Lake Bemidji State Park CCC/NYA/Rustic Style Historic Resources · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0Within Minnesota, Northern Township is healthier than 25% of graded towns
Northern Township trails Minnesota on 10 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 56601. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Northern Township
Minnesota sets a high bar
Northern Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, but only 25% of the 271 Minnesota towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Northern Township
1 in 7 adults worry about having enough food (14%), vs 11.4% across Minnesota. No reliable transportation (8.8% vs 7.1%) and utility shut-off threats (6.9% vs 5.7%) are higher too. 10.7% of adults receive SNAP, vs 7.9% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Northern Township’s lead shrinks
Northern Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, but 38% of the 8,621 towns with similar household incomes ($75K–$125K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Smoking is more common in Northern Township
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (16%), vs 13.1% across Minnesota. Habits ↓
COPD runs high in Northern Township
1 in 15 adults have COPD (6.5%), 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 Northern Township’s likely range; Northern Township’s figures come from ZIP code 56601, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Northern Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Northern Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, #204 of 271 in Minnesota. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 77% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 38%).
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). Northern Township’s median household income is $99,848; among the 8,621 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($75K–$125K), it’s healthier than 38%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.7% of Northern Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
18 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Northern Township adults…
Northern Township runs above MN on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Northern Township
No hospital or community health center in Northern Township 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 Northern 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Northern Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Northern Township adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Northern Township runs above Minnesota.
3 in 10 Northern Township 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.
Northern Township and the towns around it
Northern Township’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Township · Turtle River Township · Turtle Lake Township · Frohn Township · Grant Valley Township | B | 37.4% | 10.3% | 16% | ZIP 56601 |
| Bemidji | B− | 37.2% | 9.8% | 16.3% | CDC place |
| Eckles Township | B | 37.4% | 10.4% | 16% | ZIP codes |
Northern Township, Turtle River Township, Turtle Lake Township, Frohn Township and Grant Valley Township share one ZIP estimate, so they share a row. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Northern Township adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Northern Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Northern Township is better than Minnesota on 0 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Northern Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Northern Township | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.8%15.9–19.9 | 16% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.4%11.1–13.8 | 11.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.4%15.6–19.3 | 15.1% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.4%32.8–42.2 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.3%9.1–11.6 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 31%28.1–33.9 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.3%29.4–35.4 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 25.5%23.2–27.9 | 22.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11%9.9–12.2 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.4%7.7–9.2 | 8.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.4%5.9–7.1 | 5.9% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.5%5.8–7.2 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.4%3.1–3.7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12%9.8–14.3 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16%14.1–18 | 13.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 24.8%21.7–28.1 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.9%15.4–20.8 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.1%26.7–35.8 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.8%6.8–9.1 | 7.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.2%69.8–76.3 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.7%59.5–65.8 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82%80–83.9 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.4%72.8–77.8 | 76.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.9%65.9–73.8 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.3%71–82.8 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.9%23.9–30.2 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.2%26.6–34 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.3%18.6–24.2 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14%12.3–16 | 11.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.3%8.9–11.7 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.9%6–7.8 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.8%7.9–9.9 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.7%9.3–12.2 | 7.9% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.2%28–34.5 | 27.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.6%11.3–14.2 | 11.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.3%13.7–16.9 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.6%6.9–8.4 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.8%4.4–5.3 | 4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.6%7.7–9.5 | 7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.3–4 | 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 Northern Township
Is Northern Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Northern Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #204 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 38%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Northern Township?
CDC estimates 37.4% of adults (the figure for ZIP code 56601, which Northern Township shares with Bemidji Township, Grant Valley Township, Frohn Township, Turtle Lake Township and Turtle River Township) have obesity, likely between 32.8% and 42.2%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Northern Township?
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center in Bemidji, 3.7 miles in a straight line from Northern Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Northern Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.8–9.1%), 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 Northern Township more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−. The figures are ZIP code 56601’s, shared with Bemidji Township, Grant Valley Township, Frohn Township, Turtle Lake Township and Turtle River Township.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Northern Township.
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.