Elk, MN health
Elk differs from Minnesota on 17 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more uninsured adults (16.4% vs 7.5%) and more adults facing food insecurity (20.3% vs 11.4%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 56187, 56165Not graded
Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 235 people are less certain, so we show Elk's figures without a grade.
How Elk 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
Habits
Care & screenings
Mind & connection
Everyday needs
Disability
Out of every 100 Elk adults…
Bars show Elk; the black tick is Minnesota. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
MN 22.3%
MN 29.2%
MN 17.8%
MN 13.1%
Keeping up with care
Share of Elk adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Elk adults are doing
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
14.6% of Elk adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Living with a disability
of Elk adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Black tick: Minnesota. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Elk 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 Elk.
Obesity
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.
Care in and near Elk
No hospital or community health center in Elk itself. These are the nearest.
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 Elk. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Elk
| Measure | Elk | Margin | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 32.7% | 29–36.5% | 31% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 35.1% | 31.1–39% | 33.4% | about the same |
| Obesity | 38.8% | 31.9–46% | 33.5% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 23.7% | 20.9–26.6% | 22.3% | about the same |
| Depression | 22.2% | 18.9–25.6% | 24.4% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 14.1% | 11.5–17.3% | 8.9% | worse |
| Asthma | 9.7% | 8.6–10.9% | 9.9% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 8.1% | 7.3–9% | 8.5% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 13.2% | 11.4–15.1% | 10.1% | worse |
| COPD | 7.4% | 6.3–8.7% | 5.4% | worse |
| Heart disease | 7.7% | 6.8–8.8% | 5.9% | worse |
| Stroke | 4% | 3.5–4.5% | 3.1% | worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.2% | 14.6–20.2% | 13.1% | worse |
| Binge drink | 16% | 13.3–19.1% | 17.8% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 33.4% | 28.6–38.6% | 22.3% | worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.7% | 24.9–37.3% | 29.2% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 73.2% | 69.3–76.8% | 74.8% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 59.3% | 55.8–63% | 67.5% | worse |
| Cholesterol check | 81.3% | 79–83.6% | 85.3% | worse |
| Colon screening | 63.3% | 58.2–68.2% | 68.7% | worse |
| Mammogram | 75.4% | 67.6–82.3% | 78.5% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 77.6% | 74.8–80.2% | 76.1% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 16.4% | 13.9–19.1% | 7.5% | worse |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 31.8% | 26.9–36.8% | 31.2% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 24.6% | 20.9–28.5% | 21.5% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 16.2% | 14.3–18.3% | 15.1% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 23.1% | 19.8–26.5% | 16% | worse |
| Frequent physical distress | 14.4% | 12.6–16.4% | 11.3% | worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 20.3% | 17.2–23.8% | 11.4% | worse |
| Housing insecurity | 14.7% | 12.5–17% | 9.3% | worse |
| Utility shut-off threat | 8.7% | 7.4–10% | 5.7% | worse |
| No reliable transportation | 10.8% | 9.4–12.4% | 7.1% | worse |
| Receive SNAP | 14.6% | 12.2–17.2% | 7.9% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.3% | 28.9–37.9% | 27.4% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 15.6% | 13.3–18% | 11.4% | |
| Thinking or memory | 16% | 14.1–18.2% | 12.8% | |
| Hearing | 8.6% | 7.6–9.8% | 6.8% | |
| Vision | 6.6% | 5.8–7.4% | 4% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 4.7% | 4.1–5.3% | 3.1% | |
| Errands alone | 9.4% | 8.3–10.8% | 7% | |
How CDC estimates town health
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.