Benton County, Minnesota is a thriving rural community with a population of approximately 37,000 people. The county has access to high-quality health care from both local hospitals and medical facilities. The local hospitals include St. Cloud Hospital and Maple Grove Hospital, both of which have served the community for many years. In addition, several local medical facilities offer specialized services such as physical therapy, mental health counseling, and primary care services. The Benton County Public Health Department works closely with these providers to ensure that residents have access to the best possible health care. With excellent medical professionals and an array of health services available in the area, Benton County residents can rest assured that they can receive quality health care when needed.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 60 physicians per 100,000 population in Benton County. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Benton County area is 86.7 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
86.7 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Benton County area is 58 (100=best). The US average is 55.
58 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Benton County area is 97 (100=best). The US average is 87.
97 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Benton County commutes 23.1 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Benton County area is 68 (100=best). The US average is 58.
68 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.