Photo: Epsatre · CC BY-SA 4.0Within Minnesota, South St. Paul is healthier than 39% of graded towns
South St. Paul differs from Minnesota on 5 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for South St. Paul. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in South St. Paul
Minnesota sets a high bar
South St. Paul is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns, but only 39% of the 271 Minnesota towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
More South St. Paul adults get no exercise
1 in 4 adults get no exercise outside work (25.7%), vs 22.3% across Minnesota. Habits ↓
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 South St. Paul’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind South St. Paul’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, South St. Paul is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns, #166 of 271 in Minnesota. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 81% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 43%).
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). South St. Paul’s median household income is $87,994; among the 10,154 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($66K–$110K), it’s healthier than 66%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
0.6 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 South St. Paul adults…
South St. Paul runs below MN on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near South St. Paul
No hospital or community health center in South St. Paul 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 South St. Paul; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of South St. Paul adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How South St. Paul adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
1 in 3 South St. Paul 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 South St. Paul adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
South St. Paul and the towns around it
South St. Paul’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South St. Paul | B+ | 37.1% | 10% | 14% | CDC place |
| Inver Grove Heights | A | 34.3% | 9.6% | 11.1% | CDC place |
| West St. Paul | B+ | 36.8% | 11.2% | 12.9% | CDC place |
| St. Paul | B+ | 32.8% | 10.5% | 13.9% | CDC place |
| Newport | B− | 37.6% | 12.4% | 16.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of South St. Paul adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for South St. Paul
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, South St. Paul is better than Minnesota on 2 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside South St. Paul’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | South St. Paul | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.9%15–18.9 | 16% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.1%10.8–13.5 | 11.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%14.4–17.7 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.1%33.3–40.9 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10%8.8–11.3 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 29.4%27–32 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.4%30.7–36.2 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 21.9%19.9–24 | 22.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.4%9.3–11.6 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.4%6.8–8.1 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.2%4.7–5.8 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.2%4.6–5.9 | 5.4% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.9%2.6–3.1 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.5%6.9–10.3 | 8.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14%12.2–16 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25.7%22.7–28.6 | 22.3% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 17.9%15.6–20.3 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.6%27.6–33.8 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.6%8.4–11 | 7.5% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.6%70.8–76.4 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.6%62.9–68.1 | 67.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.9%83.2–86.5 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.5%72.7–78.1 | 76.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.5%65.1–71.6 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.1%73.3–82.4 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.7%22.2–27.4 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.1%27.9–34.2 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22%19.5–24.5 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.9%11.2–14.7 | 11.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.5%9.1–12 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.8%5.9–7.7 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.7%6.8–8.6 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.1%7.8–10.5 | 7.9% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.7%25.8–31.5 | 27.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.6%10.2–13.1 | 11.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.6%12.2–15.1 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.2%5.6–6.9 | 6.8% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.8–4.6 | 4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.4%6.6–8.2 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.2%2.9–3.5 | 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 South St. Paul
Is South St. Paul a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, South St. Paul is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #166 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 66%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in South St. Paul?
CDC estimates 37.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.3% and 40.9%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to South St. Paul?
M Health Fairview Woodwinds Hospital in Woodbury, 3.7 miles in a straight line from South St. Paul’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in South St. Paul have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.4–11%), 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 South St. Paul 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 South St. Paul.
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.