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Brewster, MNPhoto: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Brewster · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Brewster residents get care

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

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Brewster

Making ends meet is harder in Brewster

1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food (16.4%), vs 11.4% across Minnesota. Utility shut-off threats (7.7% vs 5.7%) and housing insecurity (12.5% vs 9.3%) are higher too. 12.2% of adults receive SNAP, vs 7.9% statewide. Everyday needs ↓

More Brewster adults get no exercise

3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (30%), vs 22.3% across Minnesota. Habits ↓

1 in 8 working-age adults in Brewster has no health insurance

12% 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 Brewster’s likely range.

★ What stands out · 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 6
Brewster adults worry about having enough food
16.4% · MN 11.4%
Worse than MN
1 in 8
Brewster adults worry about keeping their housing
12.5% · MN 9.3%
Worse than MN
1 in 13
Brewster adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.7% · MN 5.7%
Worse than MN
1 in 11
Brewster adults lack reliable transportation
9.3% · MN 7.1%
Worse than MN

12.2% of Brewster adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota

Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.

Get no exercise 30%MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 30.9%MN 29.2%
Binge drink 17.4%MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 16.8%MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Brewster, betterBrewster, worseAbout the sameMinnesota
Where Brewster gets moving

0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

73%Yearly checkupMN 75%
61%Dentist visitMN 68%
82%Cholesterol checkMN 85%
70%Colon screeningMN 69%
75%MammogramMN 79%
77%Taking BP medsMN 76%
1 in 8
working-age adults has no health insurance
Brewster 12% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Brewster adults…

Brewster runs above MN on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

7 of every 100 Brewster adults have COPD
Minnesota: 5 in 100 · worse · likely 5.9–8.4%
Better than MNWorseAbout the sameMinnesota
Getting care

Care in and near Brewster

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

HNearest ERSanford Worthington Medical CenterWorthington · 8.5 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySanford Worthington Medical Center★★★★★ · 8.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careRural Health CareWorthington · 7.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
7.9 mi
Rural Health Care
4 sites · nearest in Worthington
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
8.5 mi
Sanford Worthington Medical Center
Worthington · ★★★★★
ER
20.8 mi
Windom Area Health
Windom · not rated
ERRural critical access
23.6 mi
Sanford Jackson Medical Center
Jackson · not rated
ERRural critical access
24.1 mi
Sanford Westbrook Medical Center
Westbrook · not rated
ERRural critical access
41.4 mi
Community Health Center of Spencer
Spencer · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Brewster itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Brewster itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Brewster 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 Brewster; ≈ 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).

Mind & connection

How Brewster adults are doing

About the same as Minnesota on each measure.

1 in 3Brewster adults feel lonely
31.2% · MN 31.2% · About the same as MN
1 in 4Brewster adults lack social or emotional support
22.7% · MN 21.5% · About the same as MN
1 in 4Brewster adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.8% · MN 24.4% · About the same as MN
1 in 6Brewster adults are in frequent mental distress
17.3% · MN 15.1% · About the same as MN
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Brewster 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.

Around town

Brewster and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Hersey Township: 38.5%Alba Township: 37.5%Graham Lakes Township: 37.4%Lorain Township: 38.6%Elk Township: 38.8%La Crosse Township: 36.1%West Heron Lake Township: 36.2%Ewington Township: 38.1%Brewster: 38.8%BrewsterHersey TownshipAlba TownshipSanford Worthington Medical Center · Worthington · 8.5 mi · 4★ MedicareHAccess Health - Worthington · Worthington · 7.9 mi+
Healthier than MNNear MNLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#8 of 9 towns on this map, healthiest first
Alba Township37.5%
Hersey Township38.5%
Brewster38.8%
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
Hersey Township————
Alba Township————

Hersey Township and Alba 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.

31.2%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.1%
Thinking or memory15.6%
Hearing7.8%
Errands alone8.9%
Vision5.4%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Minnesota

Questions about health in Brewster

Why doesn’t Brewster have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Brewster?

Sanford Worthington Medical Center in Worthington, 8.5 miles in a straight line from Brewster’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

Where can I get low-cost care near Brewster?

1 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Access Health - Worthington in Worthington, 7.9 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.