Helen, MN health
Helen differs from Minnesota on 8 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with obesity (42.6% vs 33.5%) and more adults with COPD (6.6% vs 5.4%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 55336, 55370, 55339Not graded
Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 950 people are less certain, so we show Helen's figures without a grade.
How Helen 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 Helen adults…
Bars show Helen; 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 Helen adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Minnesota.
How Helen 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.
8.4% of Helen adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.
Living with a disability
of Helen adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Black tick: Minnesota. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Helen 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 Helen.
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 Helen
No hospital or community health center in Helen 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 Helen. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Helen
| Measure | Helen | Margin | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 33.7% | 29.9–37.5% | 31% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 34.6% | 30.6–38.5% | 33.4% | about the same |
| Obesity | 42.6% | 35.7–49.6% | 33.5% | worse |
| Arthritis | 26.2% | 23.1–29.2% | 22.3% | worse |
| Depression | 23.5% | 20.3–27% | 24.4% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 9.9% | 8–12.2% | 8.9% | about the same |
| Asthma | 10% | 8.9–11.2% | 9.9% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 9.3% | 8.4–10.2% | 8.5% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 11.6% | 10.1–13.3% | 10.1% | about the same |
| COPD | 6.6% | 5.7–7.5% | 5.4% | worse |
| Heart disease | 6.9% | 6.2–7.8% | 5.9% | worse |
| Stroke | 3.6% | 3.2–4% | 3.1% | worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16% | 13.5–18.7% | 13.1% | worse |
| Binge drink | 18.5% | 15.6–21.8% | 17.8% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 26.9% | 22.5–31.2% | 22.3% | worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.5% | 27.9–39.2% | 29.2% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 74% | 70.3–77.5% | 74.8% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 65.1% | 61.6–68.6% | 67.5% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 84.9% | 83.1–86.8% | 85.3% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 68.6% | 64–72.8% | 68.7% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 77.8% | 70.8–83.6% | 78.5% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 77.6% | 74.5–80.3% | 76.1% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 9.1% | 7.6–10.8% | 7.5% | worse |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 29.7% | 25.6–34.5% | 31.2% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 21.5% | 18.5–25% | 21.5% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 15.7% | 13.8–17.6% | 15.1% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 18% | 15.4–20.7% | 16% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 13% | 11.3–14.7% | 11.3% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 11.9% | 9.9–14.4% | 11.4% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 9.8% | 8.4–11.7% | 9.3% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 6% | 5.1–7% | 5.7% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 7.2% | 6.3–8.3% | 7.1% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 8.4% | 7–10.3% | 7.9% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.1% | 26.1–34.2% | 27.4% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 13.3% | 11.4–15.2% | 11.4% | |
| Thinking or memory | 14% | 12.3–15.8% | 12.8% | |
| Hearing | 8.2% | 7.2–9.2% | 6.8% | |
| Vision | 4.5% | 4–5.1% | 4% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 3.7% | 3.2–4.1% | 3.1% | |
| Errands alone | 7.8% | 6.8–8.8% | 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.