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–Not graded
Health in Bear Lake · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Bear Lake residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Bear Lake, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 54868, 54813. How CDC estimates town health

Fair or poor health
19.6%
About the same as WI (17.8%)
Obesity
38%
About the same as WI (37.7%)
No exercise
29.4%
About the same as WI (26.6%)
Uninsured
7.7%
About the same as WI (8%)
Feel lonely
30.1%
About the same as WI (30.6%)
Nearest ER
7.2 mi
Marshfield Medical Center - Rice Lake
What stands out

What stands out about health in Bear Lake

8.2%have COPD · WI 6.5%
★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Bear Lake adults…

Bear Lake runs above WI on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

8 of every 100 Bear Lake adults have COPD
Wisconsin: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 7.3–9.2%
Better than WIWorseAbout the sameWisconsin
Why age matters here

Bear Lake is an older town: 25% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Wisconsin. Heart disease, COPD and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Bear Lake as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Bear Lake25%
Wisconsin19%
Getting care

Care in and near Bear Lake

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

HNearest ERMarshfield Medical Center - Rice LakeRice Lake · 7.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMayo Clinic Health System-Northland★★★★★ · 13.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careLakes Community Health Center, Inc theRice Lake · 6.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
6.8 mi
Lakes Community Health Center, Inc the
7 sites · nearest in Rice Lake
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
7.2 mi
Marshfield Medical Center - Rice Lake
Rice Lake · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
7.3 mi
Family Health Center - Rice Lake Dental Center
Rice Lake · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
Directions
9.7 mi
Cumberland Memorial Hospital
Cumberland · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
11.1 mi
Indianhead Medical Center
Shell Lake · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
13.3 mi
Mayo Clinic Health System-Northland
Barron · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
✓ Primary careBear Lake is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careBear Lake is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Bear Lake 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 Bear Lake; ≈ 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin

Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.

Get no exercise 29.4%WI 26.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 32.1%WI 32.6%
Binge drink 18.4%WI 19%
Smoke cigarettes 15.2%WI 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Bear Lake, betterBear Lake, worseAbout the sameWisconsin
Where Bear Lake gets moving

4.9 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

1Barron County Forest3.3 mi of trails
Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Bear Lake adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.

78%Yearly checkupWI 78%
64%Dentist visitWI 67%
86%Cholesterol checkWI 86%
69%Colon screeningWI 69%
77%MammogramWI 80%
80%Taking BP medsWI 78%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Bear Lake 7.7% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)
Mind & connection

How Bear Lake adults are doing

About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.

3 in 10Bear Lake adults feel lonely
30.1% · WI 30.6% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Bear Lake adults lack social or emotional support
19.9% · WI 20.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 4Bear Lake adults have been diagnosed with depression
24% · WI 23.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 6Bear Lake adults are in frequent mental distress
15.8% · WI 15.5% · About the same as WI
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Bear Lake 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.

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 8
Bear Lake adults worry about having enough food
12.2% · WI 12.1%
About the same as WI
1 in 11
Bear Lake adults worry about keeping their housing
9.1% · WI 9.7%
About the same as WI
1 in 18
Bear Lake adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.5% · WI 5.5%
About the same as WI
1 in 15
Bear Lake adults lack reliable transportation
6.7% · WI 6.7%
About the same as WI

13.4% of Bear Lake adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Around town

Bear Lake and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Lakeland: 38.8%Sarona: 35.1%Oak Grove: 37.6%Stanfold: 38.1%Cumberland: 38.8%Barronett: 36.4%Maple Plain: 39%Cumberland: 39%Beaver Brook: 35.7%Long Lake: 35.1%Rice Lake: 37.9%Haugen: 36.9%Cedar Lake: 36.6%Barron: 38.8%Bear Lake: 38%Bear LakeLakelandSaronaOak GroveStanfoldMarshfield Medical Center - Rice Lake · Rice Lake · 7.2 mi · 2★ MedicareHCumberland Memorial Hospital · Cumberland · 9.7 miHIndianhead Medical Center · Shell Lake · 11.1 miHMayo Clinic Health System-Northland · Barron · 13.3 mi · 4★ MedicareHNorthlakes - Rice Lake · Rice Lake · 6.8 mi+Family Health Center - Rice Lake Dental Center · Rice Lake · 7.3 mi+
Healthier than WINear WILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#9 of 15 towns on this map, healthiest first
Sarona35.1%
Oak Grove37.6%
Bear Lake38%
Stanfold38.1%
Lakeland38.8%
WI37.7%

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
Lakeland————
Oak Grove————
Sarona————
Stanfold————

Lakeland, Oak Grove, Sarona and Stanfold: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

32%

of Bear Lake adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.7%
Thinking or memory13.8%
Hearing8.4%
Errands alone8.9%
Vision5%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Wisconsin

Questions about health in Bear Lake

Why doesn’t Bear Lake have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Bear Lake.

What hospital is closest to Bear Lake?

Marshfield Medical Center - Rice Lake in Rice Lake, 7.2 miles in a straight line from Bear Lake’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.

Where can I get low-cost care near Bear Lake?

5 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Northlakes - Rice Lake in Rice Lake, 6.8 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bear Lake.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Wisconsin figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. 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.