Health · Forest Lake
Forest Lake, MN health
On every measure CDC estimates, Forest Lake looks like Minnesota as a whole: no difference is outside the margin of error.
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Forest LakeTownTapestry Health GradeNew
A−
Forest Lake’s Health Grade: A−
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Forest Lake is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns and 72% of Minnesota towns.
A-Self-rated healthAPhysical distressA-Mental distressBObesityB+DiabetesBSmokingA-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 78%
Less healthyHealthier
Minnesota towns we grade (574)Healthier than 72%
Towns with similar incomes, $70K–$116K (8,897)Healthier than 79%
About what its income would suggest. Forest Lake does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Forest Lake could be anywhere from B− 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 Forest Lake 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. Forest Lake 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 Forest Lake 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
34.5% have obesity
0 better12 close0 worse
Habits
21.1% get no exercise
0 better4 close0 worse
Care & screenings
75% had a checkup
0 better7 close0 worse
Mind & connection
29.6% feel lonely
0 better5 close0 worse
Everyday needs
10.1% face food insecurity
0 better5 close0 worse
Disability
26.5% have a disability
7 measures · shown without a better/worse judgment
Chronic conditions
Out of every 100 Forest Lake adults…
30 of every 100 Forest Lake adults have high blood pressure
Minnesota: 31 in 100 · too close to call · margin 27.3–32.9%
Bars show Forest Lake; the black tick is Minnesota. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Habits
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
Forest Lake, betterForest Lake, worseToo close to callMinnesota
Get no exerciseshare of adults
21.1% Forest Lake
MN 22.3%
MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults
26.8% Forest Lake
MN 29.2%
MN 29.2%
Binge drinkshare of adults
17% Forest Lake
MN 17.8%
MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults
13.5% Forest Lake
MN 13.1%
MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings
Keeping up with care
Share of Forest Lake 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 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Forest Lake 6.7% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Mind & connection
How Forest Lake adults are doing
1 in 3Forest Lake adults feel lonely
29.6% · Minnesota 31.2% · too close to call
1 in 4Forest Lake adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.2% · Minnesota 24.4% · too close to call
1 in 5Forest Lake adults lack social or emotional support
19% · Minnesota 21.5% · too close to call
1 in 7Forest Lake adults are in frequent mental distress
15.1% · 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 10
Forest Lake adults worry about having enough food
10.1% · MN 11.4% · about the same
1 in 12
Forest Lake adults worry about keeping their housing
8.4% · MN 9.3% · about the same
1 in 19
Forest Lake adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.3% · MN 5.7% · about the same
1 in 16
Forest Lake adults lack reliable transportation
6.4% · MN 7.1% · about the same
7% of Forest Lake adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Disability
Living with a disability
26.5%
of Forest Lake adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Walking or climbing stairs10.8%
Thinking or memory12.9%
Hearing6.6%
Errands alone6.8%
Vision3.7%
Dressing or bathing3%
Black tick: Minnesota. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Around Forest Lake
Forest Lake 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 Forest Lake.
30.8%37.9%· darker is worse for health
Obesity
#7 of 23towns on this map, healthiest first
Hugo32.9%
Scandia33.6%
Forest Lake34.5%
Wyoming35%
Columbus35.1%
Chisago City35.9%
Chisago Lake36.2%
Care nearby
Fairview Lakes Health ServicesWyoming · 5.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
Ladd Memorial HospitalOsceola · 13.6 mi · ER · rural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
M Health Fairview St. John's HospitalMaplewood · 15.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
Lakeview Memorial HospitalStillwater · 15.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
North Metro ClinicCoon Rapids · 16.3 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees
Directions
Mn Community Care @mcdonough HomesSaint Paul · 19.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees
Directions
✓ Primary careForest Lake is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careForest Lake is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthForest Lake is not a shortage area
Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas. Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Forest Lake. 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 Forest Lake
| Measure | Forest Lake | Margin | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 30% | 27.3–32.9% | 31% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 34.2% | 31.2–37.3% | 33.4% | about the same |
| Obesity | 34.5% | 30.3–38.8% | 33.5% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 22.5% | 20.2–24.9% | 22.3% | about the same |
| Depression | 25.2% | 22.2–28.2% | 24.4% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 8.7% | 7.1–10.6% | 8.9% | about the same |
| Asthma | 10% | 8.8–11.2% | 9.9% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 8.8% | 8–9.6% | 8.5% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 10.6% | 9.3–12% | 10.1% | about the same |
| COPD | 5.4% | 4.8–6.2% | 5.4% | about the same |
| Heart disease | 5.7% | 5.1–6.3% | 5.9% | about the same |
| Stroke | 3% | 2.7–3.2% | 3.1% | about the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.5% | 11.6–15.7% | 13.1% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 17% | 14.6–19.6% | 17.8% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 21.1% | 18.1–24.2% | 22.3% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 26.8% | 23.6–30.2% | 29.2% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 75% | 72–77.8% | 74.8% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 69.9% | 67.2–72.6% | 67.5% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 85.5% | 83.7–87.2% | 85.3% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 67.3% | 63.5–70.8% | 68.7% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 80.3% | 75.2–84.8% | 78.5% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 76.2% | 73.2–78.9% | 76.1% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 6.7% | 5.6–8% | 7.5% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 29.6% | 26.2–33.1% | 31.2% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 19% | 16.5–21.5% | 21.5% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 15.1% | 13.4–16.8% | 15.1% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 15.5% | 13.5–17.6% | 16% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 11.3% | 10–12.7% | 11.3% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 10.1% | 8.4–12% | 11.4% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 8.4% | 7.1–9.8% | 9.3% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 5.3% | 4.5–6.1% | 5.7% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 6.4% | 5.6–7.3% | 7.1% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 7% | 5.8–8.4% | 7.9% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 26.5% | 23.4–29.6% | 27.4% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 10.8% | 9.4–12.3% | 11.4% | |
| Thinking or memory | 12.9% | 11.3–14.5% | 12.8% | |
| Hearing | 6.6% | 5.8–7.3% | 6.8% | |
| Vision | 3.7% | 3.3–4.1% | 4% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 3% | 2.7–3.3% | 3.1% | |
| Errands alone | 6.8% | 6–7.7% | 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 Forest Lake door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Minnesota figure falls inside it, we don't call Forest Lake better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Forest Lake 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.