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Wauconda Illinois downtown aerial viewPhoto: Transport6087 · CC BY-SA 4.0
A−Health Grade
Health in Wauconda · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Wauconda is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns

Wauconda beats Illinois on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Wauconda. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Wauconda

Fewer Wauconda adults struggle to make ends meet

Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Illinois. 1 in 9 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓

Wauconda is an active town

Only 18.7% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23% across Illinois. Habits ↓

Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Illinois figure falls outside Wauconda’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Wauconda’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wauconda is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns, #182 of 767 in Illinois. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is no exercise (fewer adults who get no exercise than 89% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 66%.

A−Self-rated health15.4% · IL 18.6% · U.S. 19.4%
APhysical distress11.3% · IL 12.2% · U.S. 13%
A−Mental distress14.8% · IL 15.6% · U.S. 15.9%
B+Obesity34% · IL 34% · U.S. 32.9%
A−Diabetes10.3% · IL 11.7% · U.S. 12%
A−Smoking11.2% smoke · IL 12.1% · U.S. 11.8%
AExercise18.7% · IL 23% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 85%
Less healthyHealthier
Illinois towns we grade (767)Healthier than 76%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $83K–$139K (6,972)Healthier than 75%

Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Wauconda’s median household income is $111,239; among the 6,972 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($83K–$139K), it’s healthier than 75%, about where its income would put it.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Wauconda could be anywhere from B to A+.
A note on the data.2024 figures come from the FBI's Crime Data Explorer; the FBI's published 2024 table doesn't include this department

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 9
Wauconda adults worry about having enough food
11.4% · IL 15.9%
Better than IL
1 in 10
Wauconda adults worry about keeping their housing
10.3% · IL 13.2%
Better than IL
1 in 16
Wauconda adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.1% · IL 7.8%
Better than IL
1 in 16
Wauconda adults lack reliable transportation
6.1% · IL 8%
Better than IL

9.4% of Wauconda adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois

Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.

Get no exercise 18.7%IL 23%
Sleep under 7 hours 32.2%IL 35.4%
Binge drink 17.3%IL 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 11.2%IL 12.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Wauconda, betterWauconda, worseAbout the sameIllinois
Where Wauconda gets moving

0.7 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Wauconda adults…

Wauconda runs below IL on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

3 of every 100 Wauconda adults have had a stroke
Illinois: 3 in 100 · better · likely 2.5–3%
Better than ILWorseAbout the sameIllinois
Why age matters in Wauconda

Only 11% of Wauconda residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Illinois. Heart disease and stroke run low partly because the town is young.

Residents 65 and older

Wauconda11%
Illinois17%
Getting care

Care in and near Wauconda

No hospital or community health center in Wauconda itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERAdvocate Good Shepherd HospitalBarrington · 6 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyAdvocate Good Shepherd Hospital★★★★★ · 6.0 miDirections →
+Low-cost careLake County Health Department & Community Health CenterRound Lake Beach · 6.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
6 mi
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Barrington · ★★★★★
ER
6.9 mi
Lake County Health Department & Community Health Center
2 sites · nearest in Round Lake Beach
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
7.5 mi
Greater Family Health
3 sites · nearest in Mchenry
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
7.8 mi
Northwestern Medicine Mchenry
Mchenry · ★★★★★
ER
9.4 mi
Advocate Condell Medical Center
Libertyville · ★★★★★
ER
10.3 mi
Mercyhealth Hospital & Physician Clinic-Crystal La
Crystal Lake · not rated
ER
✓ Primary careWauconda is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careWauconda is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Wauconda itself

Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Wauconda; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Wauconda adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.

76%Yearly checkupIL 78%
68%Dentist visitIL 63%
89%Cholesterol checkIL 87%
62%Colon screeningIL 60%
75%MammogramIL 74%
73%Taking BP medsIL 76%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Wauconda 8.5% · Illinois 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Wauconda adults are doing

About the same as Illinois on each measure.

3 in 10Wauconda adults feel lonely
30% · IL 33.5% · About the same as IL
1 in 4Wauconda adults lack social or emotional support
22.6% · IL 25.4% · About the same as IL
1 in 5Wauconda adults have been diagnosed with depression
19.8% · IL 19.8% · About the same as IL
1 in 7Wauconda adults are in frequent mental distress
14.8% · IL 15.6% · About the same as IL
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Wauconda adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Around town

Wauconda and the towns around it

Wauconda’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 4 graded towns around it.

