Health · Wilson

Wilson, MN health

Wilson differs from Minnesota on 16 of 40 measures. It has fewer lonely adults (26.7% vs 31.2%) and more adults treating high blood pressure (80.9% vs 76.1%). Where it trails the state: more adults with COPD (8.2% vs 5.4%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 56474 (all of Wilson)

B+Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

B⁺

Wilson’s Health Grade: B+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Wilson is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns and 53% of Minnesota towns.

B+Self-rated healthA-Physical distressC+Mental distressBObesityA-DiabetesBSmokingB+Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 69%

Less healthyHealthier

Minnesota towns we grade (574)Healthier than 53%

Towns with similar incomes, $74K–$123K (8,163)Healthier than 58%

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

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

39 of every 100 Wilson adults have high blood pressure

Minnesota: 31 in 100 · worse · margin 35.3–41.8%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Wilson, betterWilson, worseToo close to callMinnesota

Get no exerciseshare of adults 28.2% Wilson
MN 22.3%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.5% Wilson
MN 29.2%

Binge drinkshare of adults 16.9% Wilson
MN 17.8%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17.2% Wilson
MN 13.1%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Wilson 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

Wilson 7.6% · Minnesota 1 in 13 (7.5%)

Mind & connection

How Wilson adults are doing

1 in 4Wilson adults feel lonely

26.7% · Minnesota 31.2% · better

1 in 4Wilson adults have been diagnosed with depression

23.4% · Minnesota 24.4% · too close to call

1 in 5Wilson adults lack social or emotional support

19.9% · Minnesota 21.5% · too close to call

1 in 6Wilson adults are in frequent mental distress

15.4% · 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

Wilson adults worry about having enough food

12.2% · MN 11.4% · about the same

1 in 11

Wilson adults worry about keeping their housing

8.9% · MN 9.3% · about the same

1 in 16

Wilson adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

6.2% · MN 5.7% · about the same

1 in 14

Wilson adults lack reliable transportation

7.3% · MN 7.1% · about the same

9.9% of Wilson adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.9% across Minnesota.

Disability

Living with a disability

33.8%

of Wilson adults live with a disability (Minnesota 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs16.3%

Thinking or memory13.6%

Hearing9.9%

Errands alone8.7%

Vision5.1%

Dressing or bathing4.3%

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

Around Wilson

Wilson and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health.

34.8%37.6%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#11 of 18towns on this map, healthiest first

Jenkins35.9%

Loon Lake36.4%

Pine River36.6%

Jenkins37%

Wilson37.2%

Walden37.2%

Gail Lake37.2%

Barclay37.4%

Care nearby

Essentia Health St. Joseph's Medical CenterBrainerd · 24.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Cuyuna Regional Medical CenterCrosby · 25.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Lakewood Health SystemStaples · 28.7 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Riverwood Healthcare CenterAitkin · 34.7 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Scenic Rivers Health ServicesFloodwood · 72 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Lake Superior Community Health Center White Pine ClinicCarlton · 93.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

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

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

! Mental healthWilson'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 Wilson. 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 Wilson

Measure	Wilson	Margin	Minnesota
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	38.5%	35.3–41.8%	31%	worse
High cholesterol	37.4%	34.1–40.7%	33.4%	worse
Obesity	37.2%	32.2–42.2%	33.5%	about the same
Arthritis	29.2%	26.5–31.9%	22.3%	worse
Depression	23.4%	20.6–26.3%	24.4%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	11.6%	9.6–13.8%	8.9%	worse
Asthma	10.2%	9.2–11.2%	9.9%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	11.1%	10.2–12%	8.5%	worse
Diabetes	13.5%	12–15.1%	10.1%	worse
COPD	8.2%	7.3–9.2%	5.4%	worse
Heart disease	8.9%	8–9.8%	5.9%	worse
Stroke	4.4%	4–4.8%	3.1%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	17.2%	15–19.3%	13.1%	worse
Binge drink	16.9%	14.5–19.3%	17.8%	about the same
Get no exercise	28.2%	24.6–31.7%	22.3%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	34.5%	30–39.2%	29.2%	worse
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	77%	74–79.6%	74.8%	about the same
Dentist visit	64.6%	61.6–67.5%	67.5%	about the same
Cholesterol check	86.6%	85–88%	85.3%	about the same
Colon screening	70.4%	66.4–74%	68.7%	about the same
Mammogram	77.9%	71.7–83%	78.5%	about the same
Taking BP meds	80.9%	78.5–83%	76.1%	better
No health insurance	7.6%	6.4–9%	7.5%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	26.7%	23.1–30.4%	31.2%	better
Lack emotional support	19.9%	17.3–22.9%	21.5%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	15.4%	13.9–16.9%	15.1%	about the same
Fair or poor health	19.9%	17.6–22.3%	16%	worse
Frequent physical distress	14.3%	12.8–15.8%	11.3%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	12.2%	10.3–14.2%	11.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	8.9%	7.7–10.4%	9.3%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	6.2%	5.3–7.1%	5.7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	7.3%	6.5–8.3%	7.1%	about the same
Receive SNAP	9.9%	8.3–11.6%	7.9%
Disability
Any disability	33.8%	30.4–37.2%	27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs	16.3%	14.4–18.2%	11.4%
Thinking or memory	13.6%	12.2–15.1%	12.8%
Hearing	9.9%	8.9–10.8%	6.8%
Vision	5.1%	4.6–5.7%	4%
Dressing or bathing	4.3%	3.9–4.7%	3.1%
Errands alone	8.7%	7.8–9.7%	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 Wilson door to door.

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

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