Thief River Falls Public Library · Photo: Andrew Filer · Public domainWithin Minnesota, Thief River Falls is healthier than 19% of graded towns
Thief River Falls trails Minnesota on 7 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Thief River Falls. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Thief River Falls
Minnesota sets a high bar
Thief River Falls is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns, but only 19% of the 271 Minnesota towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Thief River Falls is short on primary care and mental health care
Thief River Falls’ county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Smoking is more common in Thief River Falls
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (15.8%), vs 13.1% across Minnesota. Habits ↓
COPD runs high in Thief River Falls
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 Thief River Falls’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Thief River Falls’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Thief River Falls is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns, #219 of 271 in Minnesota. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 70% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 19%).
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). Thief River Falls’ median household income is $71,144; among the 10,598 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($53K–$89K), it’s healthier than 64%, about where its income would put it.
Care in and near Thief River Falls
1 hospital in Thief River Falls, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Thief River Falls; ≈ 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.
2.9 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Thief River Falls adults…
Thief River Falls runs above MN on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of Thief River Falls adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Thief River Falls adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
1 in 3 Thief River Falls 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.
9.5% of Thief River Falls adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Thief River Falls 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thief River Falls | B− | 40.4% | 11.1% | 15.8% | CDC place |
| Rocksbury Township | B− | 40.3% | 11.1% | 15.7% | ZIP codes |
| North Township | — | — | — | — |
North 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 Thief River Falls adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Thief River Falls
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Thief River Falls is better than Minnesota on 0 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Thief River Falls’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Thief River Falls | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18%15.7–20.4 | 16% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.9%11.4–14.5 | 11.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.9%14.9–18.8 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40.4%33.4–47.3 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.1%9.6–12.6 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 33.6%29.9–37.3 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.2%30.3–38 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24.9%22–27.7 | 22.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.5%9.3–11.7 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9%8.2–9.9 | 8.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.7%6–7.4 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.5%5.7–7.3 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.5%3.2–3.9 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.4%9.2–14 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.8%13.5–18.1 | 13.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 25.5%21.5–29.5 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.9%15.8–22.2 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.3%25.1–35.8 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.5%7–10 | 7.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.5%70.7–77.9 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64%60.7–67.4 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.6%81.7–85.5 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.5%73.7–79 | 76.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.7%63–72.2 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.5%72.9–85.2 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.5%21.8–29 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.9%27.4–36.8 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.2%19–26 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.7%10.7–15.1 | 11.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.1%8.6–11.9 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.4%5.5–7.5 | 5.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8%7–9.1 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.5%7.9–11.2 | 7.9% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.6%27.6–35.5 | 27.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.2%11.5–15 | 11.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.6%12.9–16.3 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.9%7.1–8.8 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.6%4.1–5.1 | 4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.2%7.3–9.2 | 7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.2–4 | 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 Thief River Falls
Is Thief River Falls a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Thief River Falls is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health, #219 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 64%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Thief River Falls?
CDC estimates 40.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.4% and 47.3%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Thief River Falls?
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center in Thief River Falls, 1.0 miles in a straight line from Thief River Falls’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Thief River Falls have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7–10%), 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 Thief River Falls 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 Thief River Falls.
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.