Wauconda Township: 33.8%Fremont Township: 32.8%Lake Barrington: 29.2%Grant Township: 35.9%Nunda Township: 32.1%Cuba Township: 27%McHenry Township: 33.3%Volo: 32.1%Port Barrington: 32.1%Lakemoor: 33.4%Round Lake: 34.6%Ela Township: 29%Libertyville Township: 30.3%Hawthorn Woods: 29%Avon Township: 34.2%Mundelein: 33.3%Grayslake: 31.7%North Barrington: 29.8%Fox River Grove: 30.4%Tower Lakes: 30%Barrington Hills: 27.3%Wauconda: 34%WaucondaWauconda TownshipFremont TownshipLake BarringtonAdvocate Good Shepherd Hospital · Barrington · 6 mi · 5★ MedicareHNorthwestern Medicine Mchenry · Mchenry · 7.8 mi · 5★ MedicareHAdvocate Condell Medical Center · Libertyville · 9.4 mi · 4★ MedicareHMercyhealth Hospital & Physician Clinic-Crystal La · Crystal Lake · 10.3 miHMid Lakes Medical and Dental Building · Round Lake Beach · 6.9 mi+3901 Mercy Dr · Mchenry · 7.5 mi+
Healthier than ILNear ILLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#19 of 22 towns on this map, healthiest first
Lake Barrington29.2%
Fremont Township32.8%
Wauconda Township33.8%
Wauconda34%
IL34%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
WaucondaA−34%10.3%11.2%CDC place
Fremont TownshipA32.8%10.8%10.4%ZIP codes
Wauconda TownshipA−33.8%10.7%11.8%ZIP codes
Lake BarringtonA29.2%12.1%7.3%CDC place

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

23.2%

of Wauconda adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs10.7%
Thinking or memory11.4%
Hearing5.6%
Errands alone6.4%
Vision3.9%
Dressing or bathing3%
Illinois

Every CDC estimate for Wauconda

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Wauconda is better than Illinois on 9 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Wauconda’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…WaucondaILU.S.vs IL
Overall health
Fair or poor health15.4%13.3–17.618.6%19.4%Better
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)11.3%9.8–12.712.2%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)14.8%12.9–16.615.6%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity34%28.7–39.334%32.9%About the same
Diabetes10.3%8.8–11.811.7%12%About the same
High blood pressure31.4%27.8–34.833%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)36.5%32.6–40.235.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis22.4%19.6–25.124.2%25.3%About the same
Asthma9.5%8.3–10.79.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer7.8%7.1–8.67.6%7.9%About the same
Coronary heart disease5.1%4.6–5.75.9%6.4%Better
COPD5.6%4.9–6.46.3%6.3%About the same
Stroke2.7%2.5–33.3%3.4%Better
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)9.8%8–12.110.3%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes11.2%9.4–13.212.1%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work18.7%15.6–2223%24.7%Better
Binge drinking17.3%14.5–20.217.8%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours32.2%27.5–37.535.4%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)8.5%7.2–9.99.9%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year76.3%72.8–79.477.8%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year67.8%64.6–71.163.4%63.2%Better
Cholesterol check in 5 years88.7%87.1–90.187.4%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)73.3%69.7–76.475.7%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)61.8%57.2–66.560.2%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)74.9%67.8–81.373.5%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression19.8%16.8–22.819.8%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely30%25.9–34.333.5%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support22.6%19.5–2625.4%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food11.4%9.7–13.215.9%15%Better
Worried about keeping housing10.3%8.9–1213.2%12%Better
Threatened with a utility shut-off6.1%5.2–77.8%7.6%Better
Lack reliable transportation6.1%5.4–78%7.9%Better
Received SNAP (food stamps)9.4%7.9–11.113.8%11.6%Lower
Disability
Any disability23.2%20–26.627.6%30.1%Lower
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs10.7%9.2–12.312.8%13.6%Lower
Difficulty concentrating or remembering11.4%9.9–12.912.6%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty5.6%4.9–6.36.2%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty3.9%3.5–4.34.8%5.4%Lower
Difficulty doing errands alone6.4%5.6–7.27.6%7.9%Lower
Difficulty dressing or bathing3%2.7–3.33.5%3.8%Lower

Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Illinois figure falls inside that range.

Questions about health in Wauconda

Is Wauconda a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wauconda is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #182 of 767 in Illinois. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 75%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Wauconda?

CDC estimates 34% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.7% and 39.3%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Wauconda?

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, 6.0 miles in a straight line from Wauconda’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.

How many people in Wauconda have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 8.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.2–9.9%), against 9.9% across Illinois.

How accurate are these numbers?

They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Wauconda more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Wauconda.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Illinois figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.