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Fergus Falls, Minnesota MontagePhoto: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Fergus Falls Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Fergus Falls Township residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 56537. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Fergus Falls Township

Fergus Falls Township is short on every kind of care federal data tracks

Fergus Falls Township’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 ↓

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Fergus Falls Township

1 in 14 adults have COPD (7.3%), vs 5.4% across Minnesota. 1 in 13 adults have heart disease (7.9%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. Stroke is also above the state: 4%, vs 3.1% across Minnesota. In all, Fergus Falls Township runs above Minnesota on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

More Fergus Falls Township adults get no exercise

1 in 4 adults get no exercise outside work (26.3%), vs 22.3% 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 Fergus Falls Township’s likely range; Fergus Falls Township’s figures come from ZIP code 56537, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Getting care

Care in and near Fergus Falls Township

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

HNearest ERSt. Francis Medical CenterBreckenridge · 19.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Health ServiceMoorhead · 48.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
19.1 mi
St. Francis Medical Center
Breckenridge · not rated
ERRural critical access
24.5 mi
Prairie Ridge Hospital and Health Services
Elbow Lake · not rated
ERRural critical access
30.1 mi
Perham Health
Perham · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
35.5 mi
Essentia Health St. Marys - Detroit Lakes
Detroit Lakes · ★★★★★
48.5 mi
Community Health Service
3 sites · nearest in Moorhead
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
48.7 mi
Family Healthcare Center
5 sites · nearest in Moorhead
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
! Primary careFergus Falls Township is a federal shortage area.West Central Otter Tail · need score 13 of 25
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Fergus Falls Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Fergus Falls 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 Fergus Falls 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).

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Fergus Falls Township adults…

Fergus Falls Township runs above MN on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

7 of every 100 Fergus Falls Township adults have COPD
Minnesota: 5 in 100 · worse · likely 6.3–8.3%
Better than MNWorseAbout the sameMinnesota
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota

Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.

Get no exercise 26.3%MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 30.8%MN 29.2%
Binge drink 16.8%MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 15.6%MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Fergus Falls Township, betterFergus Falls Township, worseAbout the sameMinnesota
Where Fergus Falls Township gets moving

3.5 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

76%Yearly checkupMN 75%
67%Dentist visitMN 68%
86%Cholesterol checkMN 85%
73%Colon screeningMN 69%
78%MammogramMN 79%
81%Taking BP medsMN 76%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Fergus Falls Township 7.2% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Mind & connection

How Fergus Falls Township adults are doing

About the same as Minnesota on each measure.

1 in 3Fergus Falls Township adults feel lonely
31.1% · MN 31.2% · About the same as MN
1 in 5Fergus Falls Township adults lack social or emotional support
20.2% · MN 21.5% · About the same as MN
1 in 4Fergus Falls Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.1% · MN 24.4% · About the same as MN
1 in 6Fergus Falls Township adults are in frequent mental distress
15.5% · MN 15.1% · About the same as MN
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Fergus Falls 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 9
Fergus Falls Township adults worry about having enough food
11.6% · MN 11.4%
About the same as MN
1 in 11
Fergus Falls Township adults worry about keeping their housing
8.8% · MN 9.3%
About the same as MN
1 in 17
Fergus Falls Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6% · MN 5.7%
About the same as MN
1 in 14
Fergus Falls Township adults lack reliable transportation
7.2% · MN 7.1%
About the same as MN

9% of Fergus Falls Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Around town

Fergus Falls Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Fergus Falls: 34.6%Aurdal Township: 34.4%Carlisle Township: 34.4%Elizabeth Township: 34.8%Orwell Township: 34.5%Buse Township: 34.4%Sverdrup Township: 33.4%Dane Prairie Township: 34.2%Friberg Township: 34.8%Andrea Township: 36.5%Oscar Township: 35.3%Akron Township: 35.7%Erhards Grove Township: 35.1%Western Township: 35.3%Foxhome Township: 36.6%Fergus Falls Township: 34.4%Fergus Falls TownshipFergus FallsAurdal TownshipCarlisle TownshipElizabeth TownshipOrwell Township
Healthier than MNNear MNLess healthy
Obesity
#3 of 16 towns on this map, healthiest first
Fergus Falls Township34.4%
Aurdal Township34.4%
Carlisle Township34.4%
Orwell Township34.5%
Fergus Falls34.6%
Elizabeth Township34.8%
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
Fergus FallsB−34.6%11.9%15.9%CDC place
Aurdal TownshipB34.4%11.7%15.6%ZIP 56537
Carlisle Township————
Elizabeth Township————
Orwell Township————

Carlisle Township, Elizabeth Township and Orwell 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.

31.3%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.7%
Thinking or memory13.5%
Hearing9.2%
Errands alone8.5%
Vision4.8%
Dressing or bathing3.9%
Minnesota

Questions about health in Fergus Falls Township

Why doesn’t Fergus Falls 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 Fergus Falls Township.

What hospital is closest to Fergus Falls Township?

St. Francis Medical Center in Breckenridge, 19.1 miles in a straight line from Fergus Falls Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Fergus Falls 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.