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George D. Dayton HouseGeorge D. Dayton House · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0
≈ CHealth Grade
Health in Worthington · CDC PLACES 2025

Within Minnesota, Worthington is healthier than 3% of graded towns

Worthington differs from Minnesota on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 18 worse.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Worthington

More Worthington adults get no exercise

36.1% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 22.3% across Minnesota. Habits ↓

1 in 5 working-age adults in Worthington has no health insurance

21.6% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 7.5% across Minnesota. Checkups ↓

Making ends meet is harder in Worthington

1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (25.3%), more than twice the Minnesota rate. Housing insecurity (18.3% vs 9.3%) and no reliable transportation (12.9% vs 7.1%) are higher too. 17.5% of adults receive SNAP, vs 7.9% statewide. Everyday needs ↓

Worthington has a top-rated hospital

Sanford Worthington Medical Center is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. 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 Worthington’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.

Health Grade

What’s behind Worthington’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Worthington is healthier than 29% of U.S. towns, #264 of 271 in Minnesota. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 60% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 6%).

C−Self-rated health24.9% · MN 16% · U.S. 19.4%
B−Physical distress14.4% · MN 11.3% · U.S. 13%
BMental distress16.5% · MN 15.1% · U.S. 15.9%
CObesity38.8% · MN 33.5% · U.S. 32.9%
C+Diabetes12.9% · MN 10.1% · U.S. 12%
CSmoking16.6% smoke · MN 13.1% · U.S. 11.8%
DExercise36.1% · MN 22.3% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 29%
Less healthyHealthier
Minnesota towns we grade (271)Healthier than 3%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $46K–$77K (9,357)Healthier than 42%

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). Worthington’s median household income is $61,797; among the 9,357 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($46K–$77K), it’s healthier than 42%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.

Where Worthington compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 6.7% (U.S. 7.9%).

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Worthington could be anywhere from D to B. The letter shows with “≈”.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota

Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.

Get no exercise 36.1%MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.9%MN 29.2%
Binge drink 15.6%MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 16.6%MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Worthington, betterWorthington, worseAbout the sameMinnesota
Where Worthington gets moving

1.6 miles of trails across 19 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

71%Yearly checkupMN 75%
55%Dentist visitMN 68%
79%Cholesterol checkMN 85%
60%Colon screeningMN 69%
75%MammogramMN 79%
75%Taking BP medsMN 76%
1 in 5
working-age adults has no health insurance
Worthington 21.6% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
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 4
Worthington adults worry about having enough food
25.3% · MN 11.4%
Worse than MN
1 in 5
Worthington adults worry about keeping their housing
18.3% · MN 9.3%
Worse than MN
1 in 10
Worthington adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
10.2% · MN 5.7%
Worse than MN
1 in 8
Worthington adults lack reliable transportation
12.9% · MN 7.1%
Worse than MN

17.5% of Worthington adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Getting care

Care in and near Worthington

1 hospital and 1 community health center in Worthington, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERSanford Worthington Medical CenterWorthington · 0.5 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySanford Worthington Medical Center★★★★★ · 0.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careRural Health CareWorthington · 0.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
0.4 mi
Rural Health Care
4 sites · nearest in Worthington
Sliding-scale feesIn Worthington
Directions to nearest
0.5 mi
Sanford Worthington Medical Center
Worthington · ★★★★★
ERIn Worthington
17.5 mi
Osceola Community Hospital
Sibley · not rated
ERRural critical access
27.8 mi
Lakes Regional Healthcare
Spirit Lake · ★★★★★
ER
29 mi
Windom Area Health
Windom · not rated
ERRural critical access
40.4 mi
Community Health Center of Spencer
Spencer · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Worthington itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Worthington itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Worthington 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 Worthington; ≈ 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).

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Worthington adults…

Worthington runs below MN on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.

13 of every 100 Worthington adults have diabetes
Minnesota: 10 in 100 · worse · likely 11.2–14.7%
Better than MNWorseAbout the sameMinnesota
Mind & connection

How Worthington adults are doing

On 1 of 4 measures, Worthington runs above Minnesota.

