Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0Where Buffalo Lake residents get care
CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Buffalo Lake, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Buffalo Lake. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Buffalo Lake
Heart disease, stroke and COPD run high in Buffalo Lake
1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.3%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. 1 in 21 adults have had a stroke (4.8%), vs 3.1% across Minnesota. COPD is also above the state: 8.2%, vs 5.4% across Minnesota. In all, Buffalo Lake runs above Minnesota on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%), and heart disease, stroke and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Buffalo Lake adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (30.5%), vs 22.3% across Minnesota. Habits ↓
Buffalo Lake is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Buffalo Lake’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 ↓
More high blood pressure in Buffalo Lake, and more people treating it
38.1% of adults have high blood pressure (Minnesota 31%), but 81.5% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.1% statewide. 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 Buffalo Lake’s likely range.
Out of every 100 Buffalo Lake adults…
Buffalo Lake runs above MN on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Buffalo Lake is an older town: 30% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Minnesota. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Buffalo Lake as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Care in and near Buffalo Lake
No hospital or community health center in Buffalo Lake 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 Buffalo Lake; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Buffalo Lake adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Buffalo Lake adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
1 in 3 Buffalo Lake 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.3% of Buffalo Lake adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Buffalo Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston Lake Township | — | — | — | — |
Preston Lake 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 Buffalo Lake adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Questions about health in Buffalo Lake
Why doesn’t Buffalo Lake have a Health Grade?
Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Buffalo Lake.
What hospital is closest to Buffalo Lake?
Hutchinson Health in Hutchinson, 15.8 miles in a straight line from Buffalo Lake’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Buffalo Lake.
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.