Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Within Minnesota, Columbia Heights is healthier than 11% of graded towns
Columbia Heights differs from Minnesota on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 18 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Columbia Heights. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Columbia Heights
Making ends meet is harder in Columbia Heights
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (18.6%), vs 11.4% across Minnesota. Utility shut-off threats (9.4% vs 5.7%) and housing insecurity (14.9% vs 9.3%) are higher too. 13.9% of adults receive SNAP, vs 7.9% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Columbia Heights adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (29.7%), vs 22.3% across Minnesota. Habits ↓
Dental care lags in Columbia Heights
60.7% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 67.5% across Minnesota. Among those 65 and older, 12.3% have lost all their teeth (Minnesota 8.9%). 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 Columbia Heights’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
What’s behind Columbia Heights’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Columbia Heights is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns, #241 of 271 in Minnesota. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 72% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 23%).
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). Columbia Heights’ median household income is $73,691; among the 10,809 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$92K), it’s healthier than 46%, about where its income would put it.
Where Columbia Heights compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 7.1% (U.S. 7.9%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
13.9% of Columbia Heights 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.
3.5 miles of trails across 14 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Columbia Heights adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
Out of every 100 Columbia Heights adults…
Columbia Heights runs below MN on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 4. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Columbia Heights
No hospital or community health center in Columbia Heights 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 Columbia Heights; ≈ 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 Columbia Heights adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Columbia Heights runs above Minnesota.
1 in 3 Columbia Heights 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.
Columbia Heights 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Heights | C+ | 39.7% | 12.4% | 15.8% | CDC place |
| Fridley | B | 37.4% | 10.9% | 14.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Columbia Heights adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Columbia Heights
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Columbia Heights is better than Minnesota on 1 and worse on 18; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Columbia Heights’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Columbia Heights | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.4%18.3–22.6 | 16% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.7%11.4–14.2 | 11.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%15–18.5 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.7%35.8–43.8 | 33.5% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 12.4%11.1–13.8 | 10.1% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 33.4%30.8–36.1 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 31.7%29.1–34.5 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 21.9%19.8–23.9 | 22.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.2–11.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.1%6.5–7.8 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.3%5.7–6.9 | 5.9% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.1%5.4–6.8 | 5.4% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.5%3.2–3.8 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.3%10.2–14.7 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.8%14–17.9 | 13.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 29.7%26.7–33.2 | 22.3% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.4%14.2–18.7 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.4%30–36.7 | 29.2% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11%9.6–12.5 | 7.5% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.9%69.9–75.6 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.7%57.8–63.5 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.9%81–84.8 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.6%74.1–79 | 76.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.8%62.3–69 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.4%68–78.3 | 78.5% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.4%21.9–27.1 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.7%29.6–36 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.4%23.8–29.1 | 21.5% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 18.6%16.5–20.8 | 11.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.9%13.3–16.8 | 9.3% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.4%8.3–10.6 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.6%9.5–11.8 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.9%12.3–15.8 | 7.9% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.3%29.4–35.4 | 27.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.6%12.1–15.2 | 11.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.4%13.9–17.2 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.3%6.6–8.1 | 6.8% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.4%5–5.9 | 4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.7%7.8–9.6 | 7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.1%3.7–4.4 | 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 Columbia Heights
Is Columbia Heights a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Columbia Heights is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns: C+ for health, #241 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 46%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Columbia Heights?
CDC estimates 39.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 35.8% and 43.8%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Columbia Heights?
Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, 5.3 miles in a straight line from Columbia Heights’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Columbia Heights have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.6–12.5%), 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 Columbia Heights more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Columbia Heights.
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.