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Foster County, ND Health Statistics

35.7% of adults have obesity and 11.8% have diabetes, among about 3,309 residents.

Obesity
35.7%
#45 of 53 · +2.4 pts
Diabetes
11.8%
#32 of 53 · about the same
Smoking
13.3%
+0.5 pts
Uninsured (18-64)
6.6%
-4.5 pts

How it compares

Largest differences from the U.S. average

Higher than the U.S.

  • Hearing9.6% vs 6.8%
  • Cancer10.8% vs 7.7%
  • Heart disease7.8% vs 6.3%

Lower than the U.S.

  • Received SNAP5.9% vs 12.8%
  • Housing insecurity7.6% vs 13.0%
  • Food insecurity9.3% vs 15.9%

All health measures

Foster County, ND compared with North Dakota and the U.S.

Health outcomes

Adults withHereNDU.S.
Obesity35.7%+2.4 pts36.6%33.3%
Diagnosed diabetes11.8%about the same9.8%12.1%
High blood pressure37.8%+3.4 pts31.8%34.4%
High cholesterol (among those screened)38.4%+2.0 pts33.8%36.4%
Coronary heart disease7.8%+1.5 pts6.1%6.3%
Stroke3.8%about the same3.1%3.4%
Current asthma10.0%about the same10.1%10.2%
COPD7.2%+0.7 pts5.9%6.5%
Cancer (excluding skin cancer)10.8%+3.1 pts8.1%7.7%
Arthritis31.2%+6.0 pts25.3%25.2%
Depression19.8%-1.8 pts21.3%21.6%
All teeth lost (age 65+)9.1%-3.5 pts10.9%12.6%

Health behaviors

Adults withHereNDU.S.
Current smoking13.3%+0.5 pts13.2%12.8%
Binge drinking19.2%+3.3 pts21.3%15.9%
No leisure-time physical activity24.4%-0.8 pts21.9%25.2%
Short sleep (under 7 hours)31.0%-5.1 pts32.7%36.1%

Prevention

Adults withHereNDU.S.
No health insurance (age 18 to 64)6.6%-4.5 pts7.3%11.1%
Routine checkup in the past year77.1%about the same74.4%76.8%
Dental visit in the past year65.9%+4.2 pts64.4%61.7%
Taking blood pressure medicine (if high)80.9%+5.4 pts76.2%75.5%
Cholesterol screening86.3%about the same82.7%86.2%
Colorectal cancer screening (age 45 to 75)68.8%+5.1 pts64.8%63.7%
Mammogram in the past 2 years (women 50 to 74)76.9%+0.8 pts77.9%76.1%

Health status

Adults withHereNDU.S.
Fair or poor general health17.2%-2.6 pts16.1%19.8%
Frequent mental distress13.1%-3.4 pts14.2%16.5%
Frequent physical distress12.7%-0.6 pts11.4%13.3%

Disability

Adults withHereNDU.S.
Any disability29.2%-1.2 pts27.7%30.4%
Mobility disability13.6%about the same11.2%13.8%
Cognitive disability11.7%-2.6 pts12.6%14.3%
Hearing disability9.6%+2.8 pts7.8%6.8%
Vision disability4.4%-0.9 pts4.2%5.3%
Self-care disability3.6%about the same3.1%3.8%
Independent living disability7.3%-0.8 pts7.1%8.1%

Social needs

Adults withHereNDU.S.
Loneliness27.9%-6.2 pts29.6%34.1%
Lack of social and emotional support19.6%-5.0 pts20.6%24.6%
Food insecurity in the past year9.3%-6.6 pts10.8%15.9%
Received SNAP (food stamps) in the past year5.9%-6.9 pts6.8%12.8%
Housing insecurity in the past year7.6%-5.4 pts8.9%13.0%
Threat of utility shutoff in the past year5.1%-2.9 pts5.8%8.0%
Lack of reliable transportation5.6%-2.9 pts6.5%8.5%

Share of adults (18 and older unless noted), crude prevalence. Differences are compared with the U.S.; green is better than the national rate, red is worse. These are model-based estimates, not counts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the obesity rate in Foster County, ND?
About 35.7% of adults in Foster County, ND have obesity, compared with 36.6% in North Dakota and 33.3% nationwide. That ranks #45 of 53 counties in North Dakota.
How common is diabetes in Foster County, ND?
About 11.8% of adults have diagnosed diabetes (North Dakota 9.8%, U.S. 12.1%).
What share of adults smoke in Foster County, ND?
About 13.3% of adults currently smoke cigarettes, compared with 12.8% nationwide.
How accurate are these numbers?
They are CDC model-based estimates built from national survey data and local population data, not counts from local health records. Small areas have wider margins of error.

Source: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health · Last updated 12/01/2025 · 2025 release. Share of adults, crude prevalence.