GRAND FORKS BECOMES FIRST NORTH DAKOTA COMMUNITY TO EARN CERTIFIED BLUE ZONES COMMUNITY® DESIGNATION

Multi-year Blue Zones Project initiative shows measurable well-being improvements

GRAND FORKS, N.D., Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Zones announced today that Grand Forks, North Dakota, has achieved certified Blue Zones Community^® designation, marking the first certified community in the state. Certification recognizes the well-being transformation within the Near North neighborhood–the designated Blue Zones Project area in Grand Forks–through the successful implementation of a pioneering population health initiative that brings evidence-based best practices in the built environment, policy, and social connection to participating communities.

Brought to Grand Forks by Altru Health System with support from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, the well-being improvement initiative has optimized environments in ways that make healthy choices more accessible—helping people live longer, healthier, and happier lives.

"As Grand Forks celebrates this milestone as the first certified Blue Zones Community in North Dakota, we are proud to have played a role in shaping a healthier future for our neighbors," said Kristi Hall-Jiran, Chief Partnership and Philanthropy Officer for Altru Health System. "This work is about more than health care—it's about community vitality. By supporting programs that change policies, enhance public spaces, and make healthy choices easier, we are creating a foundation for lasting well-being."

Since 2022, a broad coalition of local leaders, volunteers, and organizations across Grand Forks has worked together to achieve certification status. Early outcomes demonstrate meaningful progress and statistically significant improvements across all five well-being domains–community, social, purpose, physical, and financial:

• Grand Forks' overall community well-being score improved by 3.5 points since 2022. Each point increase corresponds to approximately a two percent reduction in emergency department visits and hospital utilization, and a one percent reduction in overall health care costs.
  
  
• 37.8% more residents now report they are thriving in daily life.
  
  
• The obesity rate dropped 17.7% in the Near North neighborhood, during a time when obesity rates grew across the Midwest.
  
  
• 59.1% of residents report engaging in regular physical activity, up from 54.8% at baseline.
  
  
• Residents report an impressive reduction in high cholesterol, a key risk factor, showing a20.8% decline.
  
  
• Nearly $64 million in grant funding has been awarded to the community for Blue Zones Project–aligned initiatives.
  
  
• The past three years have yielded over $1.8 million in direct savings by avoiding medical and lost productivity costs. Further, based on the trend and the transformational changes to policy and places, the cumulative direct savings is projected to grow to $4 million in Year 4 and $7.9 million in Year 5, producing a greater than 2:1 ROI on these direct savings alone. Over the remaining 10-year analysis and projections, the impact is expected to exceed $40 million in medical and lost productivity savings, generating a "10x" effect.

Community Highlights

Through the Blue Zones Project initiative, Grand Forks has made it easier for residents and visitors to move naturally, eat wisely, connect with others, and live with purpose. Highlights include:

• Citizen engagement: More than 4,245 residents (1 in 6) have participated in Blue Zones Project programming such as walking groups, plant-based cooking classes, and purpose workshops. Over 1,950 volunteers have served as Blue Zones Ambassadors, contributing more than 4,780 hours of volunteer service.
  
  
• Worksites: Ten local worksites, representing half of the area's largest worksites, became Blue Zones Project Approved™ by implementing policies and practices that promote well-being, ranging from designated downshift spaces to employee wellness committees and active design strategies.
  
  
• Schools: Three campuses, impacting 1,300 students and 214 faculty and administrative staff members, have become Blue Zones Project Approved. The Blue Zones Power 9 principles have been leveraged by integrating daily physical activity, adding healthier food options, building school gardens, and forming youth well-being ambassador programs.
  
  
• Restaurants & Grocery Stores: Five local restaurants and one grocery store achieved Blue Zones Project Approved status, making healthy choices more visible and convenient through menus, checkout lanes, and product placement.
  
  
• Policy improvements: Thirty-nine community policies and plans have been adopted to improve walkability, strengthen local food systems, reduce tobacco exposure, and support long-term well-being.

"Grand Forks' certification represents what's possible when a community unites around health and vitality," said Brianna Monahan, Diabetes Prevention and Control Program Coordinator for the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. "This milestone reflects years of collaboration and innovation, and it sets the stage for an even healthier, stronger, and more connected future."

"Grand Forks has made history as the first certified Blue Zones Community in North Dakota," said Ben Leedle, CEO of Blue Zones and Co-Founder of Blue Zones Project. "We're grateful to Altru Health System and the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services for their vision and commitment to this initiative. Their support has enabled real, measurable change—from a 17.7% drop in obesity rates to permanent policy and environmental changes and nearly $64 million in grant funding that will continue advancing well-being across the community."

With its Certified Blue Zones Community status, Grand Forks has established a strong base for well-being. Leaders plan to build on this foundation, ensuring continued progress toward optimal health and longevity for all residents. Sustaining the gains achieved in well-being improvement creates significant economic vitality for residents, employers, and the region.

"Earning certification as a Blue Zones Community marks more than a milestone; it celebrates a movement," said Brandon Bochenski, Mayor of Grand Forks. "By embedding well-being into the fabric of our city, we're ensuring that Grand Forks remains a place where people can thrive as they live, work, and play for decades to come."

About Blue Zones

Blue Zones employs evidence-based ways to help people live better, longer. The company's work is rooted in explorations and research done by founder and National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner in blue zones regions around the world, where people live extraordinarily long and/or happy lives. The original research and findings were released in Buettner's bestselling books The Blue Zones Solution, The Blue Zones of Happiness, The Blue Zones, Thrive, and Blue Zones Kitchen—all published by National Geographic books. A hit docuseries, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, was released on Netflix in 2023. Using original Blue Zones research, Blue Zones works with cities and counties to make healthy choices easier through permanent and semi-permanent changes to our human-made surroundings. Participating communities have experienced double-digit drops in obesity and tobacco use and have saved millions of dollars in healthcare costs. For more information, visit www.bluezones.com.

Contact:
Naomi Imatome-Yun
[email protected]
917.952.8534

SOURCE Blue Zones