Health · Center

Center, MN health

Center differs from Minnesota on 15 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing housing insecurity (7% vs 9.3%) and fewer adults without reliable transportation (5.8% vs 7.1%). Where it trails the state: more adults with heart disease (8.2% vs 5.9%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 56465, 56401
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Center’s Health Grade: B+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Center is healthier than 67% of U.S. towns.

A-Self-rated healthA-Physical distressAMental distressB-ObesityB-DiabetesB-SmokingBExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 67%
Less healthyHealthier
Minnesota towns we grade (574)Healthier than 49%
Towns with similar incomes, $56K–$93K (9,880)Healthier than 80%

About what its income would suggest. Center does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Center could be anywhere from C+ 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 Center 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. Center’s figures come from the ZIP codes that cover it, weighted by land area. 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 Center 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 Center adults…

38 of every 100 Center adults have high blood pressure
Minnesota: 31 in 100 · worse · margin 34.2–41.6%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Center, betterCenter, worseToo close to callMinnesota
Get no exerciseshare of adults 24% Center
MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 27.8% Center
MN 29.2%
Binge drinkshare of adults 17.1% Center
MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 14.4% Center
MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%
Yearly checkup
MN 75%
71%
Dentist visit
MN 68%
88%
Cholesterol check
MN 85%
73%
Colon screening
MN 69%
79%
Mammogram
MN 79%
81%
Taking BP meds
MN 76%
1 in 16
working-age adults has no health insurance
Center 6.4% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Mind & connection

How Center adults are doing

1 in 4Center adults feel lonely
25.9% · Minnesota 31.2% · better
1 in 5Center adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.8% · Minnesota 24.4% · too close to call
1 in 5Center adults lack social or emotional support
18.3% · Minnesota 21.5% · too close to call
1 in 7Center adults are in frequent mental distress
13.6% · 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
Center adults worry about having enough food
9.1% · MN 11.4% · about the same
1 in 14
Center adults worry about keeping their housing
7% · MN 9.3% · better
1 in 21
Center adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.7% · MN 5.7% · better
1 in 17
Center adults lack reliable transportation
5.8% · MN 7.1% · better

6.7% of Center adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Disability

Living with a disability

30.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.1%
Thinking or memory11.8%
Hearing9.1%
Errands alone7.2%
Vision4.2%
Dressing or bathing3.6%

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

Around Center

Center and the towns around it

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

Wolford: 37.8% Irondale: 38.6% Oak Lawn: 38.1% Mission: 37% Lake Edward: 36% Perry Lake: 37.8% Cuyuna: 39.7% Trommald: 40% Rabbit Lake: 33.3% Crosby: 37.6% Riverton: 36.5% Ironton: 38.9% Nokay Lake: 38.1% Deerwood: 36.4% Brainerd: 38.9% Long Lake: 38.1% Pelican: 36.5% Breezy Point: 37.2% Crosslake: 36.1% Nisswa: 35% Center: 37% Center Wolford Irondale Oak Lawn Mission Lake Edward Cuyuna Regional Medical Center · Crosby · 8 mi · 3★ MedicareH Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical Center · Brainerd · 10 mi · 3★ MedicareH
33.3%40%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#8 of 21towns on this map, healthiest first
Lake Edward36%
Center37%
Mission37%
Wolford37.8%
Oak Lawn38.1%
Irondale38.6%

Care nearby

Cuyuna Regional Medical CenterCrosby · 8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access DirectionsMedicare profile
Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical CenterBrainerd · 10 mi · ★★★★★ · ER DirectionsMedicare profile
Riverwood Healthcare CenterAitkin · 20 mi · ER · rural critical access DirectionsMedicare profile
Lakewood Health SystemStaples · 31.7 mi · ER · rural critical access DirectionsMedicare profile
Scenic Rivers Health ServicesFloodwood · 64.5 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions
Lake Superior Community Health Center White Pine ClinicCarlton · 81.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions
✓ Primary careCenter is not a shortage area
! Dental careCenter's county is a federal shortage area.Crow Wing County · need score 10 of 25
! Mental healthCenter's county is a federal shortage area.Region 5 Mental Health Service Area · 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 Center. 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 Center
MeasureCenterMarginMinnesota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure37.8%34.2–41.6%31%worse
High cholesterol35.8%32.2–39.6%33.4%about the same
Obesity37%31.6–42.6%33.5%about the same
Arthritis29.4%26.3–32.5%22.3%worse
Depression21.8%19–25%24.4%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)10.5%8.5–12.7%8.9%about the same
Asthma10%8.9–11.2%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)11.6%10.5–12.6%8.5%worse
Diabetes12.2%10.5–13.9%10.1%worse
COPD7%5.9–8.2%5.4%worse
Heart disease8.2%7.3–9.3%5.9%worse
Stroke4%3.5–4.5%3.1%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes14.4%11.9–17.4%13.1%about the same
Binge drink17.1%14.5–19.9%17.8%about the same
Get no exercise24%20.1–28.2%22.3%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours27.8%23.4–32.5%29.2%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup77.7%74.6–80.6%74.8%about the same
Dentist visit70.9%67.9–73.8%67.5%better
Cholesterol check88.1%86.4–89.7%85.3%better
Colon screening73.3%69.3–77%68.7%better
Mammogram79.2%72.9–84.5%78.5%about the same
Taking BP meds80.6%77.9–83.2%76.1%better
No health insurance6.4%5–8.2%7.5%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely25.9%22.1–30.4%31.2%better
Lack emotional support18.3%15.5–21.5%21.5%about the same
Frequent mental distress13.6%12–15.4%15.1%about the same
Fair or poor health16.4%13.9–19.3%16%about the same
Frequent physical distress12.5%10.9–14.4%11.3%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity9.1%7.2–11.4%11.4%about the same
Housing insecurity7%5.8–8.5%9.3%better
Utility shut-off threat4.7%3.9–5.5%5.7%better
No reliable transportation5.8%4.9–6.8%7.1%better
Receive SNAP6.7%5.2–8.5%7.9%
Disability
Any disability30.4%26.6–34.7%27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs14.1%11.9–16.3%11.4%
Thinking or memory11.8%10.2–13.7%12.8%
Hearing9.1%8.1–10.2%6.8%
Vision4.2%3.6–4.9%4%
Dressing or bathing3.6%3–4.2%3.1%
Errands alone7.2%6.2–8.3%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 Center door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Minnesota figure falls inside it, we don't call Center better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Center by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Center by how much of its land each one covers.

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.

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Center

Minnesota · MN · Crow Wing County
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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01