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Lafayette County, Wisconsin Courthouse in Darlington, WisconsinPhoto: Downspec · CC BY-SA 4.0
≈ C+Health Grade
Health in Darlington · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Darlington is healthier than 64%

Darlington trails Wisconsin on 2 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Darlington

Many Darlington adults are uninsured, but health holds up

1 in 8 working-age adults has no health insurance (12.3%, vs 8% across Wisconsin). Yet the share who say their health is fair or poor, 20.6%, is about level with the state’s 17.8%. Checkups ↓

Darlington is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Darlington is healthier than 37%. Against the 7,907 towns with similar household incomes ($42K–$71K), it’s healthier than 64%. 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 Darlington’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Darlington’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Darlington is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 61% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 10%).

C+Self-rated health20.6% · WI 17.8% · U.S. 19.4%
B−Physical distress14.4% · WI 12.9% · U.S. 13%
BMental distress16.4% · WI 15.5% · U.S. 15.9%
DObesity42.4% · WI 37.7% · U.S. 32.9%
B−Diabetes11.9% · WI 11.4% · U.S. 12%
B−Smoking14.9% smoke · WI 13.6% · U.S. 11.8%
C−Exercise31.6% · WI 26.6% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 37%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $42K–$71K (7,907)Healthier than 64%

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). Darlington’s median household income is $56,641; among the 7,907 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($42K–$71K), it’s healthier than 64%, more than its income alone would suggest.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Darlington could be anywhere from D to B+. The letter shows with “≈”.

How TownRatings grades health →

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

77%Yearly checkupWI 78%
65%Dentist visitWI 67%
85%Cholesterol checkWI 86%
69%Colon screeningWI 69%
77%MammogramWI 80%
78%Taking BP medsWI 78%
1 in 8
working-age adults has no health insurance
Darlington 12.3% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Darlington adults…

On every condition, Darlington is about the same as Wisconsin. Tap one to see it as people.

34 of every 100 Darlington adults have high blood pressure
Wisconsin: 33 in 100 · about the same · likely 30.1–38.4%
Better than WIWorseAbout the sameWisconsin
Getting care

Care in and near Darlington

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

HNearest ERLafayette Hospital and ClinicsDarlington · 1.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyUpland Hills Health★★★★★ · 19.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careDodgeville Dental ClinicDodgeville · 19.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1.4 mi
Lafayette Hospital and Clinics
Darlington · not rated
ERRural critical access
17.3 mi
Southwest Health Center
Platteville · not rated
ERRural critical access
19.1 mi
Upland Hills Health
Dodgeville · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
19.5 mi
Dodgeville Dental Clinic
Dodgeville · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
22.3 mi
Midwest Medical Center
Galena · not rated
ERRural critical access
29.5 mi
Crescent Community Health Center
7 sites · nearest in Dubuque
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Darlington itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Darlington itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Darlington 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 Darlington; ≈ 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 31.6%WI 26.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 34.2%WI 32.6%
Binge drink 18.4%WI 19%
Smoke cigarettes 14.9%WI 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Darlington, betterDarlington, worseAbout the sameWisconsin
Where Darlington gets moving

1 mile of trails across 3 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Darlington adults are doing

About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.

1 in 3Darlington adults feel lonely
31.6% · WI 30.6% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Darlington adults lack social or emotional support
20.8% · WI 20.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 4Darlington adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.3% · WI 23.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 6Darlington adults are in frequent mental distress
16.4% · WI 15.5% · About the same as WI
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Darlington 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 7
Darlington adults worry about having enough food
14.8% · WI 12.1%
About the same as WI
1 in 8
Darlington adults worry about keeping their housing
11.8% · WI 9.7%
Worse than WI
1 in 16
Darlington adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.4% · WI 5.5%
About the same as WI
1 in 13
Darlington adults lack reliable transportation
7.8% · WI 6.7%
About the same as WI

15% of Darlington adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Around town

Darlington and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Darlington: 42.6%Wiota: 42.3%Gratiot: 42.1%Lamont: 42.4%Seymour: 42.8%Willow Springs: 40.6%Shullsburg: 43.4%Darlington: 42.4%DarlingtonDarlingtonLafayette Hospital and Clinics · Darlington · 1.4 miH
Healthier than WINear WILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#4 of 8 towns on this map, healthiest first
Darlington42.4%
Darlington42.6%
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
DarlingtonC+42.4%11.9%14.9%CDC place
Darlington————

Darlington: 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.

33.3%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.4%
Thinking or memory14.4%
Hearing8%
Errands alone9%
Vision5.3%
Dressing or bathing4%
Wisconsin

Every CDC estimate for Darlington

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

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Darlington is better than Wisconsin on 0 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Darlington’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…DarlingtonWIU.S.vs WI
Overall health
Fair or poor health20.6%17.3–24.117.8%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)14.4%12.4–16.612.9%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)16.4%14.2–18.615.5%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity42.4%34.2–50.637.7%32.9%About the same
Diabetes11.9%10.1–13.811.4%12%About the same
High blood pressure34.2%30.1–38.433.3%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)35.3%31.1–39.634.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis27.9%24.7–31.226.6%25.3%About the same
Asthma10.7%9.4–12.110.8%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer8.8%7.9–9.88.6%7.9%About the same
Coronary heart disease7.3%6.3–8.36.6%6.4%About the same
COPD7.3%6–8.86.5%6.3%About the same
Stroke3.7%3.2–4.23.4%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)9.9%8–12.19.9%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes14.9%12.1–17.713.6%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work31.6%26.1–37.326.6%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking18.4%15.2–21.819%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours34.2%27.6–41.232.6%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)12.3%9.7–158%11%Worse
Checkup in the past year77.1%73.2–80.777.6%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year64.6%61–68.167.1%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years84.8%82.5–86.885.9%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)77.5%74.7–80.277.8%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)68.7%63.7–73.469.4%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)77.2%69.4–83.880.3%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression23.3%19.8–27.123.2%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely31.6%26.8–37.230.6%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support20.8%17.5–24.620.2%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food14.8%11.9–1812.1%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing11.8%9.8–149.7%12%Worse
Threatened with a utility shut-off6.4%5.4–7.65.5%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation7.8%6.6–9.16.7%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)15%12–18.312.5%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability33.3%28.4–38.229.4%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs15.4%12.8–1813.4%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering14.4%12.3–16.612.8%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8%6.9–96.9%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty5.3%4.6–6.24.5%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone9%7.6–10.57.9%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing4%3.4–4.73.5%3.8%About the same

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 Darlington

Is Darlington a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Darlington is healthier than 37% 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 Darlington?

CDC estimates 42.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 34.2% and 50.6%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Darlington?

Lafayette Hospital and Clinics in Darlington, 1.4 miles in a straight line from Darlington’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in Darlington have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 12.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.7–15%), 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 Darlington 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 Darlington.

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. 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.