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–Not graded
Health in Dunbar Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Dunbar Township residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Dunbar Township, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 56097, 56068. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Dunbar Township

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Dunbar Township

1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.4%), vs 5.4% across Minnesota. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.6%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. Stroke is also above the state: 4.4%, vs 3.1% across Minnesota. In all, Dunbar Township runs above Minnesota on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 25% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

More Dunbar Township adults get no exercise

3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (29.8%), vs 22.3% across Minnesota. Habits ↓

Smoking is more common in Dunbar Township

1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (17.5%), vs 13.1% across Minnesota. Habits ↓

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 Dunbar Township’s likely range; Dunbar Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 56097, 56068, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Dunbar Township adults…

Dunbar Township runs above MN on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

8 of every 100 Dunbar Township adults have COPD
Minnesota: 5 in 100 · worse · likely 7.2–9.6%
Better than MNWorseAbout the sameMinnesota
Why age matters here

Dunbar Township is an older town: 25% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Minnesota. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Dunbar Township as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Dunbar Township25%
Minnesota17%
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota

Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.

Get no exercise 29.8%MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 30.4%MN 29.2%
Binge drink 16.7%MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 17.5%MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Dunbar Township, betterDunbar Township, worseAbout the sameMinnesota
Where Dunbar Township gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Getting care

Care in and near Dunbar Township

No hospital or community health center in Dunbar Township itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERMayo Clinic Health System - Albert Lea and AustinAlbert Lea · 19.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMayo Clinic Health System - Albert Lea and Austin★★★★★ · 19.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost careOpen Door Health CenterMankato · 28 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
19.7 mi
Mayo Clinic Health System - Albert Lea and Austin
Albert Lea · ★★★★★
ER
21 mi
Mayo Clinic Health System - Waseca
Waseca · not rated
ERRural critical access
23 mi
United Hospital District
Blue Earth · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
28 mi
Open Door Health Center
3 sites · nearest in Mankato
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
29.7 mi
Owatonna Hospital
Owatonna · ★★★★★
ER
51.5 mi
Community Health Center of Fort Dodge
3 sites · nearest in Mason City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
! Primary careDunbar Township is a federal shortage area.Faribault West/Freeborn · need score 11 of 25
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Dunbar Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Dunbar Township itself

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 Dunbar Township; ≈ 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Dunbar Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.

76%Yearly checkupMN 75%
65%Dentist visitMN 68%
85%Cholesterol checkMN 85%
69%Colon screeningMN 69%
77%MammogramMN 79%
80%Taking BP medsMN 76%
1 in 11
working-age adults has no health insurance
Dunbar Township 9.1% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Mind & connection

How Dunbar Township adults are doing

About the same as Minnesota on each measure.

1 in 3Dunbar Township adults feel lonely
31% · MN 31.2% · About the same as MN
1 in 5Dunbar Township adults lack social or emotional support
21.3% · MN 21.5% · About the same as MN
1 in 4Dunbar Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.1% · MN 24.4% · About the same as MN
1 in 6Dunbar Township adults are in frequent mental distress
15.9% · MN 15.1% · About the same as MN
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Dunbar Township adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 7
Dunbar Township adults worry about having enough food
14.2% · MN 11.4%
Worse than MN
1 in 10
Dunbar Township adults worry about keeping their housing
10.4% · MN 9.3%
About the same as MN
1 in 14
Dunbar Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7% · MN 5.7%
Worse than MN
1 in 12
Dunbar Township adults lack reliable transportation
8.2% · MN 7.1%
About the same as MN

11.4% of Dunbar Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Around town

Dunbar Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Freeborn Township: 37.2%Clark Township: 38.5%Minnesota Lake Township: 37.6%Vivian Township: 37.8%Hartland Township: 35.4%Carlston Township: 36.9%Byron Township: 38.2%Walnut Lake Township: 38.4%Foster Township: 38.3%Lura Township: 37.5%Minnesota Lake: 36.8%Danville Township: 36.5%Freedom Township: 37.5%Waldorf: 38.2%Dunbar Township: 38.5%Dunbar TownshipFreeborn TownshipClark TownshipMinnesota Lake TownshipVivian Township
Healthier than MNNear MNLess healthy
Obesity
#14 of 15 towns on this map, healthiest first
Freeborn Township37.2%
Minnesota Lake Township37.6%
Vivian Township37.8%
Dunbar Township38.5%
Clark Township38.5%
MN33.5%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Freeborn Township————
Clark Township————
Minnesota Lake Township————
Vivian Township————

Freeborn Township, Clark Township, Minnesota Lake Township and Vivian Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

35%

of Dunbar Township adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs16.7%
Thinking or memory14.8%
Hearing9.6%
Errands alone9.2%
Vision5.6%
Dressing or bathing4.6%
Minnesota

Questions about health in Dunbar Township

Why doesn’t Dunbar Township have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Dunbar Township.

What hospital is closest to Dunbar Township?

Mayo Clinic Health System - Albert Lea and Austin in Albert Lea, 19.7 miles in a straight line from Dunbar Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Dunbar Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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. 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.