Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Colby is healthier than 51%
Colby trails Wisconsin on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Colby. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Colby
More Colby adults get no exercise
36.5% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 26.6% across Wisconsin. Habits ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Colby
1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food (18.1%), vs 12.1% across Wisconsin. Housing insecurity (13.1% vs 9.7%) and no reliable transportation (9% vs 6.7%) are higher too. 19.3% of adults receive SNAP, vs 12.5% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Colby
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.3%), vs 6.5% across Wisconsin. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.8%), vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. Stroke is also above the state: 4.5%, vs 3.4% across Wisconsin. In all, Colby runs above Wisconsin on four of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Colby is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Colby is healthier than 22%. Against the 5,839 towns with similar household incomes ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 51%. Health Grade ↓
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 Wisconsin figure falls outside Colby’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Colby’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Colby is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 58% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 6%).
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). Colby’s median household income is $50,114; among the 5,839 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 51%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin
Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
19.3% of Colby adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.
Out of every 100 Colby adults…
Colby runs above WI on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Colby
No hospital or community health center in Colby itself. These are the nearest.
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 Colby; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Colby adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.
How Colby adults are doing
About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.
1 in 3 Colby adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Colby and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colby | C− | 38.8% | 13.3% | 17.8% | CDC place |
| Colby | — | — | — | — | |
| Hull | — | — | — | — | |
| Abbotsford | C− | 39.6% | 13% | 16.9% | CDC place |
Colby and Hull: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Colby adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Colby
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Colby is better than Wisconsin on 0 and worse on 17; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Colby’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Colby | WI | U.S. | vs WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.4%21.4–27.5 | 17.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.4%14.6–18.3 | 12.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.6%15–18.4 | 15.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.8%34–43.9 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.3%11.9–14.8 | 11.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 35.7%32.8–38.7 | 33.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37%34–40.1 | 34.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.8%27.4–32.3 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.2%10.1–12.3 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.2%8.5–10 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.8%7.9–9.8 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.3%8.1–10.7 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.5%4–5 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.5%10.6–14.4 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.8%15.4–20.6 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 36.5%32.3–41.1 | 26.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.9%14.7–19.3 | 19% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.9%28.8–37.3 | 32.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 14.2%12.1–16.7 | 8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.5%72.6–78.2 | 77.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 56.6%53.6–59.5 | 67.1% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.3%81.4–85.1 | 85.9% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.6%76.5–80.6 | 77.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.8%65.3–72.3 | 69.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.6%70.1–80.5 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.7%20.3–25.4 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.2%27.7–34.8 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22%19.4–24.8 | 20.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 18.1%15.6–20.7 | 12.1% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.1%11.4–14.9 | 9.7% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.2%6.3–8.2 | 5.5% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9%8–10.2 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 19.3%16.7–22.2 | 12.5% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.1%33.2–41.1 | 29.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.4%16.2–20.8 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.3%14.5–18.3 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.5%8.6–10.5 | 6.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.7%5.9–7.4 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11%9.7–12.4 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5%4.4–5.7 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Wisconsin figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Colby
Is Colby a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Colby is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Colby?
CDC estimates 38.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 34% and 43.9%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Colby?
Aspirus Medford Hospital & Clinics in Medford, 15.6 miles in a straight line from Colby’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Colby have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 14.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 12.1–16.7%), against 8% across Wisconsin.
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 Colby more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Colby.
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. 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.