Photo: DanNowicki · CC BY-SA 4.0Within Minnesota, West St. Paul is healthier than 34% of graded towns
West St. Paul trails Minnesota on 4 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for West St. Paul. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in West St. Paul
Minnesota sets a high bar
West St. Paul is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns, but only 34% of the 271 Minnesota towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
More West St. Paul adults get no exercise
1 in 4 adults get no exercise outside work (26.9%), vs 22.3% across Minnesota. Habits ↓
1 in 10 working-age adults in West St. Paul has no health insurance
10.4% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 7.5% across Minnesota. Checkups ↓
West St. Paul is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, West St. Paul is healthier than 66%. Against the 10,383 towns with similar household incomes ($51K–$86K), it’s healthier than 84%. Health Grade ↓
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 West St. Paul’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A−.
What’s behind West St. Paul’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, West St. Paul is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns, #178 of 271 in Minnesota. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 81% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 41%).
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). West St. Paul’s median household income is $68,464; among the 10,383 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($51K–$86K), it’s healthier than 84%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota
Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.
5.9 miles of trails across 13 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of West St. Paul adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
Out of every 100 West St. Paul adults…
On every condition, West St. Paul is about the same as Minnesota. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near West St. Paul
No hospital or community health center in West St. Paul 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 West St. Paul; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How West St. Paul adults are doing
About the same as Minnesota on each measure.
3 in 10 West St. Paul 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.
9.3% of West St. Paul adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
West St. Paul and the towns around it
West St. Paul’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West St. Paul | B+ | 36.8% | 11.2% | 12.9% | CDC place |
| Inver Grove Heights | A | 34.3% | 9.6% | 11.1% | CDC place |
| South St. Paul | B+ | 37.1% | 10% | 14% | CDC place |
| St. Paul | B+ | 32.8% | 10.5% | 13.9% | CDC place |
| Sunfish Lake | — | — | — | — |
Sunfish Lake: 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 West St. Paul adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for West St. Paul
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, West St. Paul is better than Minnesota on 0 and worse on 4; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside West St. Paul’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | West St. Paul | MN | U.S. | vs MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.8%15.7–19.9 | 16% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.4%11.1–13.9 | 11.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15%13.4–16.6 | 15.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.8%33.1–40.7 | 33.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.2%9.9–12.6 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 31.7%29.2–34.3 | 31% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.1%32.3–37.9 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.8%21.7–25.9 | 22.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.2%9.1–11.3 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.4%7.6–9.1 | 8.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6%5.4–6.7 | 5.9% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.6%4.9–6.3 | 5.4% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.3%3–3.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.6%8.8–12.7 | 8.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.9%11.2–14.8 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 26.9%23.9–30.1 | 22.3% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.4%14.3–18.7 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.7%26.7–32.8 | 29.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.4%9–12 | 7.5% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.4%72.7–78 | 74.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.6%64.9–70 | 67.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.1%84.6–87.6 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.2%75.7–80.5 | 76.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.5%66.2–72.6 | 68.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.6%75–83.7 | 78.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.4%20.9–26 | 24.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.5%27.4–33.6 | 31.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.5%19.1–24.1 | 21.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.3%11.5–15.1 | 11.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.6%9.2–12 | 9.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.8%5.9–7.7 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.8%6.9–8.7 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.3%8.1–10.7 | 7.9% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30%27–32.9 | 27.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.1%11.5–14.7 | 11.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.1%11.6–14.6 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.1%6.4–7.9 | 6.8% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.6%6.7–8.5 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.5%3.1–3.9 | 3.1% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 West St. Paul
Is West St. Paul a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, West St. Paul is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #178 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 84%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in West St. Paul?
CDC estimates 36.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.1% and 40.7%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to West St. Paul?
Allina United Hospital in Saint Paul, 3.0 miles in a straight line from West St. Paul’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in West St. Paul have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9–12%), 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 West St. Paul more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in West St. Paul.
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.