Photo: Vas Littlecrow Wojtanowicz · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Rice is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns
Rice differs from Minnesota on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 10 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Rice. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Rice
Binge drinking is the habit Rice doesn’t win on
23.4% of adults binge drink, vs 17.8% across Minnesota. Smoking and exercise are about at the state’s level. Habits ↓
Rice is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Rice’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care, dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Rice’s lead shrinks
Rice is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns, but 61% of the 7,510 towns with similar household incomes ($81K–$135K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Heart disease and stroke are less common in Rice
Rice runs below Minnesota on eight chronic conditions, most of all heart disease (3.5% vs 5.9%), stroke (1.9% vs 3.1%) and diabetes (6.4% vs 10.1%). A young population is part of it: only 9% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%). 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 Rice’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A+.
What’s behind Rice’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rice is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than almost every U.S. town); obesity pulls it down (better than 28%).
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). Rice’s median household income is $107,692; among the 7,510 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($81K–$135K), it’s healthier than 61%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
0.7 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Care in and near Rice
No hospital or community health center in Rice 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 Rice; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 Rice adults…
Rice runs below MN on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 9% of Rice residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Minnesota. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Keeping up with care
Share of Rice adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Rice adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
3 in 10 Rice 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.
6.6% of Rice adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Rice and the towns around it
Rice has the best Health Grade of the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | A− | 39.1% | 6.4% | 14.1% | CDC place |
| Langola Township | B+ | 38.7% | 9.4% | 14.7% | ZIP codes |
| Brockway Township | B+ | 37% | 9.4% | 14.4% | ZIP codes |
| Watab Township | B+ | 39.7% | 9.4% | 14.7% | ZIP codes |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Rice adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Rice
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Rice is better than Minnesota on 10 and worse on 4; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Rice’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Rice | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 12.3%9.9–14.9 | 16% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.6%8–11.3 | 11.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.3%14.6–20.1 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.1%31.5–47.4 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 6.4%5.4–7.6 | 10.1% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 22.8%19.3–26.7 | 31% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 26.9%23.2–31 | 33.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 15.9%13.5–18.7 | 22.3% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10%8.7–11.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.7%5.1–6.4 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.5%3–4 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.8%3–4.5 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 1.9%1.7–2.2 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.5%5.2–7.9 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.1%10.7–17.6 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 18.6%14.4–23.3 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 23.4%19.2–27.9 | 17.8% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.6%24.4–35.4 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.9%5.1–9.3 | 7.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 70.3%65.4–74.9 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 66.9%63.7–70.1 | 67.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82%78.9–84.9 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 65.6%61.3–69.8 | 76.1% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.8%59.2–68.1 | 68.7% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83.4%77.7–88.1 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.9%22.9–31.5 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.4%25.4–35.2 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.8%17–24.4 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.5%7.1–12.2 | 11.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9%7–11.1 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.5%4.4–6.7 | 5.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.4%5.2–7.7 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.6%4.8–8.8 | 7.9% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22.6%18.3–27.1 | 27.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 7.3%5.9–8.7 | 11.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.3%10.9–15.9 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.7%4–5.4 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 2.9%2.4–3.3 | 4% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6%5–7.2 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.2%1.8–2.6 | 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 Rice
Is Rice a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rice is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns: A− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 61%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Rice?
CDC estimates 39.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.5% and 47.4%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Rice?
Centracare - St. Cloud Hospital in Saint Cloud, 13.1 miles in a straight line from Rice’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Rice have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.1–9.3%), 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 Rice 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 Rice.
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.