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Health in Merton · CDC PLACES 2025

How healthy is Merton?

On most measures Merton looks like Minnesota as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (12% vs 8.9%).

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 55060, 55049, 55985, 55946. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out about health in Merton

Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Merton adults…

Merton runs above MN on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

33 of every 100 Merton adults have high blood pressure
Minnesota: 31 in 100 · about the same · likely 29–36.7%
Better than MNWorseAbout the sameMinnesota
Why age matters here

Merton is an older town: 31% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Minnesota. Many conditions rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Merton as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Merton31%
Minnesota17%
Getting care

Care in and near Merton

No hospital or community health center in Merton itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest EROwatonna HospitalOwatonna · 9.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyNorthfield Hospital★★★★★ · 23.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCommunity Health Service Inc. - RochesterRochester · 32 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.1 mi
Owatonna Hospital
Owatonna · ★★★★★
ER
13 mi
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center
Faribault · ★★★★★
ER
21.5 mi
Mayo Clinic Health System - Waseca
Waseca · not rated
ERRural critical access
23.1 mi
Northfield Hospital
Northfield · ★★★★★
ER
32 mi
Community Health Service Inc. - Rochester
Rochester · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
43.8 mi
Open Door Health Center
3 sites · nearest in Mankato
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careMerton is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careMerton is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthMerton is not a shortage area

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 Merton; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Minnesota

Share of adults, with the Minnesota figure marked.

Get no exercise 24.4%MN 22.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 30.4%MN 29.2%
Binge drink 18.3%MN 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 14.7%MN 13.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Merton, betterMerton, worseAbout the sameMinnesota
Where Merton gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

74% Yearly checkupMN 75%
66% Dentist visitMN 68%
85% Cholesterol checkMN 85%
68% Colon screeningMN 69%
79% MammogramMN 79%
77% Taking BP medsMN 76%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Merton 8.2% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)
Mind & connection

How Merton adults are doing

About the same as Minnesota on each measure.

1 in 3Merton adults feel lonely
30.3% · MN 31.2% · About the same as MN
1 in 5Merton adults lack social or emotional support
21.4% · MN 21.5% · About the same as MN
1 in 4Merton adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.5% · MN 24.4% · About the same as MN
1 in 6Merton adults are in frequent mental distress
15.4% · MN 15.1% · About the same as MN
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Merton adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

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
Merton adults worry about having enough food
11.9% · MN 11.4%
About the same as MN
1 in 10
Merton adults worry about keeping their housing
9.6% · MN 9.3%
About the same as MN
1 in 17
Merton adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6% · MN 5.7%
About the same as MN
1 in 14
Merton adults lack reliable transportation
7.2% · MN 7.1%
About the same as MN

8.6% of Merton adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Around town

Merton and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Havana: 37.9% Clinton Falls: 37.8% Ellington: 36.7% Owatonna: 37.6% Claremont: 38.3% Aurora: 37.9% Owatonna: 37.6% Deerfield: 38.4% Medford: 38.6% Concord: 36.7% Merton: 37.6% MertonHavanaClinton FallsEllington Owatonna Hospital · Owatonna · 9.1 mi · 5★ MedicareH
Healthier than MNNear MNLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#3 of 11 towns on this map, healthiest first
Ellington36.7%
Merton37.6%
Clinton Falls37.8%
Havana37.9%
MN33.5%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

28%

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

Walking or climbing stairs12.3%
Thinking or memory13.2%
Hearing7.4%
Errands alone7.4%
Vision4.3%
Dressing or bathing3.4%
Minnesota
Health Grade

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 349 people are less certain, so we show Merton's figures without a grade.

All 40 CDC measures for Merton
MeasureMertonLikely rangeMinnesota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure32.8%29–36.7%31%about the same
High cholesterol33.5%29.6–37.6%33.4%about the same
Obesity37.6%30.8–44.9%33.5%about the same
Arthritis24.2%21.3–27.2%22.3%about the same
Depression23.5%20.1–27%24.4%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)12%9.8–14.5%8.9%worse
Asthma10%8.9–11.2%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)8.9%8.1–9.8%8.5%about the same
Diabetes10.8%9.3–12.4%10.1%about the same
COPD6.1%5.4–6.9%5.4%about the same
Heart disease6.4%5.8–7.2%5.9%about the same
Stroke3.3%3–3.6%3.1%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes14.7%12.7–17.1%13.1%about the same
Binge drink18.3%15.3–21.6%17.8%about the same
Get no exercise24.4%20.6–28.8%22.3%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours30.4%25–36.2%29.2%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup74.1%70.3–77.7%74.8%about the same
Dentist visit66%62.7–69.2%67.5%about the same
Cholesterol check85.1%83.3–86.8%85.3%about the same
Colon screening68.2%63.5–72.7%68.7%about the same
Mammogram78.5%71.7–84.3%78.5%about the same
Taking BP meds77%74–79.8%76.1%about the same
No health insurance8.2%6.9–9.6%7.5%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely30.3%25.9–35.1%31.2%about the same
Lack emotional support21.4%18.3–24.7%21.5%about the same
Frequent mental distress15.4%13.6–17.3%15.1%about the same
Fair or poor health17%14.7–19.5%16%about the same
Frequent physical distress12.4%10.9–14%11.3%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity11.9%10.1–13.9%11.4%about the same
Housing insecurity9.6%8.2–11.1%9.3%about the same
Utility shut-off threat6%5.2–7%5.7%about the same
No reliable transportation7.2%6.3–8.1%7.1%about the same
Receive SNAP8.6%7.2–10.1%7.9%
Disability
Any disability28%24.3–32.1%27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs12.3%10.7–14.2%11.4%
Thinking or memory13.2%11.6–14.9%12.8%
Hearing7.4%6.6–8.3%6.8%
Vision4.3%3.9–4.7%4%
Dressing or bathing3.4%3.1–3.8%3.1%
Errands alone7.4%6.6–8.3%7%

How CDC estimates town health

Modeled estimates

CDC combines a large national health survey with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Merton door to door.

Close calls stay gray

Every figure has a likely range. When the Minnesota figure falls inside it, we don’t call Merton better or worse.

Why a ZIP code

CDC publishes towns like Merton by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Merton by how much of its land each one covers.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Merton.

Town Square →
Weigh in
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Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Minnesota figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.

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