Posted in Minnesota
October 17, 2015
Here Are The 15 Unhealthiest Counties In Minnesota
We went through the healthiest counties, and now it’s time to see who needs a little push to get back on track! These counties, for a variety of reasons, are on the low end of Minnesota’s health spectrum. Based on data compiled from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, here are the 15 unhealthiest counties in Minnesota.

With 17% of people in poor or fair health and excessive drinking to the tune of 30%, Chippewa is definitely on the lower end of the longevity spectrum for MN.

St. Louis County adults report feeling in poor physical health an average of 3.2 days per month and in poor mental health an average of 3.3 days.

Murray county sees nearly 20% less access to exercise opportunities than the rest of the state, keeping the inactivity rate above 23% and obesity above 33%.

Few exercise opportunities, high smoking rates, obesity rates, and a lot of excessive drinking likely make Polk County one of the poorest counties for longevity in the state.

In Morrison County, 17% of adults report being in poor or fair health and that could be due to the low health rating of the food.

With 21% of adults reporting excessive drinking, over 75% of driving deaths in Clearwater County are alcohol related.

Lake County residents report being in poor physical health 3.6 days per month.

Pine County sees high rates of physical inactivity and obesity and its residents just aren't living as long as they used to.

Wadena County adults report being in poor physical health 4 days per month and poor mental health 5.1 days per month.

The longevity in Mille Lacs County is very low likely due to excessive drinking, physical inactivity, and the resulting poor mental health.

Air pollution, physical inactivity, and obesity rates in Beltrami County are high.

20% of children in Norman County live in poverty and 12% of adults report poor health.

Unemployment, poverty, obesity, physical inactivity, and pollution rates are all rising in Renville County.

Obesity is on the rise in Cass County and people aren't living very long, with life length shortening each year.

Mahnomen County residents live the shortest lives in MN on average, have some of the highest smoking, obesity and inactivity rates, and 38% of Mahnomen County children are living in poverty.
Which one of these facts shocked you the most? Was your county on the list? How do you think health can be improved in your county? Share your thoughts and reactions on the Only In Minnesota Facebook Page.