Pennington County Health Data
Pennington County, Minnesota
CDC County Health RankingsHealth Score
92/100
Excellent
Life Expectancy
78.3 yr
Uninsured Rate
3.4%
Health Statistics
Life Expectancy
78.3 yr
State avg 78.7 yr
National avg 77.5 yr
Uninsured Rate
3.4%
State avg 6.0%
National avg 9%
Primary Care Providers
80
per 100K population
National avg 82
Mental Health Providers
335
per 100K population
National avg 350
Poor / Fair Health
13.4%
State avg 14.8%
National avg 19.6%
Healthcare Access
Primary Care Physicians
28.8
per 100K residentsCDC: 79.8 per 100K
Nurse Practitioners & PAs
7.2
per 100K residents
Provider counts from CMS NPPES (National Provider Identifier Registry). Data current as of 2026.
Chronic Disease & Behavioral Health
These prevalence estimates come from the CDC PLACES program (Population-Level Analysis and Community Estimates), which combines BRFSS survey data with statistical modeling to produce county-level rates. Estimates are age-adjusted to enable fair comparisons across counties with different age distributions. Use them to spot where Pennington County differs most from state and national norms.
Most prevalent chronic conditions
| Measure | Pennington | State avg | National avg | Vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity | 40.5% | 37.0% | 37.6% | 3.5 pts worse than state |
| Diabetes | 9.3% | 9.3% | 11.2% | near state average |
| High Blood Pressure | 29.7% | 28.6% | 33.5% | 1.1 pts worse than state |
| Depression | 26.0% | 25.3% | 24.1% | 0.7 pts worse than state |
Health-risk behaviors
| Measure | Pennington | State avg | National avg | Vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Cigarette Smoking | 16.0% | 15.7% | 16.3% | near state average |
| Binge Drinking | 21.0% | 20.3% | 17.8% | 0.7 pts worse than state |
| Physical Inactivity | 23.5% | 24.1% | 27.0% | 0.6 pts better than state |
Preventive-care uptake
| Measure | Pennington | State avg | National avg | Vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Routine Checkup | 72.4% | 72.0% | 74.9% | near state average |
| Dental Visit (past year) | 68.1% | 64.7% | 57.3% | 3.4 pts better than state |
| Mammography (women 50–74) | 77.2% | 77.1% | 73.3% | near state average |
Daily-life impact
| Measure | Pennington | State avg | National avg | Vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent Mental Distress | 17.5% | 17.0% | 18.6% | near state average |
| Short Sleep Duration | 29.8% | 31.5% | 37.3% | 1.7 pts better than state |
These rates are part of the CDC PLACES survey. Compare Pennington County nationally on obesity.
Source: CDC PLACES, 2023 release · age-adjusted prevalence (%). Confidence intervals are available on individual rankings pages.
Data Story
Pennington County Reports Notably Low Uninsured Rate
Health data brief for Pennington County, Minnesota.
Pennington County reports an uninsured rate of 3.4%. This is notably lower than the Minnesota state average of 6.0% and the national average of approximately 10%. Residents here show a life expectancy of 78.3 years, which is similar to the state average of 78.7 years and slightly higher than the national figure of 77 years. For clinical services, the data indicates 80 primary care providers per 100,000 residents, exceeding the national median of 70 per 100,000. Mental health care accessibility is also higher than common benchmarks, with 335 providers per 100,000 people compared to a national median of 250. Additionally, 13.4% of adults report poor or fair health, a lower percentage than the national average of 17%. Explore state-level data.
Sources
- CDC County Health Rankings v2
- HHS NPPES
Get Care in Pennington County, Minnesota
Direct contact information for hospitals and community health resources serving this county. Hospital quality ratings come from CMS Care Compare — the federal program that measures hospital performance on safety, patient experience, and outcomes.
Hospitals near you
Compare all on Medicare.gov →Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center
ERSanford Behavioral Health Center
eHealth Insurance
Compare health insurance plans from top carriers for Pennington County residents.
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Licensed agents for health, Medicare, and supplemental insurance in Minnesota.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Data Sources
Health data sourced from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
Data is informational only. Not medical or health advice. Coverage varies by county and reporting year.