Photo: Lorie Shaull · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Thomson Township is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns
Thomson Township beats Minnesota on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 55733, 55810, 55720, 55718. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Thomson Township
Against towns with similar incomes, Thomson Township’s lead shrinks
Thomson Township is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns, but 70% of the 5,829 towns with similar household incomes ($90K–$149K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Fewer Thomson Township adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Minnesota. 1 in 14 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 9 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Thomson Township is the healthiest of the towns around it
Its A tops all four graded neighbors. The closest is Midway Township (B+). Around town ↓
Nearly everyone in Thomson Township is insured
Only 5.2% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 7.5% across Minnesota. 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 Thomson Township’s likely range; Thomson Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 55733, 55810, 55720, 55718, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.
What’s behind Thomson Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Thomson Township is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns, #73 of 271 in Minnesota. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is fair or poor health (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than 93% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 54%.
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). Thomson Township’s median household income is $119,338; among the 5,829 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($90K–$149K), it’s healthier than 70%, about where its income would put it.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
4.9% of Thomson Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Thomson Township and the towns around it
Thomson Township has the best Health Grade of the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomson Township | A | 35.7% | 9.5% | 12.1% | ZIP codes |
| Twin Lakes Township | B | 37.4% | 11.9% | 14.6% | ZIP codes |
| Carlton | — | — | — | — | |
| Cloquet | C+ | 39.1% | 11.8% | 17.2% | CDC place |
| Scanlon | — | — | — | — | |
| Solway Township | B | 37% | 11.3% | 16.1% | ZIP codes |
| Midway Township | B+ | 34.9% | 10.6% | 14.6% | ZIP 55810 |
Carlton: fewer than 1,000 residents. Scanlon: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Keeping up with care
Share of Thomson Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
Out of every 100 Thomson Township adults…
Thomson Township runs below MN on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Thomson Township
No hospital or community health center in Thomson 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 Thomson 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
19 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
How Thomson Township adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
3 in 10 Thomson 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Thomson Township adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Thomson Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Thomson Township is better than Minnesota on 9 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Thomson Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Thomson Township | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.2%11.2–15.3 | 16% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.6%9.2–12.1 | 11.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.5–16.1 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.7%30.3–41.3 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.5%8.1–10.8 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 29.8%26.5–33.2 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.7%29.3–36.3 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.5%19.8–25.1 | 22.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.2%9–11.4 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.2%8.4–10.2 | 8.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.4%4.8–6.1 | 5.9% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 4.7%4–5.4 | 5.4% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.7%2.4–3 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8%6.4–9.8 | 8.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.1%9.8–14.3 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 19.8%16.4–23.3 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 20.8%17.6–24.1 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32%27.4–36.8 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.2%4.2–6.5 | 7.5% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.2%70.7–77.5 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73.1%70.4–75.8 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.2%85.6–88.8 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.1%72.8–78.9 | 76.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.2%68.2–75.8 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.6%74.7–85.6 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.9%22.4–29.3 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.3%26.5–34.6 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.5%16–21.6 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.3%5.9–8.8 | 11.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.7%5.5–8 | 9.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.3%3.6–5.1 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.3%4.6–6.1 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.9%3.9–6 | 7.9% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25%21.5–28.4 | 27.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.2%8.7–11.7 | 11.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.1%9.6–12.7 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.3%5.6–7.1 | 6.8% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.1%2.7–3.4 | 4% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.8%5.1–6.6 | 7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.5%2.2–2.9 | 3.1% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Thomson Township
Is Thomson Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Thomson Township is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns: A for health, #73 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 70%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Thomson Township?
CDC estimates 35.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.3% and 41.3%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Thomson Township?
Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet, 4.9 miles in a straight line from Thomson Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Thomson Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.2–6.5%), 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 Thomson Township more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Thomson 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.