Hector, Minnesota is a small rural community in McLeod County with a population of just over 1,000. Despite its small size, the town has access to various healthcare resources including local hospitals and medical facilities. The closest hospital is Buffalo Hospital located 14 miles away in Buffalo, MN. Additionally, Hector residents have access to a handful of locally owned clinics and health centers providing primary care services for adults and children, as well as mental health and substance abuse services. The town also has a few pharmacies which provide medications prescribed by local physicians or by mail order from major chains like Walmart or Walgreens. Other health-related amenities include physical therapy centers, dentists, optometrists, and chiropractors. All in all, residents of Hector have access to quality healthcare services that meet the needs of their community.
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 54 physicians per 100,000 population in Hector (zip 55342). The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Hector (zip 55342) area is 86.6 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
86.6 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Hector (zip 55342) area is 15 (100=best). The US average is 55.
15 / 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 Hector (zip 55342) area is 99 (100=best). The US average is 87.
99 / 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 Hector (zip 55342) commutes 21.6 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 Hector (zip 55342) area is 88 (100=best). The US average is 58.
88 / 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.