On CDC estimates, Scandia Valley Township is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns
Scandia Valley Township differs from Minnesota on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 11 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 56443, 56466. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Scandia Valley Township
Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run high in Scandia Valley Township
1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.7%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. 1 in 13 adults have COPD (7.9%), vs 5.4% across Minnesota. Arthritis is also above the state: 31%, vs 22.3% across Minnesota. In all, Scandia Valley Township runs above Minnesota on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 33% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%), and heart disease, COPD and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Scandia Valley Township is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Scandia Valley 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 ↓
More high blood pressure in Scandia Valley Township, and more people treating it
38.7% of adults have high blood pressure (Minnesota 31%), but 81.6% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.1% statewide. Checkups ↓
Scandia Valley Township keeps up with checkups
It beats Minnesota on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (77.9% vs 74.8%) and cholesterol checks (87.7% vs 85.3%). Checkups ↓
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 Scandia Valley Township’s likely range; Scandia Valley Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 56443, 56466, 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 Scandia Valley Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Scandia Valley Township is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 87% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 32%).
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). Scandia Valley Township’s median household income is $81,750; among the 10,642 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($61K–$102K), it’s healthier than 48%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Scandia Valley Township adults…
Scandia Valley Township runs above MN on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Scandia Valley Township is an older town: 33% 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 Scandia Valley Township as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Scandia Valley Township
No hospital or community health center in Scandia Valley 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 Scandia Valley 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 Scandia Valley Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
38 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
How Scandia Valley Township adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
3 in 10 Scandia Valley 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.
8.2% of Scandia Valley Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Scandia Valley Township and the towns around it
Scandia Valley Township’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandia Valley Township | B− | 37.4% | 13.3% | 16% | ZIP codes |
| Fort Ripley Township | B+ | 37.7% | 10.8% | 15.9% | ZIP codes |
| Cushing Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Rosing Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Fawn Lake Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Sylvan Township | B+ | 36.2% | 11% | 15.5% | ZIP codes |
| Motley Township | — | — | — | — |
Cushing Township, Rosing Township, Fawn Lake Township and Motley 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 Scandia Valley Township adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Scandia Valley Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Scandia Valley Township is better than Minnesota on 4 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Scandia Valley Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Scandia Valley Township | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.5%16–21.1 | 16% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.4–15.6 | 11.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.7–15.8 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.4%32–42.4 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.3%11.8–15 | 10.1% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 38.7%35.3–41.8 | 31% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.1%35.7–42.2 | 33.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 31%28.1–33.5 | 22.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.2%9.2–11.2 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.3%10.4–12.3 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.7%7.7–9.6 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.9%6.8–9.1 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%3.8–4.7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.8%10–13.8 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16%13.5–18.4 | 13.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 26.3%22.3–30.1 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.8%13.7–18 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32%27.8–36.6 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7%5.7–8.5 | 7.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.9%75.1–80.2 | 74.8% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.8%62–67.6 | 67.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.7%86.2–89.1 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.6%79.4–83.6 | 76.1% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.8%69.4–76.2 | 68.7% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.7%73.5–83.7 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.5%20.7–26 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.7%24.2–31.3 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20%17.4–22.7 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.8%8.8–12.9 | 11.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.1%6.8–9.5 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.4%4.6–6.1 | 5.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.5%5.6–7.5 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.2%6.6–10 | 7.9% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.1%27.3–34.7 | 27.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.4%13.3–17.5 | 11.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.8%11.2–14.3 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.4%8.5–10.4 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.7%4.2–5.3 | 4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.9%6.9–8.9 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4%3.5–4.6 | 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 Scandia Valley Township
Is Scandia Valley Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Scandia Valley Township is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 48%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Scandia Valley Township?
CDC estimates 37.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 32% and 42.4%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Scandia Valley Township?
Lakewood Health System in Staples, 13.8 miles in a straight line from Scandia Valley Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Scandia Valley Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.7–8.5%), 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 Scandia Valley 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 Scandia Valley 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.