On CDC estimates, Rush Lake Township is healthier than 61% of U.S. towns
Rush Lake Township differs from Minnesota on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 56573, 56576, 56571. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Rush Lake Township
Rush Lake Township is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Rush Lake Township’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 ↓
Heart disease, COPD and cancer run high in Rush Lake Township
1 in 13 adults have heart disease (8%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. 1 in 14 adults have COPD (7.3%), vs 5.4% across Minnesota. Cancer is also above the state: 11.3%, vs 8.5% across Minnesota. In all, Rush Lake Township runs above Minnesota on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 31% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%), and heart disease, COPD and cancer are more common later in life. 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 Rush Lake Township’s likely range; Rush Lake Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 56573, 56576, 56571, 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 Rush Lake Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rush Lake Township is healthier than 61% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 85% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 42%).
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). Rush Lake Township’s median household income is $75,000; among the 10,862 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($56K–$94K), it’s healthier than 71%, about where its income would put it.
Care in and near Rush Lake Township
No hospital or community health center in Rush Lake 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 Rush Lake 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).
Out of every 100 Rush Lake Township adults…
Rush Lake Township runs above MN on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Rush Lake Township is an older town: 31% 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 Rush Lake Township as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
1.8 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Keeping up with care
Share of Rush Lake Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Rush Lake Township adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
3 in 10 Rush Lake 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8.1% of Rush Lake Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Rush Lake Township and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rush Lake Township | B | 34.5% | 12.1% | 15.6% | ZIP codes |
| Dead Lake Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Otter Tail Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Otto Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Perham Township | B− | 35.1% | 11.8% | 16.6% | ZIP 56573 |
Dead Lake Township, Otter Tail Township and Otto 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 Rush Lake Township adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Rush Lake Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Rush Lake Township is better than Minnesota on 3 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Rush Lake Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Rush Lake Township | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.1%15.7–20.8 | 16% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.3%11.7–15.2 | 11.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.6%13–16.4 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.5%29.5–40.1 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.1%10.6–13.9 | 10.1% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 33.7%30.3–37.3 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.5%35.8–43.2 | 33.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 29.1%26.2–32.2 | 22.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10%8.9–11.2 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.3%10.2–12.3 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8%7.1–9 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.3%6.3–8.4 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4%3.5–4.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.9%8.1–12.1 | 8.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.6%13.3–18.2 | 13.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 25.8%22–29.9 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.5%13.9–19.3 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.4%25.7–35.8 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.4%6–8.9 | 7.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.6%73.3–79.7 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.8%64.6–71.1 | 67.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.1%85.4–88.7 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.4%78.7–83.9 | 76.1% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 74.4%70.3–78.3 | 68.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.7%74.8–86 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.2%20.2–26.5 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.1%26.1–34.4 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.1%17.3–23.2 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.8%9–12.9 | 11.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.3%7–9.7 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.4%4.7–6.3 | 5.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.6%5.7–7.5 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.1%6.6–9.7 | 7.9% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.3%26.6–34.2 | 27.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.4%12.4–16.6 | 11.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.7%11.1–14.4 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9%8–10.1 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.6%4–5.1 | 4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.8%6.8–8.9 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.3–4.3 | 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 Rush Lake Township
Is Rush Lake Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rush Lake Township is healthier than 61% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. 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 Rush Lake Township?
CDC estimates 34.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.5% and 40.1%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Rush Lake Township?
Perham Health in Perham, 6.6 miles in a straight line from Rush Lake Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Rush Lake Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6–8.9%), 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 Rush Lake Township 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 Rush Lake 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.