Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Cottage Grove is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns
Cottage Grove beats Minnesota on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Cottage Grove. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Cottage Grove
What’s behind Cottage Grove’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cottage Grove is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, #59 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 95% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 70%.
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). Cottage Grove’s median household income is $120,791; among the 5,642 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($91K–$151K), it’s healthier than 75%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Cottage Grove adults…
Cottage Grove runs below MN on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Cottage Grove
No hospital or community health center in Cottage Grove 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 Cottage Grove; ≈ 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.
17 miles of trails across 32 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Cottage Grove adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Cottage Grove adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
3 in 10 Cottage Grove 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.
5.8% of Cottage Grove adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Cottage Grove and the towns around it
Cottage Grove’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage Grove | A | 33.2% | 9.7% | 12% | CDC place |
| Grey Cloud Island Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Nininger Township | — | — | — | — | |
| St. Paul Park | B+ | 35.2% | 10.5% | 14.4% | CDC place |
| Denmark Township | A− | 35.1% | 10.3% | 12.7% | ZIP codes |
| Rosemount | A | 33.6% | 8.6% | 10.7% | CDC place |
| Woodbury | A+ | 31.3% | 9.4% | 9.3% | CDC place |
| Inver Grove Heights | A | 34.3% | 9.6% | 11.1% | CDC place |
Grey Cloud Island Township and Nininger 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 Cottage Grove adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Cottage Grove
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cottage Grove is better than Minnesota on 13 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Cottage Grove’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Cottage Grove | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.7%12–15.4 | 16% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.1%9–11.3 | 11.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.8–16 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.2%29.2–37.5 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.7%8.5–10.9 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 27.7%25.1–30.3 | 31% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.5%29.6–35.5 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 19.8%17.8–21.9 | 22.3% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9.6%8.5–10.7 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.7%7–8.4 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.7%4.2–5.3 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.3%3.8–4.9 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.5%2.3–2.7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7%5.7–8.6 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12%10.3–13.7 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 19.4%16.8–22 | 22.3% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17.3%14.9–19.9 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 26.8%23.6–30.2 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.3%5.3–7.3 | 7.5% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.7%71.6–77.6 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72.9%70.3–75.4 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.2%84.5–87.8 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.5%71.5–77.3 | 76.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68%64.4–71.5 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.2%75.1–84.7 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.7%21–26.6 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.8%26.7–33.3 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.7%17.3–22.4 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.3%7.9–10.8 | 11.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.3%7.1–9.6 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5%4.3–5.7 | 5.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.9%5.3–6.7 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.8%4.9–6.9 | 7.9% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.5%20.9–26.2 | 27.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.1%8–10.3 | 11.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.7%10.4–13 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.5%4.9–6.1 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.2%2.9–3.5 | 4% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.9%5.2–6.5 | 7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.5%2.3–2.8 | 3.1% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Cottage Grove
Is Cottage Grove a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cottage Grove is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns: A for health, #59 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 75%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Cottage Grove?
CDC estimates 33.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.2% and 37.5%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Cottage Grove?
M Health Fairview Woodwinds Hospital in Woodbury, 8.0 miles in a straight line from Cottage Grove’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Cottage Grove have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.3–7.3%), 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 Cottage Grove 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 Cottage Grove.
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.