Williston, ND health
Williston differs from North Dakota on 21 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults who have had cancer (5.6% vs 8.2%) and fewer adults with heart disease (4.5% vs 6.1%). Where it trails the state: more uninsured adults (10% vs 7.3%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for WillistonWilliston’s Health Grade: B+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Williston is healthier than 67% of U.S. towns.
About what its income would suggest. Williston does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
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 North Dakota 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 Williston 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. Williston uses CDC’s own estimate for it. 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.
How Williston compares with North Dakota
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 Williston adults…
Bars show Williston; the black tick is North Dakota. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
ND 21.8%
ND 32.7%
ND 21.3%
ND 13.1%
Keeping up with care
Share of Williston adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Dakota.
How Williston 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.
8.3% of Williston adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.7% across North Dakota.
Living with a disability
of Williston adults live with a disability (North Dakota 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Black tick: North Dakota. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Williston 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 Williston.
Obesity
Care in and near Williston
1 hospital in Williston, plus the nearest outside it. Nearest first.
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 Williston. 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 Williston
| Measure | Williston | Margin | North Dakota | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 28.1% | 24.9–31.4% | 31.8% | better |
| High cholesterol | 28.7% | 25.4–32.2% | 33.8% | better |
| Obesity | 40% | 34–45.9% | 36.5% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 19.4% | 17.1–21.8% | 25.3% | better |
| Depression | 21.5% | 18.4–24.7% | 21.3% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 12.3% | 9.9–14.9% | 10.8% | about the same |
| Asthma | 10.3% | 9.1–11.6% | 10.1% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 5.6% | 5–6.1% | 8.2% | better |
| Diabetes | 8% | 6.9–9.2% | 9.8% | better |
| COPD | 5% | 4.4–5.6% | 5.9% | better |
| Heart disease | 4.5% | 4–5% | 6.1% | better |
| Stroke | 2.4% | 2.2–2.6% | 3.1% | better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.4% | 13.2–17.7% | 13.1% | worse |
| Binge drink | 25.5% | 21.7–29.5% | 21.3% | worse |
| Get no exercise | 23.7% | 20.1–27.5% | 21.8% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.3% | 31.8–42.8% | 32.7% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 68.8% | 64.5–72.7% | 74.4% | worse |
| Dentist visit | 61% | 57.3–64.5% | 64.5% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 77.8% | 75.2–80.5% | 82.7% | worse |
| Colon screening | 60.3% | 55.1–65.1% | 64.9% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 75.9% | 68.5–81.9% | 78% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 69.5% | 66.1–72.5% | 76.3% | worse |
| No health insurance | 10% | 8.4–11.7% | 7.3% | worse |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 34.2% | 29.7–38.9% | 29.6% | worse |
| Lack emotional support | 25% | 21.4–28.6% | 20.6% | worse |
| Frequent mental distress | 16.6% | 14.6–18.6% | 14.2% | worse |
| Fair or poor health | 16.1% | 13.9–18.4% | 16.1% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 10.9% | 9.6–12.4% | 11.4% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 14% | 11.9–16.3% | 10.7% | worse |
| Housing insecurity | 11.9% | 10.2–13.8% | 8.9% | worse |
| Utility shut-off threat | 7.1% | 6.1–8.2% | 5.8% | worse |
| No reliable transportation | 7.9% | 6.8–9% | 6.5% | worse |
| Receive SNAP | 8.3% | 6.9–10% | 6.7% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.6% | 24–31.3% | 27.6% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 9.4% | 8.1–10.8% | 11.2% | |
| Thinking or memory | 14.4% | 12.6–16.2% | 12.6% | |
| Hearing | 6% | 5.3–6.8% | 7.8% | |
| Vision | 4.2% | 3.8–4.6% | 4.1% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 3% | 2.7–3.3% | 3.1% | |
| Errands alone | 7.2% | 6.4–8.1% | 7.1% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The North Dakota 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.