Health · Aurora

Aurora, MN health

Aurora differs from Minnesota on 21 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (81.8% vs 76.1%). Where it trails the state: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (28.2% vs 8.9%).

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

Aurora’s Health Grade: C−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Aurora is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns, and than 59% of towns with similar incomes.

C-Self-rated healthDPhysical distressB-Mental distressCObesityDDiabetesDSmokingC-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 16%
Less healthyHealthier
Minnesota towns we grade (574)Healthier than 1%
Towns with similar incomes, $32K–$53K (2,852)Healthier than 59%

Better than its income would suggest. Aurora 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, Aurora could be anywhere from D− to B−.
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 Aurora 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. Aurora 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 Aurora 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 Aurora adults…

40 of every 100 Aurora adults have high blood pressure
Minnesota: 31 in 100 · worse · margin 35.8–43.5%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Aurora, betterAurora, worseToo close to callMinnesota
Get no exerciseshare of adults 31.9% Aurora
MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.7% Aurora
MN 29.2%
Binge drinkshare of adults 16.1% Aurora
MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 20.8% Aurora
MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

77%
Yearly checkup
MN 75%
58%
Dentist visit
MN 68%
85%
Cholesterol check
MN 85%
64%
Colon screening
MN 69%
73%
Mammogram
MN 79%
82%
Taking BP meds
MN 76%
1 in 11
working-age adults has no health insurance
Aurora 9.3% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Mind & connection

How Aurora adults are doing

1 in 3Aurora adults feel lonely
33.4% · Minnesota 31.2% · too close to call
1 in 4Aurora adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.5% · Minnesota 24.4% · too close to call
1 in 4Aurora adults lack social or emotional support
22.7% · Minnesota 21.5% · too close to call
1 in 6Aurora adults are in frequent mental distress
17.3% · 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 6
Aurora adults worry about having enough food
16.6% · MN 11.4% · worse
1 in 9
Aurora adults worry about keeping their housing
11% · MN 9.3% · about the same
1 in 13
Aurora adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.7% · MN 5.7% · worse
1 in 10
Aurora adults lack reliable transportation
9.8% · MN 7.1% · worse

14.7% of Aurora adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Disability

Living with a disability

39.3%

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

Walking or climbing stairs20.5%
Thinking or memory16.3%
Hearing11.2%
Errands alone10.9%
Vision6.7%
Dressing or bathing5.5%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Aurora

1 hospital in Aurora, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest EREssentia Health Northern Pines Medical CenterAurora · 1.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyEssentia Health Virginia★★★★★ · 14.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCook Area Health ServicesEveleth · 14.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1.2 mi
Essentia Health Northern Pines Medical Center
Aurora · not rated
ERRural critical accessIn Aurora
14.3 mi
Essentia Health Virginia
Virginia · ★★★★★
14.6 mi
Cook Area Health Services
5 sites · nearest in Eveleth
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
30.2 mi
Cook Hospital
Cook · not rated
ERRural critical access
30.7 mi
Ely - Bloomenson Community Hospital
Ely · not rated
ERRural critical access
53 mi
Lake Superior Community Health Center
3 sites · nearest in Duluth
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
! Primary carePart of Aurora is a federal shortage area.St. Louis · need score 14 of 25
! Dental carePart of Aurora is a federal shortage area.Greater St. Louis · need score 12 of 25
! Mental healthAurora's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Region 3 Arrowhead · need score 16 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 Aurora. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Aurora
MeasureAuroraMarginMinnesota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure39.8%35.8–43.5%31%worse
High cholesterol36.2%32.4–40%33.4%about the same
Obesity39%33.6–44.3%33.5%worse
Arthritis32.3%28.8–35.5%22.3%worse
Depression25.5%21.9–28.9%24.4%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)28.2%24–32.6%8.9%worse
Asthma11.1%9.6–12.6%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.9%9.7–12.2%8.5%worse
Diabetes15.4%13–17.5%10.1%worse
COPD10.3%8.3–12.4%5.4%worse
Heart disease10.2%8.8–11.7%5.9%worse
Stroke5.3%4.4–6.1%3.1%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes20.8%17.1–24.7%13.1%worse
Binge drink16.1%13.5–19%17.8%about the same
Get no exercise31.9%26.8–37.1%22.3%worse
Sleep under 7 hours33.7%30–37.6%29.2%worse
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup76.7%73.3–79.8%74.8%about the same
Dentist visit58.2%55–61.2%67.5%worse
Cholesterol check84.8%82.4–86.9%85.3%about the same
Colon screening64.2%60.2–67.9%68.7%worse
Mammogram72.7%66.1–78.4%78.5%worse
Taking BP meds81.8%78.8–84.4%76.1%better
No health insurance9.3%7–11.8%7.5%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely33.4%29.4–37.6%31.2%about the same
Lack emotional support22.7%19.4–26.1%21.5%about the same
Frequent mental distress17.3%15–19.7%15.1%about the same
Fair or poor health25%20.9–29.4%16%worse
Frequent physical distress16.9%14.5–19.5%11.3%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity16.6%13–20.2%11.4%worse
Housing insecurity11%8.9–13.1%9.3%about the same
Utility shut-off threat7.7%6.4–9%5.7%worse
No reliable transportation9.8%8.1–11.5%7.1%worse
Receive SNAP14.7%11.4–18.1%7.9%
Disability
Any disability39.3%34.4–44.2%27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs20.5%17.2–24%11.4%
Thinking or memory16.3%13.7–19%12.8%
Hearing11.2%9.6–12.7%6.8%
Vision6.7%5.6–8%4%
Dressing or bathing5.5%4.5–6.6%3.1%
Errands alone10.9%9.1–13.1%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 Aurora door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Minnesota figure falls inside it, we don't call Aurora better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Aurora 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 Aurora, MNView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Aurora 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