Health · Aitkin

Aitkin, MN health

Aitkin differs from Minnesota on 14 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (82.5% vs 76.1%) and more adults getting a yearly checkup (78.8% vs 74.8%). Where it trails the state: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (19.6% vs 8.9%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Aitkin

C+Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁺

Aitkin’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Aitkin is healthier than 44% of U.S. towns, and than 86% of towns with similar incomes.

C+Self-rated healthC+Physical distressA-Mental distressB+ObesityC-DiabetesC+SmokingCExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 44%

Less healthyHealthier

Minnesota towns we grade (574)Healthier than 13%

Towns with similar incomes, $36K–$60K (4,596)Healthier than 86%

Better than its income would suggest. Aitkin is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C+.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Aitkin could be anywhere from D to A−.

How the Health Grade works

Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Minnesota ranking.
Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Aitkin with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Aitkin uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.

Report card

How Aitkin compares with Minnesota

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Aitkin adults…

40 of every 100 Aitkin adults have high blood pressure

Minnesota: 31 in 100 · worse · margin 35.4–44%

Bars show Aitkin; the black tick is Minnesota. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Aitkin, betterAitkin, worseToo close to callMinnesota

Get no exerciseshare of adults 29.7% Aitkin
MN 22.3%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 30.7% Aitkin
MN 29.2%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.8% Aitkin
MN 17.8%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 16% Aitkin
MN 13.1%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

MN 75%

Dentist visit

MN 68%

Cholesterol check

MN 85%

Colon screening

MN 69%

Mammogram

MN 79%

Taking BP meds

MN 76%

1 in 13

working-age adults has no health insurance

Aitkin 8% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)

Mind & connection

How Aitkin adults are doing

1 in 4Aitkin adults feel lonely

28.4% · Minnesota 31.2% · too close to call

1 in 4Aitkin adults have been diagnosed with depression

24.4% · Minnesota 24.4% · too close to call

1 in 5Aitkin adults lack social or emotional support

20.4% · Minnesota 21.5% · too close to call

1 in 7Aitkin adults are in frequent mental distress

15.1% · Minnesota 15.1% · too close to call

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 8

Aitkin adults worry about having enough food

13.3% · MN 11.4% · about the same

1 in 11

Aitkin adults worry about keeping their housing

9.2% · MN 9.3% · about the same

1 in 16

Aitkin adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

6.3% · MN 5.7% · about the same

1 in 13

Aitkin adults lack reliable transportation

7.8% · MN 7.1% · about the same

10.6% of Aitkin adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Disability

Living with a disability

36.1%

of Aitkin adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs18.4%

Thinking or memory14.4%

Hearing11.4%

Errands alone9.9%

Vision6%

Dressing or bathing4.7%

Black tick: Minnesota. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Aitkin

Aitkin and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Aitkin.

32.6%36.4%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#1 of 10towns on this map, healthiest first

Aitkin32.6%

Aitkin33.3%

Spencer33.3%

Farm Island33.3%

Care in and near Aitkin

1 hospital in Aitkin, plus the nearest outside it. Nearest first.

Riverwood Healthcare CenterAitkin · 0.4 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Cuyuna Regional Medical CenterCrosby · 11.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical CenterBrainerd · 26.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mille Lacs Health SystemOnamia · 31.4 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Scenic Rivers Health ServicesFloodwood · 46.7 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Lake Superior Community Health Center White Pine ClinicCarlton · 61.5 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careAitkin is not a shortage area

! Dental careAitkin's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Aitkin County · need score 10 of 25

! Mental healthAitkin's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Region 3 Arrowhead · need score 16 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Aitkin. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Aitkin

Measure	Aitkin	Margin	Minnesota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	39.6%	35.4–44%	31%	worse
High cholesterol	37.2%	33.1–41.6%	33.4%	about the same
Obesity	32.6%	26.4–39.6%	33.5%	about the same
Arthritis	32.1%	28.3–35.7%	22.3%	worse
Depression	24.4%	21–28.2%	24.4%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	19.6%	16.1–23.1%	8.9%	worse
Asthma	10.5%	9.3–11.9%	9.9%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	12.3%	11–13.6%	8.5%	worse
Diabetes	14.1%	11.9–16.4%	10.1%	worse
COPD	9%	7.2–10.9%	5.4%	worse
Heart disease	9.7%	8.3–11.3%	5.9%	worse
Stroke	5%	4.2–6%	3.1%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	16%	12.8–19.3%	13.1%	about the same
Binge drink	15.8%	13.2–18.8%	17.8%	about the same
Get no exercise	29.7%	24.2–35.6%	22.3%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	30.7%	25.1–36.8%	29.2%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	78.8%	75.5–81.9%	74.8%	better
Dentist visit	63.7%	60.1–67.3%	67.5%	worse
Cholesterol check	86.7%	84.6–88.4%	85.3%	about the same
Colon screening	64.6%	59.6–69.6%	68.7%	about the same
Mammogram	74.4%	66.6–81.4%	78.5%	about the same
Taking BP meds	82.5%	79.8–84.8%	76.1%	better
No health insurance	8%	6.1–10.3%	7.5%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	28.4%	23.8–33.5%	31.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	20.4%	17–24.4%	21.5%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	15.1%	13.1–17.2%	15.1%	about the same
Fair or poor health	21%	17.2–25%	16%	worse
Frequent physical distress	14.8%	12.5–17.3%	11.3%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	13.3%	10.4–16.8%	11.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	9.2%	7.4–11.2%	9.3%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	6.3%	5.2–7.5%	5.7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	7.8%	6.5–9.2%	7.1%	about the same
Receive SNAP	10.6%	8.2–13.5%	7.9%
Disability
Any disability	36.1%	30.8–41.5%	27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs	18.4%	14.9–21.9%	11.4%
Thinking or memory	14.4%	12.1–16.8%	12.8%
Hearing	11.4%	9.8–13.2%	6.8%
Vision	6%	4.9–7.3%	4%
Dressing or bathing	4.7%	3.9–5.7%	3.1%
Errands alone	9.9%	8.1–12%	7%

About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Aitkin door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Minnesota figure falls inside it, we don't call Aitkin better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Aitkin directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Minnesota figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.