Photo: Jeanqueq · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Prior Lake is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns
Prior Lake beats Minnesota on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Prior Lake. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Prior Lake
Against towns with similar incomes, Prior Lake’s lead shrinks
Prior Lake is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns, but 71% of the 4,122 towns with similar household incomes ($101K–$168K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Fewer Prior Lake adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Minnesota. 1 in 13 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 9 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Prior Lake
Prior Lake runs below Minnesota on COPD (4.2% vs 5.4%), stroke (2.5% vs 3.1%) and heart disease (4.9% vs 5.9%). 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 Prior Lake’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Prior Lake’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Prior Lake is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns, #46 of 271 in Minnesota. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is physical distress (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 94% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 79%.
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). Prior Lake’s median household income is $134,255; among the 4,122 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($101K–$168K), it’s healthier than 71%, about where its income would put it.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
4.9% of Prior Lake adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Out of every 100 Prior Lake adults…
Prior Lake runs below MN on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Prior Lake
No hospital or community health center in Prior Lake 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 Prior Lake; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
9.8 miles of trails across 17 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Prior Lake adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Prior Lake adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
1 in 4 Prior Lake 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.
Prior Lake and the towns around it
Prior Lake’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prior Lake | A | 31.3% | 9.1% | 11.3% | CDC place |
| Spring Lake Township | A− | 32.7% | 9.6% | 12.9% | ZIP codes |
| Shakopee | A− | 32.6% | 9.3% | 13.5% | CDC place |
| Credit River | — | — | — | — | |
| Savage | A | 31.3% | 8.8% | 11.2% | CDC place |
Credit River: no CDC estimate of its own. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Prior Lake adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Prior Lake
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Prior Lake is better than Minnesota on 12 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Prior Lake’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Prior Lake | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.4%11.7–15.3 | 16% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.3%9–11.6 | 11.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.8%12.3–15.5 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.3%26.6–36.5 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.1%8–10.4 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 30.5%27.4–33.8 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.7%29.4–36.3 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 21.1%18.6–23.6 | 22.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.6%8.6–10.8 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.5%7.7–9.3 | 8.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.9%4.4–5.4 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.2%3.7–4.8 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.5%2.3–2.8 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.1%4.8–7.5 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.3%9.7–13.1 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20.8%17.8–24.2 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 19.4%16.6–22.5 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 26.7%22.9–30.8 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.3%4.5–6.3 | 7.5% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.2%72–78.4 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 74.5%71.8–77.1 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.6%86–89.1 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.5%72.5–78.4 | 76.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.9%68.1–75.5 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 81.5%75.9–86.2 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.6%19.7–25.7 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.5%23.8–31.5 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.1%17.3–23 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.8%6.5–9.1 | 11.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.3%6.2–8.5 | 9.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.4%3.8–5.1 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.2%4.6–6 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.9%4.1–5.9 | 7.9% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22.8%19.9–26.1 | 27.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.4%8.2–10.8 | 11.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.7%9.5–12.1 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.8%5.1–6.4 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3%2.7–3.3 | 4% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.6%5–6.3 | 7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.4%2.2–2.7 | 3.1% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Prior Lake
Is Prior Lake a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Prior Lake is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns: A for health, #46 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 71%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Prior Lake?
CDC estimates 31.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.6% and 36.5%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Prior Lake?
St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee, 4.4 miles in a straight line from Prior Lake’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Prior Lake have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.5–6.3%), 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 Prior Lake more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Prior Lake.
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.