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Health in Vergas · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Vergas residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Vergas, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Vergas. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Vergas

Cancer and heart disease run high in Vergas

1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.1%), vs 8.5% across Minnesota. 1 in 14 adults have heart disease (7.1%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. In all, Vergas runs above Minnesota on three of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 31% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%), and cancer and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Vergas is short on dental care and mental health care

Vergas’ county is a federal shortage area for dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓

Fewer Vergas adults struggle to make ends meet

Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Minnesota. 1 in 13 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 9 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓

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 Vergas’ likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Vergas adults…

Vergas runs below MN on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 4. Tap one to see it as people.

11 of every 100 Vergas adults have had cancer
Minnesota: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 10–12.2%
Better than MNWorseAbout the sameMinnesota
Why age matters here

Vergas is an older town: 31% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Minnesota. Heart disease, arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Vergas as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Vergas31%
Minnesota17%
Getting care

Care in and near Vergas

No hospital or community health center in Vergas itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERPerham HealthPerham · 10.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyPerham Health★★★★★ · 10.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Health ServiceMoorhead · 47.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
10.7 mi
Perham Health
Perham · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
11.7 mi
Essentia Health St. Marys - Detroit Lakes
Detroit Lakes · ★★★★★
33.6 mi
Astera Health
Wadena · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
39.6 mi
St. Josephs Area Health Services
Park Rapids · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
47.3 mi
Community Health Service
2 sites · nearest in Moorhead
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
48.3 mi
Family Healthcare Center
4 sites · nearest in Moorhead
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careVergas is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Vergas itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Vergas itself

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 Vergas; ≈ 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 needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 13
Vergas adults worry about having enough food
8% · MN 11.4%
Better than MN
1 in 15
Vergas adults worry about keeping their housing
6.5% · MN 9.3%
Better than MN
1 in 24
Vergas adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.2% · MN 5.7%
Better than MN
1 in 19
Vergas adults lack reliable transportation
5.3% · MN 7.1%
Better than MN

5.4% of Vergas adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota

Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.

Get no exercise 22.5%MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 29.9%MN 29.2%
Binge drink 18.4%MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 12.9%MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Vergas, betterVergas, worseAbout the sameMinnesota
Where Vergas gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Vergas adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.

76%Yearly checkupMN 75%
69%Dentist visitMN 68%
87%Cholesterol checkMN 85%
75%Colon screeningMN 69%
81%MammogramMN 79%
81%Taking BP medsMN 76%
1 in 16
working-age adults has no health insurance
Vergas 6.2% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Mind & connection

How Vergas adults are doing

About the same as Minnesota on each measure.

3 in 10Vergas adults feel lonely
30.2% · MN 31.2% · About the same as MN
1 in 5Vergas adults lack social or emotional support
19.6% · MN 21.5% · About the same as MN
1 in 4Vergas adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.3% · MN 24.4% · About the same as MN
1 in 7Vergas adults are in frequent mental distress
13.8% · MN 15.1% · About the same as MN
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Vergas adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Around town

Vergas and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Candor Township: 33.5%Hobart Township: 36.9%Dunn Township: 34.9%Lake View Township: 36.6%Dora Township: 32.9%Gorman Township: 35.8%Edna Township: 34.3%Burlington Township: 37.2%Vergas: 31.6%VergasCandor TownshipHobart TownshipPerham Health · Perham · 10.7 mi · 3★ MedicareH
Healthier than MNNear MNLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#1 of 9 towns on this map, healthiest first
Vergas31.6%
Candor Township33.5%
Hobart Township36.9%
MN33.5%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Candor Township————
Hobart Township————

Candor Township and Hobart Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

27.9%

of Vergas adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12.5%
Thinking or memory11.5%
Hearing8.4%
Errands alone6.8%
Vision3.8%
Dressing or bathing3.1%
Minnesota

Questions about health in Vergas

Why doesn’t Vergas have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Vergas.

What hospital is closest to Vergas?

Perham Health in Perham, 10.7 miles in a straight line from Vergas’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Vergas.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.