Duluth and Iron Range Railroad Company Passenger Station · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0Where Tower residents get care
CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Tower, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Tower. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Tower
Heart disease, arthritis and stroke run high in Tower
1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.4%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. 3 in 10 adults have arthritis (30.3%), vs 22.3% across Minnesota. Stroke is also above the state: 4.2%, vs 3.1% across Minnesota. In all, Tower runs above Minnesota on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%), and heart disease, arthritis and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Tower, and more people treating it
37.4% of adults have high blood pressure (Minnesota 31%), but 81.9% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.1% statewide. Checkups ↓
Tower has a community health center but no hospital
Cook Area Health Services is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Cook Hospital in Cook, 19 miles away. Getting care ↓
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 Tower’s likely range.
Out of every 100 Tower adults…
Tower runs above MN on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Tower is an older town: 29% 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 Tower as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Tower adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
Care in and near Tower
1 community health center in Tower, 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 Tower; ≈ 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.
How Tower adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
3 in 10 Tower 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.
7.9% of Tower adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Tower 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breitung Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Kugler Township | — | — | — | — |
Breitung Township and Kugler 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 Tower adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Questions about health in Tower
Why doesn’t Tower have a Health Grade?
Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Tower.
What hospital is closest to Tower?
Cook Hospital in Cook, 19.0 miles in a straight line from Tower’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.
Where can I get low-cost care near Tower?
1 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Scenic Rivers Health Services in Tower, 0.6 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Tower.
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. 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.