Photo: Tony Webster from San Francisco, California · CC BY-SA 2.0Within Minnesota, Duluth is healthier than 33% of graded towns
Duluth differs from Minnesota on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Duluth. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Duluth
Duluth is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Duluth is healthier than 65%. Against the 10,432 towns with similar household incomes ($52K–$86K), it’s healthier than 83%. Health Grade ↓
Minnesota sets a high bar
Duluth is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns, but only 33% of the 271 Minnesota towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Duluth
1 in 7 adults worry about having enough food (13.7%), vs 11.4% across Minnesota. No reliable transportation (9.3% vs 7.1%) and utility shut-off threats (7% vs 5.7%) are higher too. 11.2% of adults receive SNAP, vs 7.9% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Duluth sleeps less
33.9% of adults sleep under 7 hours a night, vs 29.2% across Minnesota. Habits ↓
Duluth has three hospitals within its borders
3 hospitals and 1 community health center are inside Duluth. Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
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 Duluth’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Duluth’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Duluth is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns, #181 of 271 in Minnesota. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 81% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 39%).
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). Duluth’s median household income is $68,807; among the 10,432 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($52K–$86K), it’s healthier than 83%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
11.2% of Duluth adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Care in and near Duluth
3 hospitals and 1 community health center in Duluth, 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 Duluth; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
173 miles of trails across 70 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Duluth adults…
Duluth runs below MN on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of Duluth adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Duluth adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Duluth runs above Minnesota.
1 in 3 Duluth 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.
Duluth and the towns around it
Duluth’s Health Grade ranks 7th of 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth | B+ | 35.1% | 10% | 15.1% | CDC place |
| Hermantown | A | 33.2% | 9.7% | 12.6% | CDC place |
| Rice Lake | B+ | 35.4% | 10.6% | 15% | CDC place |
| Midway Township | B+ | 34.9% | 10.6% | 14.6% | ZIP 55810 |
| Proctor | B+ | 34.8% | 10.5% | 15% | CDC place |
| Lakewood Township | A | 32.8% | 9.7% | 11.7% | ZIP codes |
| Twin Lakes Township | B | 37.4% | 11.9% | 14.6% | ZIP codes |
| Canosia Township | A− | 33.2% | 10.3% | 12.9% | ZIP codes |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Duluth adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Duluth
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Duluth is better than Minnesota on 1 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Duluth’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Duluth | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.5%15.4–19.8 | 16% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.3%10.8–13.9 | 11.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.7%15.6–19.8 | 15.1% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.1%30.2–40.1 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10%8.6–11.5 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 29%25.9–32.1 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 29.4%26.3–32.7 | 33.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 22.3%19.8–24.9 | 22.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.8%9.5–12.2 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.9%7.1–8.7 | 8.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.1%5.4–6.8 | 5.9% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.9%5.3–6.7 | 5.4% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.1%2.9–3.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.2%10.1–14.6 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.1%13–17.2 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23%19.8–26.4 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 20.1%16.9–23.5 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.9%30.1–37.6 | 29.2% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.3%6.2–8.5 | 7.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.3%69.6–76.7 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63%60–65.8 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.6%79.5–83.7 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.1%72.1–77.8 | 76.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.6%64.8–72.2 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.3%72.8–83 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.1%22.7–29.6 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.4%30.8–38.1 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.7%19.1–24.5 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.7%12.1–15.5 | 11.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.1%8.8–11.5 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7%6.1–7.9 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.3%8.4–10.3 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.2%9.9–12.7 | 7.9% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.5%27–34 | 27.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.2%10.7–13.8 | 11.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.9%13.1–16.6 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7%6.2–7.9 | 6.8% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.6%4.2–5 | 4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.2%7.3–9.2 | 7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.4%3.1–3.8 | 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 Duluth
Is Duluth a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Duluth is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #181 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 83%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Duluth?
CDC estimates 35.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.2% and 40.1%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Duluth?
Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, 2.2 miles in a straight line from Duluth’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Duluth have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.2–8.5%), 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 Duluth 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 Duluth.
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.