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Jefferson Street at Colfax Avenue looking NE, Wadena, MinnesotaPhoto: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Wadena Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Wadena Township residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 56482, 56481. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Wadena Township

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Wadena Township

1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.4%), vs 5.4% across Minnesota. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.5%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. Stroke is also above the state: 4.3%, vs 3.1% across Minnesota. In all, Wadena Township runs above Minnesota on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

More Wadena Township adults get no exercise

3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (30.1%), vs 22.3% across Minnesota. Habits ↓

Dental care lags in Wadena Township

61.9% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 67.5% across Minnesota. Among those 65 and older, 12.9% have lost all their teeth (Minnesota 8.9%). 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 Wadena Township’s likely range; Wadena Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 56482, 56481, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Wadena Township adults…

Wadena Township runs above MN on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

8 of every 100 Wadena Township adults have COPD
Minnesota: 5 in 100 · worse · likely 7.4–9.5%
Better than MNWorseAbout the sameMinnesota
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota

Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.

Get no exercise 30.1%MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 30.7%MN 29.2%
Binge drink 16.6%MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 17.9%MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Wadena Township, betterWadena Township, worseAbout the sameMinnesota
Where Wadena Township gets moving

3.8 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

75%Yearly checkupMN 75%
62%Dentist visitMN 68%
84%Cholesterol checkMN 85%
70%Colon screeningMN 69%
79%MammogramMN 79%
80%Taking BP medsMN 76%
1 in 11
working-age adults has no health insurance
Wadena Township 9.1% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Getting care

Care in and near Wadena Township

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

HNearest ERAstera HealthWadena · 4.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyAstera Health★★★★★ · 4.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Health ServiceMoorhead · 84.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
4.4 mi
Astera Health
Wadena · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
16.8 mi
Lakewood Health System
Staples · not rated
ERRural critical access
27 mi
Perham Health
Perham · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
32.3 mi
Centracare - Long Prairie Hospital
Long Prairie · not rated
ERRural critical access
84.9 mi
Community Health Service
3 sites · nearest in Moorhead
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
85.8 mi
Family Healthcare Center
4 sites · nearest in Moorhead
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Wadena Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Wadena Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Wadena Township 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 Wadena 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).

Mind & connection

How Wadena Township adults are doing

On 1 of 4 measures, Wadena Township runs above Minnesota.

1 in 3Wadena Township adults feel lonely
31.9% · MN 31.2% · About the same as MN
1 in 5Wadena Township adults lack social or emotional support
21.8% · MN 21.5% · About the same as MN
1 in 4Wadena Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.4% · MN 24.4% · About the same as MN
1 in 6Wadena Township adults are in frequent mental distress
17% · MN 15.1% · Worse than MN
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Wadena Township 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.

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 7
Wadena Township adults worry about having enough food
14.7% · MN 11.4%
Worse than MN
1 in 10
Wadena Township adults worry about keeping their housing
10.5% · MN 9.3%
About the same as MN
1 in 14
Wadena Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7% · MN 5.7%
Worse than MN
1 in 12
Wadena Township adults lack reliable transportation
8.5% · MN 7.1%
Worse than MN

11.8% of Wadena Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Around town

Wadena Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Wadena: 38.6%Leaf River Township: 38.3%Aldrich Township: 38.6%Stowe Prairie Township: 38.6%Compton Township: 37.9%Rockwood Township: 37.7%Bluffton Township: 36.4%Wing River Township: 38.3%Aldrich: 41.1%Thomastown Township: 39.1%Bartlett Township: 39.5%Oak Valley Township: 38.1%Bertha Township: 39.1%Deer Creek Township: 35.6%Wadena Township: 38.3%Wadena TownshipWadenaLeaf River TownshipAldrich TownshipStowe Prairie TownshipCompton TownshipAstera Health · Wadena · 4.4 mi · 3★ MedicareHLakewood Health System · Staples · 16.8 miH
Healthier than MNNear MNLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#6 of 15 towns on this map, healthiest first
Compton Township37.9%
Wadena Township38.3%
Leaf River Township38.3%
Wadena38.6%
Aldrich Township38.6%
Stowe Prairie Township38.6%
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
WadenaC−38.6%13.5%18%CDC place
Leaf River Township————
Aldrich Township————
Stowe Prairie Township————
Compton Township————

Leaf River Township, Aldrich Township, Stowe Prairie Township and Compton 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.

35.6%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.7%
Thinking or memory15.6%
Hearing9.7%
Errands alone9.6%
Vision5.6%
Dressing or bathing4.5%
Minnesota

Questions about health in Wadena Township

Why doesn’t Wadena Township have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Wadena Township?

Astera Health in Wadena, 4.4 miles in a straight line from Wadena Township’s 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 Wadena Township.

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.