Health · Esther

Esther, MN health

On most measures Esther looks like Minnesota as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more adults facing a utility shut-off (6.8% vs 5.7%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 56721, 56744

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 150 people are less certain, so we show Esther's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Esther 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 Esther adults…

30 of every 100 Esther adults have high blood pressure

Minnesota: 31 in 100 · too close to call · margin 26.5–33.3%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Esther, betterEsther, worseToo close to callMinnesota

Get no exerciseshare of adults 24.4% Esther
MN 22.3%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.5% Esther
MN 29.2%

Binge drinkshare of adults 19.7% Esther
MN 17.8%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.2% Esther
MN 13.1%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

MN 75%

Dentist visit

MN 68%

Cholesterol check

MN 85%

Colon screening

MN 69%

Mammogram

MN 79%

Taking BP meds

MN 76%

1 in 13

working-age adults has no health insurance

Esther 8% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)

Mind & connection

How Esther adults are doing

1 in 3Esther adults feel lonely

30.8% · Minnesota 31.2% · too close to call

1 in 4Esther adults have been diagnosed with depression

25.1% · Minnesota 24.4% · too close to call

1 in 5Esther adults lack social or emotional support

21.8% · Minnesota 21.5% · too close to call

1 in 6Esther 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 8

Esther adults worry about having enough food

12.8% · MN 11.4% · about the same

1 in 10

Esther adults worry about keeping their housing

10.4% · MN 9.3% · about the same

1 in 15

Esther adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

6.8% · MN 5.7% · worse

1 in 13

Esther adults lack reliable transportation

7.9% · MN 7.1% · about the same

9.7% of Esther adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Disability

Living with a disability

28.2%

of Esther adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12%

Thinking or memory13.9%

Hearing7.2%

Errands alone7.7%

Vision4.4%

Dressing or bathing3.5%

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

Around Esther

Esther 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.

37.4%40.3%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#11 of 17towns on this map, healthiest first

Ferry38.3%

Turtle River38.4%

Higdem39.4%

Esther39.7%

Grand Forks39.7%

Northland39.7%

Care nearby

Altru HospitalGrand Forks · 11.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

North Valley Health CenterWarren · 15.4 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Riverview HospitalCrookston · 28.8 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Unity Medical CenterGrafton · 28.8 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Spectra Health Dental ClinicGrand Forks · 10.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Spectra Health Grand Forks MedicalGrand Forks · 10.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careEsther's county is a federal shortage area.Polk/Red Lake Counties · need score 7 of 25

✓ Dental careEsther is not a shortage area

! Mental healthEsther's county is a federal shortage area.MHSA Region 1 · need score 17 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 Esther. 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 Esther

Measure	Esther	Margin	Minnesota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	29.8%	26.5–33.3%	31%	about the same
High cholesterol	31.3%	27.8–34.9%	33.4%	about the same
Obesity	39.7%	33.2–46.4%	33.5%	about the same
Arthritis	23.5%	20.8–26.3%	22.3%	about the same
Depression	25.1%	21.8–28.6%	24.4%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	9.9%	8.1–11.9%	8.9%	about the same
Asthma	10.4%	9.3–11.6%	9.9%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.3%	7.6–9.1%	8.5%	about the same
Diabetes	10.3%	8.9–11.7%	10.1%	about the same
COPD	6%	5.3–6.8%	5.4%	about the same
Heart disease	6.1%	5.5–6.9%	5.9%	about the same
Stroke	3.2%	2.9–3.6%	3.1%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.2%	13.1–17.6%	13.1%	about the same
Binge drink	19.7%	16.7–23%	17.8%	about the same
Get no exercise	24.4%	20.7–28.4%	22.3%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	34.5%	29.2–40.3%	29.2%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	73.9%	70.3–77.3%	74.8%	about the same
Dentist visit	65.5%	62.2–68.7%	67.5%	about the same
Cholesterol check	84.1%	82.1–85.8%	85.3%	about the same
Colon screening	69.2%	64.8–73.2%	68.7%	about the same
Mammogram	79%	72.8–84.6%	78.5%	about the same
Taking BP meds	76.1%	73.2–78.8%	76.1%	about the same
No health insurance	8%	6.7–9.4%	7.5%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	30.8%	26.5–35.6%	31.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	21.8%	18.9–25.3%	21.5%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	16.2%	14.3–18%	15.1%	about the same
Fair or poor health	17.1%	15.1–19.4%	16%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	12.2%	10.8–13.7%	11.3%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	12.8%	10.9–14.9%	11.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	10.4%	9–12.1%	9.3%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	6.8%	5.9–7.9%	5.7%	worse
No reliable transportation	7.9%	6.9–8.9%	7.1%	about the same
Receive SNAP	9.7%	8.2–11.5%	7.9%
Disability
Any disability	28.2%	24.6–31.9%	27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs	12%	10.4–13.7%	11.4%
Thinking or memory	13.9%	12.4–15.7%	12.8%
Hearing	7.2%	6.5–8%	6.8%
Vision	4.4%	4–4.9%	4%
Dressing or bathing	3.5%	3.1–3.9%	3.1%
Errands alone	7.7%	6.9–8.7%	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 Esther door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Minnesota figure falls inside it, we don't call Esther better or worse.

Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Esther by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Esther 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.