Health · Comfort

Comfort, MN health

Comfort differs from Minnesota on 14 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (79.8% vs 76.1%). Where it trails the state: more adults with COPD (8.2% vs 5.4%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 55051, 55030
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Comfort’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Comfort is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns.

C+Self-rated healthC+Physical distressB+Mental distressC+ObesityC+DiabetesC-SmokingCExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 38%
Less healthyHealthier
Minnesota towns we grade (574)Healthier than 7%
Towns with similar incomes, $68K–$114K (9,001)Healthier than 20%

Wealth explains part of the grade. Comfort is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns overall, but against towns with similar incomes its edge is smaller.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Comfort 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 Comfort 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. Comfort’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 Comfort 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 Comfort adults…

37 of every 100 Comfort adults have high blood pressure
Minnesota: 31 in 100 · worse · margin 32.8–40.8%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Comfort, betterComfort, worseToo close to callMinnesota
Get no exerciseshare of adults 28.4% Comfort
MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 31.9% Comfort
MN 29.2%
Binge drinkshare of adults 17.3% Comfort
MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 18% Comfort
MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

75%
Yearly checkup
MN 75%
62%
Dentist visit
MN 68%
85%
Cholesterol check
MN 85%
68%
Colon screening
MN 69%
77%
Mammogram
MN 79%
80%
Taking BP meds
MN 76%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Comfort 8.4% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Mind & connection

How Comfort adults are doing

1 in 3Comfort adults feel lonely
31.1% · Minnesota 31.2% · too close to call
1 in 4Comfort adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.1% · Minnesota 24.4% · too close to call
1 in 5Comfort adults lack social or emotional support
21.9% · Minnesota 21.5% · too close to call
1 in 6Comfort adults are in frequent mental distress
16.2% · 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 7
Comfort adults worry about having enough food
13.6% · MN 11.4% · about the same
1 in 10
Comfort adults worry about keeping their housing
10% · MN 9.3% · about the same
1 in 15
Comfort adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.5% · MN 5.7% · about the same
1 in 13
Comfort adults lack reliable transportation
7.8% · MN 7.1% · about the same

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

Disability

Living with a disability

34.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.2%
Thinking or memory14.9%
Hearing9.2%
Errands alone9%
Vision5.2%
Dressing or bathing4.4%

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

Around Comfort

Comfort 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 Comfort.

Whited: 39.6% Grass Lake: 36.6% Arthur: 37.7% Pokegama: 38.6% Knife Lake: 37.8% Brook Park: 40.1% Peace: 38.8% Braham: 35.1% Grasston: 36.1% Stanchfield: 35.2% Brunswick: 37.5% Royalton: 37.5% Mora: 37.2% Kanabec: 37.4% Pine City: 38.7% Pine City: 38.8% Chengwatana: 38.9% Comfort: 37.8% Comfort Whited Grass Lake Arthur Pokegama Welia Health · Mora · 4.1 mi · 3★ MedicareH
35.1%40.1%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#10 of 18towns on this map, healthiest first
Grass Lake36.6%
Arthur37.7%
Comfort37.8%
Pokegama38.6%
Whited39.6%

Care nearby

Welia HealthMora · 4.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access DirectionsMedicare profile
Cambridge Medical CenterCambridge · 20.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER DirectionsMedicare profile
Essentia Health SandstoneSandstone · 23.8 mi · ER · rural critical access DirectionsMedicare profile
Mille Lacs Health SystemOnamia · 26.4 mi · ER · rural critical access DirectionsMedicare profile
North Metro ClinicCoon Rapids · 48.9 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions
Axis Family ClinicMinneapolis · 57 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions
! Primary careComfort's county is a federal shortage area.Kanabec County · need score 8 of 25
! Dental careComfort's county is a federal shortage area.Kanabec County · need score 12 of 25
! Mental healthComfort's county is a federal shortage area.Region 7E · 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 Comfort. 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 Comfort
MeasureComfortMarginMinnesota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure36.8%32.8–40.8%31%worse
High cholesterol35.8%31.8–40%33.4%about the same
Obesity37.8%30.9–45.2%33.5%about the same
Arthritis29%25.7–32.4%22.3%worse
Depression25.1%21.7–28.9%24.4%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)12.3%10.1–15%8.9%worse
Asthma10.5%9.3–11.8%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.1%9.1–11%8.5%worse
Diabetes13.1%11.3–15%10.1%worse
COPD8.2%7.2–9.3%5.4%worse
Heart disease8.2%7.3–9.1%5.9%worse
Stroke4.2%3.8–4.6%3.1%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes18%15.5–20.8%13.1%worse
Binge drink17.3%14.5–20.4%17.8%about the same
Get no exercise28.4%23.7–33.1%22.3%worse
Sleep under 7 hours31.9%26.1–38.4%29.2%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup74.6%71–78.1%74.8%about the same
Dentist visit62.4%58.8–66%67.5%worse
Cholesterol check85%83.2–86.7%85.3%about the same
Colon screening68.4%63.7–73.3%68.7%about the same
Mammogram77.2%69.9–83.9%78.5%about the same
Taking BP meds79.8%77–82.3%76.1%better
No health insurance8.4%7–10%7.5%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely31.1%26.2–36.1%31.2%about the same
Lack emotional support21.9%18.4–25.5%21.5%about the same
Frequent mental distress16.2%14.4–18.2%15.1%about the same
Fair or poor health20.3%17.6–23.2%16%worse
Frequent physical distress14.6%12.8–16.5%11.3%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity13.6%11.2–16.1%11.4%about the same
Housing insecurity10%8.3–11.6%9.3%about the same
Utility shut-off threat6.5%5.6–7.4%5.7%about the same
No reliable transportation7.8%6.9–8.9%7.1%about the same
Receive SNAP10.6%8.9–12.5%7.9%
Disability
Any disability34.4%29.9–39%27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs16.2%14–18.5%11.4%
Thinking or memory14.9%13.2–16.7%12.8%
Hearing9.2%8.2–10.3%6.8%
Vision5.2%4.6–5.8%4%
Dressing or bathing4.4%3.9–4.9%3.1%
Errands alone9%7.9–10.2%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 Comfort door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Minnesota figure falls inside it, we don't call Comfort better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Comfort by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Comfort 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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Comfort

Minnesota · MN · Kanabec 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