Photo: 123dieinafire · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Columbus is healthier than 44%
Columbus beats Minnesota on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Columbus. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Columbus
Against towns with similar incomes, Columbus’ lead shrinks
Columbus is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns, but 44% of the 5,282 towns with similar household incomes ($92K–$154K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Fewer Columbus adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Minnesota. 1 in 11 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 9 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Columbus’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Columbus’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Columbus is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns, #116 of 271 in Minnesota. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is physical distress (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 85% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 58%.
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). Columbus’ median household income is $123,194; among the 5,282 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($92K–$154K), it’s healthier than 44%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Most Minnesota towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Columbus is healthier than 57% of graded towns, against 77% nationally.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
5.5% of Columbus adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Out of every 100 Columbus adults…
Columbus runs below MN on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Columbus
No hospital or community health center in Columbus 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 Columbus; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
13 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Columbus adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Columbus adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
3 in 10 Columbus 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.
Columbus and the towns around it
Columbus’s Health Grade ranks 5th of 7 graded towns around it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | A− | 35.1% | 11% | 13.2% | CDC place |
| East Bethel | A− | 35.9% | 9.7% | 14.2% | CDC place |
| Forest Lake | A− | 34.5% | 10.6% | 13.5% | CDC place |
| Lino Lakes | A | 35% | 9% | 12.1% | CDC place |
| Wyoming | A | 35% | 9.2% | 12.8% | CDC place |
| Linwood Township | B+ | 36.3% | 10.2% | 14.5% | ZIP codes |
| Ham Lake | A− | 34.8% | 9.9% | 12.6% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Columbus adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Columbus
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Columbus is better than Minnesota on 9 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Columbus’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Columbus | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15%12.6–17.6 | 16% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.6%9.9–13.2 | 11.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.7%12.8–16.6 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.1%30.8–39.2 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11%9.4–12.6 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32.9%29.9–35.9 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35%32.1–38 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24.2%21.7–26.7 | 22.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.8%8.7–10.9 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.5%8.5–10.5 | 8.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.3%5.5–7.2 | 5.9% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.6%4.6–6.6 | 5.4% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.2%2.7–3.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.9%5.6–8.4 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.2%10.7–16 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23.2%19.6–27.2 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.6%15.3–20 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.1%26–32.2 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.9%4.6–7.3 | 7.5% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.6%71.8–77.4 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72%69.4–74.5 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.1%85.3–88.8 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.6%76.9–82.2 | 76.1% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 74.6%71.5–77.5 | 68.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.1%69.8–79.9 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.7%22–27.6 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.7%26.5–33.1 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.8%19.8–25.7 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.8%7.1–10.9 | 11.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.6%6.3–9.1 | 9.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.5%3.8–5.3 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.7%4.9–6.7 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.5%4.3–6.9 | 7.9% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.7%24–31.4 | 27.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.3%9.4–13.4 | 11.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.2%10.4–14 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.3%6.4–8.3 | 6.8% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.4%2.9–3.9 | 4% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.3%5.3–7.3 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.9%2.5–3.4 | 3.1% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Columbus
Is Columbus a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Columbus is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #116 of 271 in Minnesota. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Columbus?
CDC estimates 35.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.8% and 39.2%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Columbus?
Fairview Lakes Health Services in Wyoming, 7.1 miles in a straight line from Columbus’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Columbus have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.6–7.3%), 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 Columbus 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 Columbus.
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.