Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Houston

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
Health in Houston · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Houston residents get care

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

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

Fair or poor health
17.4%
About the same as MN (16%)
Obesity
34.1%
About the same as MN (33.5%)
No exercise
26.9%
About the same as MN (22.3%)
Uninsured
6.9%
About the same as MN (7.5%)
Feel lonely
29.7%
About the same as MN (31.2%)
Nearest ER
16.4 mi
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
What stands out

What stands out about health in Houston

7.3%have heart disease · MN 5.9%
★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Houston adults…

Houston runs above MN on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

7 of every 100 Houston adults have heart disease
Minnesota: 6 in 100 · worse · likely 6.2–8.4%
Better than MNWorseAbout the sameMinnesota
Getting care

Care in and near Houston

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

HNearest ERGundersen Lutheran Medical CenterLa Crosse · 16.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Medical Center★★★★★ · 16.9 miDirections →
+Low-cost careScenic Bluffs Health CenterLa Crosse · 16.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
16.4 mi
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
La Crosse · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
16.7 mi
Scenic Bluffs Health Center
5 sites · nearest in La Crosse
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
16.9 mi
Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Medical Center
La Crosse · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
19.4 mi
Winona Health Services
Winona · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
33.3 mi
Winnmed
Decorah · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
48.6 mi
Community Health Service Inc. - Rochester
Rochester · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
Directions
✓ Primary careHouston is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careHouston is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthHouston is not a shortage area

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 Houston; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota

Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.

Get no exercise 26.9%MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 29.3%MN 29.2%
Binge drink 17.7%MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 14%MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Houston, betterHouston, worseAbout the sameMinnesota
Where Houston gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

76%Yearly checkupMN 75%
66%Dentist visitMN 68%
86%Cholesterol checkMN 85%
68%Colon screeningMN 69%
75%MammogramMN 79%
79%Taking BP medsMN 76%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Houston 6.9% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Mind & connection

How Houston adults are doing

About the same as Minnesota on each measure.

3 in 10Houston adults feel lonely
29.7% · MN 31.2% · About the same as MN
1 in 5Houston adults lack social or emotional support
18.9% · MN 21.5% · About the same as MN
1 in 4Houston adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.5% · MN 24.4% · About the same as MN
1 in 7Houston adults are in frequent mental distress
15% · MN 15.1% · About the same as MN
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Houston 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 10
Houston adults worry about having enough food
10.4% · MN 11.4%
About the same as MN
1 in 12
Houston adults worry about keeping their housing
8.3% · MN 9.3%
About the same as MN
1 in 19
Houston adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.4% · MN 5.7%
About the same as MN
1 in 15
Houston adults lack reliable transportation
6.6% · MN 7.1%
About the same as MN

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

Around town

Houston and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Houston Township: 35.1%Money Creek Township: 35.3%Sheldon Township: 35%Yucatan Township: 36.3%Mound Prairie Township: 34.6%Houston: 34.1%HoustonHouston Township
Healthier than MNNear MNLess healthy
Obesity
#1 of 6 towns on this map, healthiest first
Houston34.1%
Houston Township35.1%
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
Houston Township————

Houston 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.

30.1%

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

Walking or climbing stairs13.9%
Thinking or memory13.2%
Hearing8.7%
Errands alone7.9%
Vision4.4%
Dressing or bathing3.5%
Minnesota

Questions about health in Houston

Why doesn’t Houston have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Houston?

Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, 16.4 miles in a straight line from Houston’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Houston.

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.