On CDC estimates, Turtle River Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns
Turtle River Township trails Minnesota on 10 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 56601. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Turtle River Township
Making ends meet is harder in Turtle River Township
1 in 7 adults worry about having enough food (14%), vs 11.4% across Minnesota. No reliable transportation (8.8% vs 7.1%) and utility shut-off threats (6.9% vs 5.7%) are higher too. 10.7% of adults receive SNAP, vs 7.9% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Smoking is more common in Turtle River Township
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (16%), vs 13.1% across Minnesota. Habits ↓
COPD runs high in Turtle River Township
1 in 15 adults have COPD (6.5%), vs 5.4% across Minnesota. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%), and COPD is more common later in life. 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 Turtle River Township’s likely range; Turtle River Township’s figures come from ZIP code 56601, 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 Turtle River Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Turtle River Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 77% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 38%).
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). Turtle River Township’s median household income is $94,000; among the 9,432 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($71K–$118K), it’s healthier than 45%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.7% of Turtle River Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
18 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Turtle River Township adults…
Turtle River Township runs above MN on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Turtle River Township is an older town: 27% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Minnesota. COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Turtle River Township as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Turtle River Township
No hospital or community health center in Turtle River 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 Turtle River 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 Turtle River Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Turtle River Township adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Turtle River Township runs above Minnesota.
3 in 10 Turtle River 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.
Turtle River Township and the towns around it
Turtle River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turtle River Township · Northern Township · Frohn Township | B | 37.4% | 10.3% | 16% | ZIP 56601 |
| Port Hope Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Sugar Bush Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Turtle River | — | — | — | — | |
| Ten Lake Township | D | 41.9% | 15.7% | 23.7% | ZIP codes |
| Bemidji | B− | 37.2% | 9.8% | 16.3% | CDC place |
Turtle River Township, Northern Township and Frohn Township share one ZIP estimate, so they share a row. Port Hope Township, Sugar Bush Township and Turtle River: 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 Turtle River Township adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Turtle River Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Turtle River Township is better than Minnesota on 0 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Turtle River Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Turtle River Township | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.8%15.9–19.9 | 16% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.4%11.1–13.8 | 11.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.4%15.6–19.3 | 15.1% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.4%32.8–42.2 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.3%9.1–11.6 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 31%28.1–33.9 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.3%29.4–35.4 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 25.5%23.2–27.9 | 22.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11%9.9–12.2 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.4%7.7–9.2 | 8.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.4%5.9–7.1 | 5.9% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.5%5.8–7.2 | 5.4% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.4%3.1–3.7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12%9.8–14.3 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16%14.1–18 | 13.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 24.8%21.7–28.1 | 22.3% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.9%15.4–20.8 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.1%26.7–35.8 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.8%6.8–9.1 | 7.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.2%69.8–76.3 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.7%59.5–65.8 | 67.5% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82%80–83.9 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.4%72.8–77.8 | 76.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.9%65.9–73.8 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.3%71–82.8 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.9%23.9–30.2 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.2%26.6–34 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.3%18.6–24.2 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14%12.3–16 | 11.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.3%8.9–11.7 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.9%6–7.8 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.8%7.9–9.9 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.7%9.3–12.2 | 7.9% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.2%28–34.5 | 27.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.6%11.3–14.2 | 11.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.3%13.7–16.9 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.6%6.9–8.4 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.8%4.4–5.3 | 4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.6%7.7–9.5 | 7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.3–4 | 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 Turtle River Township
Is Turtle River Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Turtle River Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 45%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Turtle River Township?
CDC estimates 37.4% of adults (the figure for ZIP code 56601, which Turtle River Township shares with Bemidji Township, Northern Township, Grant Valley Township, Frohn Township and Turtle Lake Township) have obesity, likely between 32.8% and 42.2%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Turtle River Township?
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center in Bemidji, 7.9 miles in a straight line from Turtle River Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Turtle River Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.8–9.1%), 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 Turtle River Township more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−. The figures are ZIP code 56601’s, shared with Bemidji Township, Northern Township, Grant Valley Township, Frohn Township and Turtle Lake Township.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Turtle River 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.