Within Minnesota, Mountain Iron is healthier than 26% of graded towns
Mountain Iron differs from Minnesota on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Mountain Iron. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Mountain Iron
Minnesota sets a high bar
Mountain Iron is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns, but only 26% of the 271 Minnesota towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run high in Mountain Iron
1 in 13 adults have heart disease (7.9%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. 1 in 14 adults have COPD (7.1%), vs 5.4% across Minnesota. Arthritis is also above the state: 28.9%, vs 22.3% across Minnesota. In all, Mountain Iron runs above Minnesota on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%), and heart disease, COPD and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Mountain Iron, and more people treating it
35.5% of adults have high blood pressure (Minnesota 31%), but 81.1% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.1% statewide. Checkups ↓
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 Mountain Iron’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Mountain Iron’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mountain Iron is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, #202 of 271 in Minnesota. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 76% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 41%).
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). Mountain Iron’s median household income is $83,293; among the 10,504 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($62K–$104K), it’s healthier than 58%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Mountain Iron adults…
Mountain Iron runs above MN on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Mountain Iron 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 Mountain Iron as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Mountain Iron adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
Care in and near Mountain Iron
No hospital or community health center in Mountain Iron 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 Mountain Iron; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
42 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
How Mountain Iron adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
1 in 3 Mountain Iron 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.
7.8% of Mountain Iron adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Mountain Iron and the towns around it
Mountain Iron has the best Health Grade of the 3 graded towns around it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Iron | B | 35.5% | 12.4% | 15.7% | CDC place |
| Virginia | C− | 39.1% | 14.5% | 20.6% | CDC place |
| Great Scott Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Clinton Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Wuori Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Leonidas | — | — | — | — | |
| Eveleth | C+ | 38.1% | 12.3% | 18.5% | CDC place |
Great Scott Township, Clinton Township, Wuori Township and Leonidas: 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 Mountain Iron adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Mountain Iron
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Mountain Iron is better than Minnesota on 2 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Mountain Iron’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Mountain Iron | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18%15.3–20.9 | 16% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.6%11.7–15.5 | 11.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.4%13.4–17.4 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.5%30.6–40.6 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.4%10.5–14.3 | 10.1% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 35.5%31.7–39.1 | 31% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35%31.3–38.7 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 28.9%25.7–32.1 | 22.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.5%9.2–11.9 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.8%9.7–12 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.9%6.9–9 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.1%6–8.4 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.4–4.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.2%9.9–14.6 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.7%12.9–18.6 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24.4%20.5–28.4 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.6%14.7–20.6 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.8%28.1–35.5 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.4%4.9–7.9 | 7.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.2%73.7–80.2 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 68.7%65.9–71.4 | 67.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.5%85.7–89.2 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.1%77.9–83.8 | 76.1% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.5%66.8–73.9 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.3%75.1–84.7 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.2%21–27.6 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.1%28.3–36.1 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.4%18.4–24.7 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.3%8.3–12.6 | 11.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.9%6.5–9.4 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.1%4.3–6 | 5.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.7%5.8–7.8 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.8%6.1–9.6 | 7.9% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.6%27.6–35.6 | 27.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.7%12.5–17.2 | 11.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.8%11–14.7 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.8%7.7–9.9 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.3%3.7–4.9 | 4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.5%6.5–8.7 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.1–4.2 | 3.1% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Mountain Iron
Is Mountain Iron a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mountain Iron is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #202 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 58%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Mountain Iron?
CDC estimates 35.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.6% and 40.6%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Mountain Iron?
Essentia Health Northern Pines Medical Center in Aurora, 18.2 miles in a straight line from Mountain Iron’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Mountain Iron have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.9–7.9%), 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 Mountain Iron 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 Mountain Iron.
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.