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Gary, Minnesota-04Photo: Myotus · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Gary · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Gary residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Gary. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Gary

Smoking is more common in Gary

1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (16.8%), vs 13.1% across Minnesota. Habits ↓

Gary is short on primary care and mental health care

Gary’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 ↓

COPD runs high in Gary

1 in 15 adults have COPD (6.6%), vs 5.4% across Minnesota. Conditions ↓

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 Gary’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota

Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.

Get no exercise 25.8%MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 32.6%MN 29.2%
Binge drink 19.3%MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 16.8%MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Gary, betterGary, worseAbout the sameMinnesota
Where Gary gets moving

0.6 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Gary

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

HNearest EREssentia Health AdaAda · 13.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Health ServiceMoorhead · 40.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
13.5 mi
Essentia Health Ada
Ada · not rated
ERRural critical access
14.8 mi
Mahnomen Health Center
Mahnomen · not rated
ER
28.1 mi
Essentia Health Fosston
Fosston · not rated
ERRural critical access
32.1 mi
Riverview Hospital
Crookston · not rated
ERRural critical access
40.9 mi
Community Health Service
2 sites · nearest in Moorhead
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
41.2 mi
Family Healthcare Center
4 sites · nearest in Moorhead
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Gary itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Gary itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Gary 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 Gary; ≈ 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 Gary adults…

Gary runs above MN on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

7 of every 100 Gary adults have COPD
Minnesota: 5 in 100 · worse · likely 5.5–8%
Better than MNWorseAbout the sameMinnesota
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

73%Yearly checkupMN 75%
65%Dentist visitMN 68%
84%Cholesterol checkMN 85%
65%Colon screeningMN 69%
77%MammogramMN 79%
76%Taking BP medsMN 76%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Gary 7.8% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Mind & connection

How Gary adults are doing

About the same as Minnesota on each measure.

3 in 10Gary adults feel lonely
29.5% · MN 31.2% · About the same as MN
1 in 5Gary adults lack social or emotional support
21.4% · MN 21.5% · About the same as MN
1 in 4Gary adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.3% · MN 24.4% · About the same as MN
1 in 6Gary adults are in frequent mental distress
16.8% · MN 15.1% · About the same as MN
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Gary 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 8
Gary adults worry about having enough food
12.5% · MN 11.4%
About the same as MN
1 in 10
Gary adults worry about keeping their housing
9.8% · MN 9.3%
About the same as MN
1 in 16
Gary adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.4% · MN 5.7%
About the same as MN
1 in 13
Gary adults lack reliable transportation
7.6% · MN 7.1%
About the same as MN

9.2% of Gary adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Around town

Gary and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

29.8%

of Gary adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs13.1%
Thinking or memory14.7%
Hearing7.4%
Errands alone8%
Vision4.5%
Dressing or bathing3.7%
Minnesota

Questions about health in Gary

Why doesn’t Gary have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Gary?

Essentia Health Ada in Ada, 13.5 miles in a straight line from Gary’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 Gary.

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.