Health · Alpha

Alpha, MN health

Alpha differs from Minnesota on 8 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults without reliable transportation (5.6% vs 7.1%) and fewer lonely adults (26.5% vs 31.2%). Where it trails the state: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (12.1% vs 8.9%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Alpha
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 114 people are less certain, so we show Alpha's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Alpha 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 Alpha adults…

35 of every 100 Alpha adults have high blood pressure
Minnesota: 31 in 100 · too close to call · margin 31–39.8%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Alpha, betterAlpha, worseToo close to callMinnesota
Get no exerciseshare of adults 23.4% Alpha
MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 28.6% Alpha
MN 29.2%
Binge drinkshare of adults 16.7% Alpha
MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.8% Alpha
MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

77%
Yearly checkup
MN 75%
70%
Dentist visit
MN 68%
88%
Cholesterol check
MN 85%
69%
Colon screening
MN 69%
79%
Mammogram
MN 79%
80%
Taking BP meds
MN 76%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Alpha 6.7% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Mind & connection

How Alpha adults are doing

1 in 4Alpha adults feel lonely
26.5% · Minnesota 31.2% · better
1 in 4Alpha adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.8% · Minnesota 24.4% · too close to call
1 in 5Alpha adults lack social or emotional support
19.7% · Minnesota 21.5% · too close to call
1 in 7Alpha adults are in frequent mental distress
14.1% · 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 11
Alpha adults worry about having enough food
8.9% · MN 11.4% · about the same
1 in 13
Alpha adults worry about keeping their housing
7.6% · MN 9.3% · about the same
1 in 21
Alpha adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.8% · MN 5.7% · about the same
1 in 18
Alpha adults lack reliable transportation
5.6% · MN 7.1% · better

6.4% of Alpha adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Disability

Living with a disability

28.5%

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

Walking or climbing stairs12.7%
Thinking or memory11.6%
Hearing8.6%
Errands alone6.7%
Vision3.7%
Dressing or bathing3.1%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Alpha

No hospital or community health center in Alpha itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERSanford Jackson Medical CenterJackson · 6.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMayo Clinic Health System - Fairmont★★★★★ · 20.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careRural Health CareWindom · 20.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
6.7 mi
Sanford Jackson Medical Center
Jackson · not rated
ERRural critical access
15.9 mi
Avera Holy Family Hospital
Estherville · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
19.8 mi
Lakes Regional Healthcare
Spirit Lake · ★★★★★
ER
20.5 mi
Mayo Clinic Health System - Fairmont
Fairmont · ★★★★★
ER
20.6 mi
Rural Health Care
4 sites · nearest in Windom
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
36.8 mi
Community Health Center of Spencer
Spencer · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
! Primary careAlpha's county is a federal shortage area.Jackson County · need score 13 of 25
! Dental careAlpha's county is a federal shortage area.Jackson County · need score 11 of 25
! Mental healthAlpha's county is a federal shortage area.Southwest Central Region MHCA · need score 19 of 25

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 Alpha. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Alpha
MeasureAlphaMarginMinnesota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure35.4%31–39.8%31%about the same
High cholesterol36.7%32.1–41.2%33.4%about the same
Obesity35.7%28–44%33.5%about the same
Arthritis26.7%23.3–30.5%22.3%worse
Depression22.8%19.4–26.6%24.4%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)12.1%9.7–14.7%8.9%worse
Asthma9.8%8.6–11.1%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)11%9.8–12.2%8.5%worse
Diabetes11.2%9.3–13.2%10.1%about the same
COPD6.2%4.9–7.6%5.4%about the same
Heart disease7.4%6.3–8.6%5.9%worse
Stroke3.6%3–4.2%3.1%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes13.8%10.5–17.2%13.1%about the same
Binge drink16.7%13.8–19.9%17.8%about the same
Get no exercise23.4%18.5–28.6%22.3%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours28.6%22.6–34.9%29.2%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup77.2%73.6–80.6%74.8%about the same
Dentist visit70.4%66.9–73.6%67.5%about the same
Cholesterol check88.3%86.4–90.2%85.3%better
Colon screening68.8%64.3–72.8%68.7%about the same
Mammogram78.5%70.9–84.5%78.5%about the same
Taking BP meds79.9%76.9–82.6%76.1%better
No health insurance6.7%4.8–9.3%7.5%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely26.5%22–31.1%31.2%better
Lack emotional support19.7%16.4–23.2%21.5%about the same
Frequent mental distress14.1%12.1–16.2%15.1%about the same
Fair or poor health15.5%12.5–18.9%16%about the same
Frequent physical distress12%10.1–14%11.3%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity8.9%6.5–11.4%11.4%about the same
Housing insecurity7.6%5.8–9.5%9.3%about the same
Utility shut-off threat4.8%3.8–5.8%5.7%about the same
No reliable transportation5.6%4.5–6.8%7.1%better
Receive SNAP6.4%4.6–8.4%7.9%
Disability
Any disability28.5%23.7–33.4%27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs12.7%10.2–15.2%11.4%
Thinking or memory11.6%9.6–13.7%12.8%
Hearing8.6%7.3–9.8%6.8%
Vision3.7%3.1–4.4%4%
Dressing or bathing3.1%2.5–3.7%3.1%
Errands alone6.7%5.5–7.9%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 Alpha door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Minnesota figure falls inside it, we don't call Alpha better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Alpha 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.

We left the porch light on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Alpha, MNView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Alpha is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01