Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota · CC BY-SA 2.0Where Wahkon residents get care
CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Wahkon, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Wahkon. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Wahkon
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Wahkon
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.3%), vs 5.4% across Minnesota. 1 in 10 adults have heart disease (10.1%), vs 5.9% across Minnesota. Stroke is also above the state: 5.1%, vs 3.1% across Minnesota. In all, Wahkon runs above Minnesota on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (Minnesota 17%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Wahkon adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (31.1%), vs 22.3% across Minnesota. Habits ↓
More high blood pressure in Wahkon, and more people treating it
43.9% of adults have high blood pressure (Minnesota 31%), but 83.7% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.1% statewide. Checkups ↓
Wahkon is short on dental care and mental health care
Wahkon’s 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 ↓
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 Wahkon’s likely range.
Out of every 100 Wahkon adults…
Wahkon runs above MN on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Wahkon is an older town: 26% 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 Wahkon as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Keeping up with care
Share of Wahkon adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
Care in and near Wahkon
No hospital or community health center in Wahkon 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 Wahkon; ≈ 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).
How Wahkon adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
3 in 10 Wahkon 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.
9.9% of Wahkon adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Wahkon and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Wahkon adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Questions about health in Wahkon
Why doesn’t Wahkon have a Health Grade?
Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Wahkon.
What hospital is closest to Wahkon?
Mille Lacs Health System in Onamia, 7.4 miles in a straight line from Wahkon’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Wahkon.
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.