Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Menahga is healthier than 71%
Menahga differs from Minnesota on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 12 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Menahga. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Menahga
Heart disease, COPD and stroke run high in Menahga
1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.5%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. 1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.4%), vs 5.4% across Minnesota. Stroke is also above the state: 4.8%, vs 3.1% across Minnesota. In all, Menahga runs above Minnesota on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 28% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%), and heart disease, COPD and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Menahga adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (30%), vs 22.3% across Minnesota. Habits ↓
More high blood pressure in Menahga, and more people treating it
38.2% of adults have high blood pressure (Minnesota 31%), but 82.3% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.1% statewide. Checkups ↓
Menahga is short on primary care and mental health care
Menahga’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 ↓
Menahga is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Menahga is healthier than 44%. Against the 8,350 towns with similar household incomes ($44K–$73K), it’s healthier than 71%. Health Grade ↓
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 Menahga’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.
What’s behind Menahga’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Menahga is healthier than 44% of U.S. towns. 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 23%).
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). Menahga’s median household income is $58,036; among the 8,350 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($44K–$73K), it’s healthier than 71%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Menahga compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 82.3% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Menahga adults…
Menahga runs above MN on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Menahga is an older town: 28% 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 Menahga as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
0.9 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Menahga adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
Care in and near Menahga
No hospital or community health center in Menahga itself. These are the nearest.
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 Menahga; ≈ 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).
How Menahga adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
3 in 10 Menahga 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.
9.6% of Menahga adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Menahga and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menahga | C+ | 36.6% | 13.7% | 14.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Menahga adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Menahga
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Menahga is better than Minnesota on 1 and worse on 12; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Menahga’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Menahga | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.1%16.6–24.1 | 16% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.2–16.8 | 11.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.3%13.2–17.5 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.6%29.4–44 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.7%11.7–16 | 10.1% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 38.2%33.9–42.5 | 31% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.8%32.5–41 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 31.5%27.9–35.1 | 22.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.1–11.6 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12%10.8–13.4 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.5%8.2–10.9 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.4%6.8–10.2 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.8%4.1–5.7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.7%10.9–16.5 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.8%12–17.8 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 30%24.6–35.7 | 22.3% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.1%12.4–18 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.8%22.3–33.8 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.2%6.2–10.6 | 7.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.4%74–80.8 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63.8%60.1–67.2 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.1%83.9–88.1 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.3%79.8–84.5 | 76.1% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.8%68.1–77 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.6%68.7–83 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24%20.5–27.7 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.7%25.8–35.9 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.3%16.8–24.1 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.3%9.5–15.3 | 11.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.7%7–10.5 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.8%4.8–6.8 | 5.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.4%6.2–8.9 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.6%7.3–12 | 7.9% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.8%31.6–42.1 | 27.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18%14.8–21.4 | 11.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.2%11.9–16.6 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.2%9.7–12.8 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.5%4.6–6.7 | 4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.4%7.8–11.3 | 7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.4%3.6–5.3 | 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 Menahga
Is Menahga a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Menahga is healthier than 44% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Menahga?
CDC estimates 36.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.4% and 44%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Menahga?
St. Josephs Area Health Services in Park Rapids, 11.4 miles in a straight line from Menahga’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Menahga have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.2–10.6%), 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 Menahga more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Menahga.
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.