Dawson Carnegie Library · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Dawson is healthier than 72% of U.S. towns
Dawson differs from Minnesota on 6 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Dawson. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Dawson
Dawson is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Dawson’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 ↓
Heart disease, cancer and stroke run high in Dawson
1 in 13 adults have heart disease (8%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. 1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.5%), vs 8.5% across Minnesota. Stroke is also above the state: 4%, vs 3.1% across Minnesota. In all, Dawson runs above Minnesota on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%), and heart disease, cancer and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Dawson, and more people treating it
35.1% of adults have high blood pressure (Minnesota 31%), but 81.1% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.1% statewide. Checkups ↓
Dawson is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Dawson is healthier than 72%. Against the 10,451 towns with similar household incomes ($52K–$86K), it’s healthier than 90%. Health Grade ↓
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 Dawson’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind Dawson’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Dawson is healthier than 72% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 89% of towns); the weakest is no exercise, still better than 51%.
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). Dawson’s median household income is $68,929; among the 10,451 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($52K–$86K), it’s healthier than 90%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Care in and near Dawson
1 hospital in Dawson, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Dawson; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 Dawson adults…
Dawson runs above MN on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Dawson is an older town: 27% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Minnesota. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Dawson as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Dawson adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
0.3 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
How Dawson adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
3 in 10 Dawson 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.
6.7% of Dawson adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Dawson and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson | B+ | 33% | 11.5% | 13.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Dawson adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Dawson
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Dawson is better than Minnesota on 1 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Dawson’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Dawson | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.2%14–21 | 16% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.5%10.5–14.8 | 11.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.2–16.4 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33%26.9–41.6 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.5%9.7–13.7 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.1%31.2–39.9 | 31% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.6%32.8–41.7 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.7%24.6–31.9 | 22.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.7%8.6–11.2 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.5%10.3–12.9 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8%6.7–9.3 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.6%5.2–8.2 | 5.4% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4%3.3–4.7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.4%8.2–12.6 | 8.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.2%10.5–16.2 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25.5%20.5–31.4 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.7%14.2–20.2 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28%22.4–34.4 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.5%5.9–9.4 | 7.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.7%74.6–81.2 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.8%64.4–71.1 | 67.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.2%85.3–89 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.1%78.6–83.8 | 76.1% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71%66.5–75.5 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 81.5%75–87.1 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.2%19.2–26.4 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.8%24.3–34 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20%16.8–23.8 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.7%7.6–12.2 | 11.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.7%6.3–9.3 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.8%4–5.7 | 5.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.2%5.2–7.4 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.7%5.1–8.6 | 7.9% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.3%26.4–36.9 | 27.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.3%11.4–17.6 | 11.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.4%10.3–14.8 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.5%8.1–11 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.4%3.6–5.4 | 4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.7%6.2–9.3 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.4%2.8–4.2 | 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 Dawson
Is Dawson a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Dawson is healthier than 72% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 90%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Dawson?
CDC estimates 33% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.9% and 41.6%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Dawson?
Johnson Memorial Hospital in Dawson, 0.8 miles in a straight line from Dawson’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Dawson have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.9–9.4%), 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 Dawson more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Dawson.
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.