Photo: Johnny Saldivar · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Grand Forks AFB is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns
Grand Forks AFB differs from North Dakota on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Grand Forks AFB. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Grand Forks AFB
Binge drinking is the habit Grand Forks AFB doesn’t win on
31% of adults binge drink, vs 21.3% across North Dakota, even though fewer of them smoke and more of them exercise. Habits ↓
Mental distress runs high in Grand Forks AFB
1 in 6 adults are in frequent mental distress (17.8%), vs 14.2% across North Dakota. Loneliness is above the state too: 36.5%, vs 29.6% across North Dakota. Mind & connection ↓
Cancer and heart disease are less common in Grand Forks AFB
Grand Forks AFB runs below North Dakota on eight chronic conditions, most of all cancer (1.9% vs 8.2%), heart disease (1.5% vs 6.1%) and stroke (0.9% vs 3.1%). A young population is part of it: only 0% of residents are 65 or older (North Dakota 17%). Conditions ↓
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 North Dakota figure falls outside Grand Forks AFB’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Grand Forks AFB’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Grand Forks AFB is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than almost every U.S. town); mental distress pulls it down (better than 37%).
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). Grand Forks AFB’s median household income is $72,782; among the 10,709 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$91K), it’s healthier than 98%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with North Dakota
Share of adults, with the North Dakota figure marked.
Out of every 100 Grand Forks AFB adults…
Grand Forks AFB runs below ND on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 0% of Grand Forks AFB residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across North Dakota. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
How Grand Forks AFB adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Grand Forks AFB runs above North Dakota.
4 in 10 Grand Forks AFB 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.
Care in and near Grand Forks AFB
No hospital or community health center in Grand Forks AFB 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 Grand Forks AFB; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Grand Forks AFB adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Dakota.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
6.5% of Grand Forks AFB adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.7% across North Dakota.
Grand Forks AFB and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks AFB | A | 33.7% | 3.6% | 9.9% | CDC place |
| Mekinock Township | A− | 36.1% | 9.6% | 12% | ZIP codes |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Grand Forks AFB adults live with a disability (North Dakota 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Grand Forks AFB
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Grand Forks AFB is better than North Dakota on 12 and worse on 10; on the rest, the North Dakota figure falls inside Grand Forks AFB’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Grand Forks AFB | ND | U.S. | vs ND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 12%10.1–14.3 | 16.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 8%6.9–9.4 | 11.4% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.8%15.4–20.5 | 14.2% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.7%29–38.8 | 36.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 3.6%3.1–4.2 | 9.8% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 15%12.9–17.2 | 31.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 19.3%16.8–22 | 33.8% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 9.3%8–10.8 | 25.3% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.4%9.2–11.9 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 1.9%1.7–2.2 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 1.5%1.3–1.7 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 2.2%1.9–2.7 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 0.9%0.8–1 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.1%8.1–12.4 | 10.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.9%7.8–12.2 | 13.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.1%14.1–20.6 | 21.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 31%27–35.4 | 21.3% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.6%31.8–41.5 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.7%7–10.8 | 7.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 65.2%60.9–69.5 | 74.4% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 61.2%57.6–64.7 | 64.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 73.4%69.8–76.7 | 82.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 44.5%40.2–48.9 | 76.3% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 55.8%50.9–60.5 | 64.9% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.9%71.1–83.6 | 78% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.4%21.1–27.9 | 21.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 36.5%32–41.2 | 29.6% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.5%21–28.3 | 20.6% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.9%9.7–14.7 | 10.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.7%9.7–14 | 8.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.8%5.7–8 | 5.8% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.2%7–9.5 | 6.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.5%5.1–8.4 | 6.7% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22%18.7–26 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 4%3.4–4.7 | 11.2% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.9%12.6–17.4 | 12.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 3%2.6–3.5 | 7.8% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 2.9%2.5–3.3 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.1%5.1–7.1 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 1.6%1.4–1.8 | 3.1% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 North Dakota figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Grand Forks AFB
Is Grand Forks AFB a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Grand Forks AFB is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns: A for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 98%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Grand Forks AFB?
CDC estimates 33.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 29% and 38.8%, against 36.5% across North Dakota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Grand Forks AFB?
Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, 15.4 miles in a straight line from Grand Forks AFB’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Grand Forks AFB have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7–10.8%), against 7.3% across North Dakota.
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 Grand Forks AFB more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Grand Forks AFB.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The North Dakota 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.