Photo: Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Fairmont is healthier than 81%
Fairmont differs from Minnesota on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 12 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Fairmont. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Fairmont
Fairmont is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Fairmont is healthier than 46%. Against the 6,812 towns with similar household incomes ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 81%. Health Grade ↓
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Fairmont
1 in 13 adults have COPD (7.6%), vs 5.4% across Minnesota. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.2%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. Stroke is also above the state: 4.1%, vs 3.1% across Minnesota. In all, Fairmont runs above Minnesota on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Fairmont adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (29.4%), vs 22.3% across Minnesota. Habits ↓
Fairmont is short on primary care and mental health care
Fairmont’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Fairmont has a five-star hospital
Mayo Clinic Health System - Fairmont is rated 5 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 Fairmont’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Fairmont’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fairmont is healthier than 46% of U.S. towns, #233 of 271 in Minnesota. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 77% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 26%).
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). Fairmont’s median household income is $53,084; among the 6,812 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 81%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Most Minnesota towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Fairmont is healthier than 14% of graded towns, against 46% nationally.
Where Fairmont compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 80.2% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Fairmont adults…
Fairmont runs above MN on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Fairmont is an older town: 26% 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 Fairmont as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
2.3 miles of trails across 19 parks and preserves
Care in and near Fairmont
1 hospital in Fairmont, 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 Fairmont; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Fairmont adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Fairmont adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
3 in 10 Fairmont 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.
10.6% of Fairmont adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Fairmont and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairmont | B− | 36.6% | 13% | 15.9% | CDC place |
| Rolling Green Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Fairmont Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Rutland Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Fraser Township | — | — | — | — |
Rolling Green Township, Fairmont Township, Rutland Township and Fraser 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 Fairmont adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Fairmont
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Fairmont is better than Minnesota on 1 and worse on 12; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Fairmont’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Fairmont | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.8%17.1–22.6 | 16% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.8%12–15.7 | 11.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.3%13.4–17.2 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.6%29.3–44.2 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13%11.2–14.8 | 10.1% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 34.8%30.7–38.8 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.1%31.9–40.4 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.3%24.1–30.6 | 22.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10%8.8–11.3 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.4%9.4–11.5 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.2%7.3–9.1 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.6%6.5–8.7 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.7–4.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.9%8.6–13.5 | 8.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.9%13.4–18.4 | 13.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 29.4%24.5–34.2 | 22.3% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.5%13.8–19.6 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.4%24.3–37.2 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.4%7.8–11 | 7.5% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.2%72.6–79.6 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63.5%59.8–67.2 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.2%83.3–86.9 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.2%77.5–82.6 | 76.1% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.7%64.7–74.6 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.4%70.5–84.9 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.3%20–26.9 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.7%24.1–33.5 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.4%17.2–23.6 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.7%11.4–16 | 11.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.2%8.6–11.8 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.7%5.7–7.7 | 5.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8%6.9–9 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.6%8.9–12.5 | 7.9% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.5%28–36.9 | 27.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.6%13.3–18 | 11.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.9%12.2–15.7 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.3%8.2–10.4 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.7–6 | 4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.8%7.7–10 | 7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.7–4.7 | 3.1% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Fairmont
Is Fairmont a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fairmont is healthier than 46% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health, #233 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 Fairmont?
CDC estimates 36.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.3% and 44.2%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Fairmont?
Mayo Clinic Health System - Fairmont in Fairmont, 1.2 miles in a straight line from Fairmont’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Fairmont have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.8–11%), 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 Fairmont 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 Fairmont.
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.