Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Dorchester

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
Health in Dorchester · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Dorchester residents get care

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

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

Fair or poor health
22.2%
Worse than WI (17.8%)
Obesity
38.3%
About the same as WI (37.7%)
No exercise
34.4%
Worse than WI (26.6%)
Uninsured
13.8%
Worse than WI (8%)
Feel lonely
31.4%
About the same as WI (30.6%)
Nearest ER
9.3 mi
Aspirus Medford Hospital & Clinics
What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Dorchester

17%worry about food · WI 12.1%34.4%get no exercise · WI 26.6%13.8%uninsured, ages 18–64 · WI 8%

Making ends meet is harder in Dorchester

1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food (17%), vs 12.1% across Wisconsin. Housing insecurity (12.8% vs 9.7%) and no reliable transportation (8.7% vs 6.7%) are higher too. 17.8% of adults receive SNAP, vs 12.5% statewide. Everyday needs ↓

More Dorchester adults get no exercise

1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (34.4%), vs 26.6% across Wisconsin. Habits ↓

1 in 7 working-age adults in Dorchester has no health insurance

13.8% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 8% across Wisconsin. Checkups ↓

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 Dorchester’s likely range.

★ 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 6
Dorchester adults worry about having enough food
17% · WI 12.1%
Worse than WI
1 in 8
Dorchester adults worry about keeping their housing
12.8% · WI 9.7%
Worse than WI
1 in 14
Dorchester adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.1% · WI 5.5%
Worse than WI
1 in 11
Dorchester adults lack reliable transportation
8.7% · WI 6.7%
Worse than WI

17.8% of Dorchester adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin

Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.

Get no exercise 34.4%WI 26.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 32.8%WI 32.6%
Binge drink 18.4%WI 19%
Smoke cigarettes 17.5%WI 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Dorchester, betterDorchester, worseAbout the sameWisconsin
Where Dorchester gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

74%Yearly checkupWI 78%
62%Dentist visitWI 67%
82%Cholesterol checkWI 86%
66%Colon screeningWI 69%
74%MammogramWI 80%
77%Taking BP medsWI 78%
1 in 7
working-age adults has no health insurance
Dorchester 13.8% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Dorchester adults…

Dorchester runs above WI on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

8 of every 100 Dorchester adults have COPD
Wisconsin: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 6.9–10%
Better than WIWorseAbout the sameWisconsin
Getting care

Care in and near Dorchester

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

HNearest ERAspirus Medford Hospital & ClinicsMedford · 9.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careFamily Health Center of MarshfieldMedford · 9.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.3 mi
Aspirus Medford Hospital & Clinics
Medford · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
9.8 mi
Family Health Center of Marshfield
4 sites · nearest in Medford
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
23.7 mi
Marshfield Medical Center
Marshfield · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
29 mi
Aspirus Stanley Hospital
Stanley · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
32.4 mi
Aspirus Wausau Hospital
Wausau · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
33.7 mi
Primary Connection Healthcare
3 sites · nearest in Merrill
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Dorchester itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Dorchester itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Dorchester 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 Dorchester; ≈ 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).

Mind & connection

How Dorchester adults are doing

About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.

1 in 3Dorchester adults feel lonely
31.4% · WI 30.6% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Dorchester adults lack social or emotional support
21.8% · WI 20.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Dorchester adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.9% · WI 23.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 6Dorchester adults are in frequent mental distress
16.8% · WI 15.5% · About the same as WI
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Dorchester 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

Dorchester and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Mayville: 39.2%Holton: 39.9%Curtiss: 39.9%Abbotsford: 39.6%Little Black: 43.8%Colby: 38.8%Hoard: 39.2%Johnson: 39.1%Deer Creek: 45.1%Dorchester: 38.3%DorchesterMayvilleHolton
Healthier than WINear WILess healthy
Obesity
#1 of 10 towns on this map, healthiest first
Dorchester38.3%
Mayville39.2%
Holton39.9%
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
Mayville————
Holton————

Mayville: not graded. Holton: 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.

34.3%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.2%
Thinking or memory16%
Hearing8.5%
Errands alone10.2%
Vision6%
Dressing or bathing4.5%
Wisconsin

Questions about health in Dorchester

Why doesn’t Dorchester have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Dorchester?

Aspirus Medford Hospital & Clinics in Medford, 9.3 miles in a straight line from Dorchester’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.

Where can I get low-cost care near Dorchester?

1 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Family Health Center - Medford Dental Center in Medford, 9.8 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.