1 in 3Worthington adults feel lonely
33.8% · MN 31.2% · About the same as MN
1 in 4Worthington adults lack social or emotional support
26.8% · MN 21.5% · Worse than MN
1 in 5Worthington adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.1% · MN 24.4% · About the same as MN
1 in 6Worthington adults are in frequent mental distress
16.5% · MN 15.1% · About the same as MN
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Worthington 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

Worthington and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Worthington Township: 38.7%Lorain Township: 38.6%Dewald Township: 38.4%Bigelow Township: 38.6%Elk Township: 38.8%Hersey Township: 38.5%Ewington Township: 38.1%Indian Lake Township: 38.2%Worthington: 38.8%WorthingtonWorthington TownshipLorain TownshipSanford Worthington Medical Center · Worthington · 0.5 mi · 4★ MedicareHAccess Health - Worthington · Worthington · 0.4 mi+
Healthier than MNNear MNLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#8 of 9 towns on this map, healthiest first
Lorain Township38.6%
Worthington Township38.7%
Worthington38.8%
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
WorthingtonC38.8%12.9%16.6%CDC place
Worthington Township————
Lorain Township————

Worthington Township and Lorain 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.

34.1%

of Worthington adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.5%
Thinking or memory17.2%
Hearing7.9%
Errands alone9.9%
Vision7.4%
Dressing or bathing4.8%
Minnesota

Every CDC estimate for Worthington

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Worthington is better than Minnesota on 1 and worse on 18; on the rest, the Minnesota figure falls inside Worthington’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…WorthingtonMNU.S.vs MN
Overall health
Fair or poor health24.9%21.7–28.216%19.4%Worse
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)14.4%12.6–16.311.3%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)16.5%14.6–18.415.1%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity38.8%31.9–45.933.5%32.9%About the same
Diabetes12.9%11.2–14.710.1%12%Worse
High blood pressure30.1%26.7–33.731%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)33.1%29.2–36.933.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis20.9%18.4–23.522.3%25.3%About the same
Asthma9.5%8.4–10.79.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer6.7%6–7.38.5%7.9%Better
Coronary heart disease6.8%6–7.65.9%6.4%Worse
COPD6.7%5.8–7.75.4%6.3%Worse
Stroke3.7%3.3–4.13.1%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)17.5%14.5–21.38.9%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes16.6%14.4–19.113.1%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work36.1%31.2–41.222.3%24.7%Worse
Binge drinking15.6%12.9–18.617.8%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours31.9%25.8–38.529.2%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)21.6%18.7–24.67.5%11%Worse
Checkup in the past year71.4%67.3–75.174.8%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year55.3%51.6–5967.5%63.2%Worse
Cholesterol check in 5 years78.9%76.5–81.285.3%87.1%Worse
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)75.3%72.6–7876.1%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)60%54.9–65.168.7%65.5%Worse
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)75.1%67.4–8278.5%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression21.1%18–24.424.4%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely33.8%28.8–3931.2%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support26.8%23–30.821.5%23.6%Worse
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food25.3%21.8–28.911.4%15%Worse
Worried about keeping housing18.3%15.7–20.99.3%12%Worse
Threatened with a utility shut-off10.2%8.8–11.75.7%7.6%Worse
Lack reliable transportation12.9%11.4–14.67.1%7.9%Worse
Received SNAP (food stamps)17.5%15–20.17.9%11.6%Higher
Disability
Any disability34.1%29.7–38.527.4%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs15.5%13.4–17.611.4%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering17.2%15.2–19.412.8%13.9%Higher
Hearing difficulty7.9%7–8.96.8%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty7.4%6.6–8.24%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone9.9%8.7–11.27%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.8%4.3–5.43.1%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 Worthington

Is Worthington a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Worthington is healthier than 29% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #264 of 271 in Minnesota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 42%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Worthington?

CDC estimates 38.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.9% and 45.9%, against 33.5% across Minnesota and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Worthington?

Sanford Worthington Medical Center in Worthington, 0.5 miles in a straight line from Worthington’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

How many people in Worthington have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 21.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 18.7–24.6%), 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 Worthington more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.

Neighbors talk health

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

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. 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.