker a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Becker is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #122 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 81%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Becker?

CDC estimates 38% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.5% and 43.9%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Becker?

Centracare Health - Monticello in Monticello, 8.0 miles in a straight line from Becker’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in Becker have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 6.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.4–8.6%), 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 Becker more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Becker.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.