Health · Minden

Minden, MN health

On most measures Minden looks like Minnesota as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more smokers (15.5% vs 13.1%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 56379, 56304

BHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Minden’s Health Grade: B

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Minden is healthier than 60% of U.S. towns.

B+Self-rated healthA-Physical distressBMental distressC-ObesityA-DiabetesC+SmokingBExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 60%

Less healthyHealthier

Minnesota towns we grade (574)Healthier than 36%

Towns with similar incomes, $57K–$95K (9,861)Healthier than 69%

About what its income would suggest. Minden does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Minden could be anywhere from C 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 Minden 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. Minden’s figures come from the ZIP codes that cover it, weighted by land area. 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 Minden 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 Minden adults…

30 of every 100 Minden adults have high blood pressure

Minnesota: 31 in 100 · too close to call · margin 26.7–34.5%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Minden, betterMinden, worseToo close to callMinnesota

Get no exerciseshare of adults 23.6% Minden
MN 22.3%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 29% Minden
MN 29.2%

Binge drinkshare of adults 19.1% Minden
MN 17.8%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.5% Minden
MN 13.1%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Minden 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

Minden 7.8% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)

Mind & connection

How Minden adults are doing

1 in 3Minden adults feel lonely

30% · Minnesota 31.2% · too close to call

1 in 4Minden adults have been diagnosed with depression

25.8% · Minnesota 24.4% · too close to call

1 in 5Minden adults lack social or emotional support

21.1% · Minnesota 21.5% · too close to call

1 in 6Minden adults are in frequent mental distress

16.8% · 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

Minden adults worry about having enough food

12.3% · MN 11.4% · about the same

1 in 10

Minden adults worry about keeping their housing

10% · MN 9.3% · about the same

1 in 15

Minden adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

6.5% · MN 5.7% · about the same

1 in 13

Minden adults lack reliable transportation

7.7% · MN 7.1% · about the same

9.4% of Minden adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Disability

Living with a disability

28.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs11.7%

Thinking or memory14.2%

Hearing7%

Errands alone7.7%

Vision4.3%

Dressing or bathing3.4%

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

Around Minden

Minden 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.

34.7%43.6%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#19 of 20towns on this map, healthiest first

St. Cloud38.9%

Sauk Rapids40.4%

Sauk Rapids40.5%

Mayhew Lake40.5%

St. George40.6%

Minden40.9%

Haven43.6%

Care nearby

Centracare - St. Cloud HospitalSaint Cloud · 5.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

St. Cloud VA Medical CenterSt. Cloud · 7.8 mi · VA Directions Medicare profile

Fairview Northland Regional HospitalPrinceton · 23.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Centracare Health - MonticelloMonticello · 25.6 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

North Metro ClinicCoon Rapids · 49.9 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Fremont ClinicMinneapolis · 55.7 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careMinden's county is a federal shortage area.Benton County · need score 14 of 25

! Dental careMinden's county is a federal shortage area.Benton County · need score 13 of 25

! Mental healthMinden's county is a federal shortage area.Central Region · need score 16 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 Minden. 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 Minden

Measure	Minden	Margin	Minnesota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	30.4%	26.7–34.5%	31%	about the same
High cholesterol	32.6%	28.6–36.8%	33.4%	about the same
Obesity	40.9%	33.5–48.5%	33.5%	about the same
Arthritis	22.4%	19.5–25.4%	22.3%	about the same
Depression	25.8%	22–29.8%	24.4%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	10.4%	8.6–12.3%	8.9%	about the same
Asthma	10.4%	9.1–11.7%	9.9%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.1%	7.3–8.9%	8.5%	about the same
Diabetes	10%	8.6–11.6%	10.1%	about the same
COPD	5.9%	5.2–6.7%	5.4%	about the same
Heart disease	5.9%	5.3–6.6%	5.9%	about the same
Stroke	3.2%	2.9–3.5%	3.1%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.5%	13.2–18.1%	13.1%	worse
Binge drink	19.1%	15.7–22.9%	17.8%	about the same
Get no exercise	23.6%	19.8–27.9%	22.3%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	29%	24.2–34.4%	29.2%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	74.2%	70–78%	74.8%	about the same
Dentist visit	66.2%	63–69.1%	67.5%	about the same
Cholesterol check	83.6%	81.5–85.5%	85.3%	about the same
Colon screening	69.2%	65–73.3%	68.7%	about the same
Mammogram	79.1%	72.7–84.4%	78.5%	about the same
Taking BP meds	74.6%	71.3–77.5%	76.1%	about the same
No health insurance	7.8%	6.6–9.2%	7.5%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	30%	25.7–34.8%	31.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	21.1%	18–24.4%	21.5%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	16.8%	14.8–18.9%	15.1%	about the same
Fair or poor health	16.5%	14.3–19%	16%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	12%	10.5–13.7%	11.3%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	12.3%	10.4–14.4%	11.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	10%	8.6–11.6%	9.3%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	6.5%	5.6–7.4%	5.7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	7.7%	6.7–8.7%	7.1%	about the same
Receive SNAP	9.4%	7.9–11%	7.9%
Disability
Any disability	28.4%	24.5–32.6%	27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs	11.7%	10.1–13.5%	11.4%
Thinking or memory	14.2%	12.4–16%	12.8%
Hearing	7%	6.2–7.9%	6.8%
Vision	4.3%	3.8–4.8%	4%
Dressing or bathing	3.4%	3–3.8%	3.1%
Errands alone	7.7%	6.8–8.7%	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 Minden door to door.

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

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