Photo: The original uploader was Hephaestos at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, New Salem is healthier than 79%
New Salem differs from North Dakota on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for New Salem. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in New Salem
Cancer, heart disease and stroke run high in New Salem
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (11.9%), vs 8.2% across North Dakota. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.8%), vs 6.1% across North Dakota. Stroke is also above the state: 4.3%, vs 3.1% across North Dakota. In all, New Salem runs above North Dakota on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (North Dakota 17%), and cancer, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
The nearest ER is 30 miles from New Salem
The closest emergency room is CHI St. Alexius Health in Bismarck, 30.3 miles away in a straight line. For everyday care, Coal Country Community Health Center is closer (19.6 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. Getting care ↓
More New Salem adults get no exercise
1 in 4 adults get no exercise outside work (26.9%), vs 21.8% across North Dakota. Habits ↓
More high blood pressure in New Salem, and more people treating it
38.9% of adults have high blood pressure (North Dakota 31.8%), but 82.1% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.3% statewide. Checkups ↓
New Salem is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, New Salem is healthier than 62%. Against the 10,481 towns with similar household incomes ($52K–$87K), it’s healthier than 79%. 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 North Dakota figure falls outside New Salem’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind New Salem’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, New Salem is healthier than 62% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 93% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 39%).
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). New Salem’s median household income is $69,519; among the 10,481 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($52K–$87K), it’s healthier than 79%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 New Salem adults…
New Salem runs above ND on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
New Salem is an older town: 29% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across North Dakota. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in New Salem as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near New Salem
No hospital or community health center in New Salem 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 New Salem; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with North Dakota
Share of adults, with the North Dakota figure marked.
Keeping up with care
Share of New Salem adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Dakota.
How New Salem adults are doing
About the same as North Dakota on each measure.
3 in 10 New Salem 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.
6.2% of New Salem adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.7% across North Dakota.
New Salem and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Salem | B | 37.6% | 11.5% | 13.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of New Salem adults live with a disability (North Dakota 27.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for New Salem
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, New Salem is better than North Dakota on 4 and worse on 9; on the rest, the North Dakota figure falls inside New Salem’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | New Salem | ND | U.S. | vs ND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.4%15.1–22 | 16.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.1%11.1–15.3 | 11.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.3%11.5–15.3 | 14.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.6%31.8–43.9 | 36.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.5%9.8–13.5 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.9%34.9–42.8 | 31.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.6%35.7–43.9 | 33.8% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 33.2%29.7–36.8 | 25.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.1%8.8–11.4 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.9%10.6–13.4 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.8%7.5–10.2 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.8%6.2–9.5 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%3.6–5 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15%12.3–18.4 | 10.8% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.9%11.2–16.6 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 26.9%22–32.2 | 21.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 18.1%15.3–21.2 | 21.3% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.5%27.8–37.9 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.1%5.1–9.2 | 7.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.2%74.9–81.2 | 74.4% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64%60.6–67.5 | 64.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.1%83.8–88.1 | 82.7% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.1%79.4–84.5 | 76.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.5%63–72 | 64.9% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.6%67.3–81.5 | 78% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20%17–23.3 | 21.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.8%23.6–32.4 | 29.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20%16.6–23.7 | 20.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.7%7.2–12.2 | 10.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.8%6.2–9.5 | 8.9% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5%4.1–6.1 | 5.8% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.6%4.6–6.7 | 6.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.2%4.5–8.1 | 6.7% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.5%27.8–37.4 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.7%12.6–18.8 | 11.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.3%10.3–14.4 | 12.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.3%9.7–12.9 | 7.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.9%4–5.9 | 4.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.2%6.7–10 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.1–4.5 | 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 North Dakota figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in New Salem
Is New Salem a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, New Salem is healthier than 62% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in New Salem?
CDC estimates 37.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.8% and 43.9%, against 36.5% across North Dakota and 32.9% nationally.
How many people in New Salem have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.1–9.2%), 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 New Salem 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 New Salem.
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.