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–Not graded
Health in Birch Creek Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Birch Creek Township residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Birch Creek Township, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 55783, 55795. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Birch Creek Township

Birch Creek Township is short on every kind of care federal data tracks

Birch Creek Township’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care, dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓

COPD, heart disease and arthritis run high in Birch Creek Township

1 in 14 adults have COPD (7.4%), vs 5.4% across Minnesota. 1 in 13 adults have heart disease (7.8%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. Arthritis is also above the state: 28.4%, vs 22.3% across Minnesota. In all, Birch Creek Township runs above Minnesota on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

More high blood pressure in Birch Creek Township, and more people treating it

38.4% of adults have high blood pressure (Minnesota 31%), but 79.3% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.1% statewide. Checkups ↓

Smoking is more common in Birch Creek Township

1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (16.9%), vs 13.1% across Minnesota. Habits ↓

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 Birch Creek Township’s likely range; Birch Creek Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 55783, 55795, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Getting care

Care in and near Birch Creek Township

No hospital or community health center in Birch Creek Township itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest EREssentia Health Moose LakeMoose Lake · 12.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careLake Superior Community Health CenterCarlton · 34 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
12.8 mi
Essentia Health Moose Lake
Moose Lake · not rated
ERRural critical access
19.1 mi
Essentia Health Sandstone
Sandstone · not rated
ERRural critical access
34 mi
Lake Superior Community Health Center
5 sites · nearest in Carlton
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
34.1 mi
Riverwood Healthcare Center
Aitkin · not rated
ERRural critical access
35.6 mi
Community Memorial Hospital
Cloquet · not rated
ERRural critical access
37.8 mi
Scenic Rivers Health Services
Floodwood · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Birch Creek Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Birch Creek Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Birch Creek Township 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 Birch Creek Township; ≈ 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).

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Birch Creek Township adults…

Birch Creek Township runs above MN on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

7 of every 100 Birch Creek Township adults have COPD
Minnesota: 5 in 100 · worse · likely 6.4–8.4%
Better than MNWorseAbout the sameMinnesota
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

77%Yearly checkupMN 75%
65%Dentist visitMN 68%
87%Cholesterol checkMN 85%
69%Colon screeningMN 69%
75%MammogramMN 79%
79%Taking BP medsMN 76%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Birch Creek Township 7.6% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota

Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.

Get no exercise 26.1%MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.6%MN 29.2%
Binge drink 17.7%MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 16.9%MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Birch Creek Township, betterBirch Creek Township, worseAbout the sameMinnesota
Where Birch Creek Township gets moving

8.7 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Birch Creek Township adults are doing

About the same as Minnesota on each measure.

3 in 10Birch Creek Township adults feel lonely
30.4% · MN 31.2% · About the same as MN
1 in 5Birch Creek Township adults lack social or emotional support
21.9% · MN 21.5% · About the same as MN
1 in 4Birch Creek Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.8% · MN 24.4% · About the same as MN
1 in 6Birch Creek Township adults are in frequent mental distress
15.8% · MN 15.1% · About the same as MN
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Birch Creek Township 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 9
Birch Creek Township adults worry about having enough food
11.6% · MN 11.4%
About the same as MN
1 in 11
Birch Creek Township adults worry about keeping their housing
9% · MN 9.3%
About the same as MN
1 in 18
Birch Creek Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.7% · MN 5.7%
About the same as MN
1 in 14
Birch Creek Township adults lack reliable transportation
7% · MN 7.1%
About the same as MN

8.4% of Birch Creek Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Around town

Birch Creek Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Sturgeon Lake Township: 38.8%Denham: 38.5%Millward Township: 34.9%Bremen Township: 39.1%Split Rock Township: 38.6%Sturgeon Lake: 38.7%Silver Township: 42.3%Kettle River Township: 39.5%Willow River: 37.7%Windemere Township: 38.5%Pliny Township: 34.6%Beaver Township: 37.7%White Pine Township: 34.6%Wagner Township: 39%Pine Lake Township: 39.1%Finlayson Township: 39.5%Automba Township: 38.8%Birch Creek Township: 38.7%Birch Creek TownshipSturgeon Lake TownshipDenhamMillward TownshipBremen TownshipSplit Rock TownshipEssentia Health Moose Lake · Moose Lake · 12.8 miH
Healthier than MNNear MNLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#9 of 18 towns on this map, healthiest first
Millward Township34.9%
Denham38.5%
Split Rock Township38.6%
Birch Creek Township38.7%
Sturgeon Lake Township38.8%
Bremen Township39.1%
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
Sturgeon Lake Township————
Denham————
Millward Township————
Bremen Township————
Split Rock Township————

Sturgeon Lake Township, Denham, Millward Township, Bremen Township and Split Rock Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

32.4%

of Birch Creek Township adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.7%
Thinking or memory13.6%
Hearing8.7%
Errands alone7.9%
Vision4.6%
Dressing or bathing3.8%
Minnesota

Questions about health in Birch Creek Township

Why doesn’t Birch Creek Township have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Birch Creek Township.

What hospital is closest to Birch Creek Township?

Essentia Health Moose Lake in Moose Lake, 12.8 miles in a straight line from Birch Creek Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Birch Creek Township.

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. 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.