Health · Sylvan

Sylvan, MN health

On most measures Sylvan looks like Minnesota as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (6.4% vs 5.4%) and more smokers (15.5% vs 13.1%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 56473, 56401

B+Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

B⁺

Sylvan’s Health Grade: B+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Sylvan is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns.

B+Self-rated healthA-Physical distressB+Mental distressB-ObesityB+DiabetesC+SmokingBExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 66%

Less healthyHealthier

Minnesota towns we grade (574)Healthier than 46%

Towns with similar incomes, $72K–$119K (8,546)Healthier than 55%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Sylvan 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 Sylvan 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. Sylvan’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 Sylvan 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 Sylvan adults…

33 of every 100 Sylvan adults have high blood pressure

Minnesota: 31 in 100 · too close to call · margin 30.1–36.8%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Sylvan, betterSylvan, worseToo close to callMinnesota

Get no exerciseshare of adults 24% Sylvan
MN 22.3%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.9% Sylvan
MN 29.2%

Binge drinkshare of adults 19.3% Sylvan
MN 17.8%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.5% Sylvan
MN 13.1%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Sylvan 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

Sylvan 6.8% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)

Mind & connection

How Sylvan adults are doing

1 in 4Sylvan adults feel lonely

27% · Minnesota 31.2% · too close to call

1 in 4Sylvan adults have been diagnosed with depression

23.9% · Minnesota 24.4% · too close to call

1 in 5Sylvan adults lack social or emotional support

19.8% · Minnesota 21.5% · too close to call

1 in 6Sylvan adults are in frequent mental distress

15.6% · 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

Sylvan adults worry about having enough food

10.5% · MN 11.4% · about the same

1 in 12

Sylvan adults worry about keeping their housing

8.5% · MN 9.3% · about the same

1 in 18

Sylvan adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

5.7% · MN 5.7% · about the same

1 in 15

Sylvan adults lack reliable transportation

6.8% · MN 7.1% · about the same

8% of Sylvan adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Disability

Living with a disability

29.2%

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

Walking or climbing stairs12.7%

Thinking or memory13%

Hearing7.7%

Errands alone7.4%

Vision4.1%

Dressing or bathing3.4%

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

Around Sylvan

Sylvan 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 Sylvan.

34%38.9%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#6 of 22towns on this map, healthiest first

East Gull Lake34%

Rosing35.8%

Fairview36%

Sylvan36.2%

May36.3%

Baxter36.6%

Pillager36.7%

Scandia Valley37.4%

Fort Ripley37.7%

Care nearby

Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical CenterBrainerd · 9.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Lakewood Health SystemStaples · 16.6 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Cuyuna Regional Medical CenterCrosby · 23.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

St. Gabriels HospitalLittle Falls · 26 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Scenic Rivers Health ServicesFloodwood · 81.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Community Health Service Inc. - WillmarWillmar · 90.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careSylvan's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Cass County · need score 13 of 25

! Dental careSylvan's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Cass County · need score 16 of 25

! Mental healthSylvan's county is a federal shortage area.Region 5 Mental Health Service Area · 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 Sylvan. 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 Sylvan

Measure	Sylvan	Margin	Minnesota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	33.3%	30.1–36.8%	31%	about the same
High cholesterol	34.3%	30.9–37.8%	33.4%	about the same
Obesity	36.2%	30.8–41.9%	33.5%	about the same
Arthritis	24.9%	22.3–27.7%	22.3%	about the same
Depression	23.9%	20.8–27.2%	24.4%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	9.3%	7.6–11.2%	8.9%	about the same
Asthma	10.2%	9.1–11.4%	9.9%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.5%	8.6–10.3%	8.5%	worse
Diabetes	11%	9.6–12.5%	10.1%	about the same
COPD	6.4%	5.5–7.2%	5.4%	worse
Heart disease	6.8%	6.1–7.6%	5.9%	worse
Stroke	3.4%	3.1–3.7%	3.1%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.5%	13.3–18%	13.1%	worse
Binge drink	19.3%	16.3–22.3%	17.8%	about the same
Get no exercise	24%	20.5–27.8%	22.3%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	33.9%	29.2–39%	29.2%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	75.2%	71.6–78.3%	74.8%	about the same
Dentist visit	68%	64.8–70.9%	67.5%	about the same
Cholesterol check	85.8%	84.1–87.4%	85.3%	about the same
Colon screening	68%	63.7–72.1%	68.7%	about the same
Mammogram	79.5%	73.5–84.7%	78.5%	about the same
Taking BP meds	77.6%	74.7–80.2%	76.1%	about the same
No health insurance	6.8%	5.6–8.1%	7.5%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	27%	23.1–31.2%	31.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	19.8%	16.9–22.7%	21.5%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	15.6%	13.8–17.5%	15.1%	about the same
Fair or poor health	16.6%	14.5–19%	16%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	12.5%	11.1–14.1%	11.3%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	10.5%	8.8–12.4%	11.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	8.5%	7.2–9.9%	9.3%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	5.7%	4.8–6.5%	5.7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	6.8%	5.9–7.6%	7.1%	about the same
Receive SNAP	8%	6.6–9.5%	7.9%
Disability
Any disability	29.2%	25.7–32.8%	27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs	12.7%	10.9–14.4%	11.4%
Thinking or memory	13%	11.5–14.6%	12.8%
Hearing	7.7%	6.8–8.6%	6.8%
Vision	4.1%	3.7–4.5%	4%
Dressing or bathing	3.4%	3.1–3.8%	3.1%
Errands alone	7.4%	6.6–8.3%	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 Sylvan door to door.

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

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