Kittson County is a rural area located in Northwestern Minnesota, with a total population of 4,552 people as of 2019. Due to its small size and isolated location, the county has limited access to health care services. Residents are mostly served by local medical facilities such as the Kittson Medical Center in Karlstad, Kittson Memorial Healthcare Center in Hallock, and other smaller clinics located throughout the county. The local hospitals provide quality care for residents but unfortunately do not have the resources to treat more serious illnesses that require specialized care and treatment. People from Kittson County often have to travel out of state for more complex health issues which can be time consuming and costly. Despite these challenges, local health providers work hard to ensure that the community is receiving the best possible care within their means.
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 0 physicians per 100,000 population in Kittson County. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Kittson County area is 86.9 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
86.9 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Kittson County area is 33 (100=best). The US average is 55.
33 / 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 Kittson County area is 86 (100=best). The US average is 87.
86 / 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 Kittson County commutes 20.6 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 Kittson County area is 93 (100=best). The US average is 58.
93 / 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.