Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Rock Creek is healthier than 31%
Rock Creek trails Minnesota on 6 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Rock Creek. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Rock Creek
Rock Creek is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Rock Creek’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 ↓
Smoking is more common in Rock Creek
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (17.6%), vs 13.1% across Minnesota. Habits ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Rock Creek’s lead shrinks
Rock Creek is healthier than 50% of U.S. towns, but 31% of the 9,311 towns with similar household incomes ($71K–$119K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
COPD runs high in Rock Creek
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 Rock Creek’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Rock Creek’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rock Creek is healthier than 50% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 67% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 24%).
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). Rock Creek’s median household income is $94,856; among the 9,311 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($71K–$119K), it’s healthier than 31%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Care in and near Rock Creek
No hospital or community health center in Rock Creek 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 Rock Creek; ≈ 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.
1.1 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Rock Creek adults…
Rock Creek runs above MN on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Rock Creek residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Minnesota. Age-related conditions run low partly because the town is young.
Keeping up with care
Share of Rock Creek adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Rock Creek adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Rock Creek runs above Minnesota.
1 in 3 Rock Creek 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.
9.1% of Rock Creek adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Rock Creek and the towns around it
Rock Creek 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Creek | B− | 39% | 11% | 17.6% | CDC place |
| Pine City Township | C+ | 38.8% | 12.3% | 17.1% | ZIP 55063 |
| Rushseba Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Royalton Township | B− | 37.5% | 11.8% | 17.7% | ZIP codes |
Rushseba Township: 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 Rock Creek adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Rock Creek
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Rock Creek is better than Minnesota on 0 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Rock Creek’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Rock Creek | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.2%15.5–21.4 | 16% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.2%11.5–15.2 | 11.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.3%15.2–19.6 | 15.1% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39%32–46 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11%9.5–12.7 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 34.1%30.2–38 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.6%29.8–37.6 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24.4%21.5–27.4 | 22.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.2%9–11.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.4%7.6–9.3 | 8.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.5%5.7–7.3 | 5.9% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.5%5.5–7.5 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.3%2.9–3.7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.2%9.1–13.6 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.6%14.6–20.9 | 13.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 24.9%20.7–29.5 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 19.8%16.6–23.2 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.7%27.8–39.6 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.6%5.9–9.5 | 7.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.5%70.7–78 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.3%58.6–65.8 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.3%82–86.5 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.4%72.2–78.3 | 76.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.8%61–70.3 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.2%65.1–80.1 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.3%22.6–30.1 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.5%27–36.4 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.3%19–26.1 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.4%9.9–15.1 | 11.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.9%8.2–11.9 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.3%5.3–7.4 | 5.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.5%6.4–8.7 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.1%7.2–11.1 | 7.9% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.6%26.4–35.1 | 27.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.7%10.8–14.8 | 11.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.5%12.5–16.8 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.4%6.5–8.3 | 6.8% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.7–4.9 | 4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.8%6.7–9 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.1–4.1 | 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 Rock Creek
Is Rock Creek a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rock Creek is healthier than 50% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− 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 Rock Creek?
CDC estimates 39% of adults have obesity, likely between 32% and 46%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Rock Creek?
Burnett Medical Center in Grantsburg, 10.4 miles in a straight line from Rock Creek’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Rock Creek have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.9–9.5%), 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 Rock Creek 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 Rock Creek.
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.