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≈ BHealth Grade
Health in Gale · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Gale is healthier than 33%

Gale beats Wisconsin on 1 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 54630, 54627, 54642. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out

What stands out about health in Gale

Health Grade

What’s behind Gale’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Gale is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns. Fair or poor health holds the grade up (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than 75% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 20%).

A−Self-rated health16.4% · WI 17.8% · U.S. 19.4%
B+Physical distress13.2% · WI 12.9% · U.S. 13%
B+Mental distress15.6% · WI 15.5% · U.S. 15.9%
C−Obesity40.1% · WI 37.7% · U.S. 32.9%
BDiabetes11.2% · WI 11.4% · U.S. 12%
B−Smoking14.5% smoke · WI 13.6% · U.S. 11.8%
B−Exercise25.8% · WI 26.6% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 59%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $79K–$132K (7,811)Healthier than 33%

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). Gale’s median household income is $105,313; among the 7,811 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($79K–$132K), it’s healthier than 33%, less 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, Gale could be anywhere from C to A. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 54630,54627,54642), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Gale adults…

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

34 of every 100 Gale adults have high blood pressure
Wisconsin: 33 in 100 · about the same · likely 29.9–37.6%
Better than WIWorseAbout the sameWisconsin
Getting care

Care in and near Gale

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

HNearest ERWinona Health ServicesWinona · 17 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyWinona Health Services★★★★★ · 17.0 miDirections →
+Low-cost careScenic Bluffs Health CenterLa Crosse · 20.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
17 mi
Winona Health Services
Winona · ★★★★★
ER
19.8 mi
Gundersen Tri-County Hospital & Clinics
Whitehall · not rated
ERRural critical access
20.5 mi
Scenic Bluffs Health Center
4 sites · nearest in La Crosse
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
20.9 mi
Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Medical Center
La Crosse · ★★★★★
ER
21.5 mi
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
La Crosse · ★★★★★
ER
28.1 mi
Family Health Center of Marshfield
2 sites · nearest in Black River Falls
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careGale is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careGale is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthGale is not a shortage area

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 Gale; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin

Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.

Get no exercise 25.8%WI 26.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 34.6%WI 32.6%
Binge drink 20.1%WI 19%
Smoke cigarettes 14.5%WI 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Gale, betterGale, worseAbout the sameWisconsin
Where Gale gets moving

3.2 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%Yearly checkupWI 78%
68%Dentist visitWI 67%
87%Cholesterol checkWI 86%
71%Colon screeningWI 69%
79%MammogramWI 80%
78%Taking BP medsWI 78%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Gale 6.6% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)
Mind & connection

How Gale adults are doing

About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.

3 in 10Gale adults feel lonely
27.9% · WI 30.6% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Gale adults lack social or emotional support
19.2% · WI 20.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 4Gale adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.5% · WI 23.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 6Gale adults are in frequent mental distress
15.6% · WI 15.5% · About the same as WI
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Gale 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 10
Gale adults worry about having enough food
10.1% · WI 12.1%
Better than WI
1 in 12
Gale adults worry about keeping their housing
8.3% · WI 9.7%
About the same as WI
1 in 20
Gale adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.9% · WI 5.5%
About the same as WI
1 in 17
Gale adults lack reliable transportation
5.9% · WI 6.7%
About the same as WI

10.6% of Gale adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Around town

Gale and the towns around it

Gale’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 5 graded towns around it.

Holland: 37.7%Farmington: 38.9%Ettrick: 40.3%Trempealeau: 40.4%Caledonia: 40.3%Arcadia: 43.9%Holmen: 37.3%Onalaska: 37.1%Richmond Township: 34.5%Hamilton: 37.8%Burns: 39.6%North Bend: 39.5%Preston: 40.5%Franklin: 39.7%Trempealeau: 40.2%Buffalo: 39%Dodge: 41%Homer Township: 34.5%Glencoe: 43.4%Cross: 39%Independence: 42.8%Lincoln: 42.8%Burnside: 42.7%Gale: 40.1%GaleHollandFarmingtonEttrickTrempealeauCaledoniaArcadiaWinona Health Services · Winona · 17 mi · 2★ MedicareHGundersen Tri-County Hospital & Clinics · Whitehall · 19.8 miH
Healthier than WINear WILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#13 of 24 towns on this map, healthiest first
Holland37.7%
Farmington38.9%
Gale40.1%
Ettrick40.3%
Caledonia40.3%
Trempealeau40.4%
Arcadia43.9%
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
GaleB40.1%11.2%14.5%ZIP codes
HollandA−37.7%9.6%12.6%ZIP 54636
FarmingtonB38.9%10.8%14%ZIP codes
EttrickB−40.3%12%14.7%ZIP codes
Trempealeau————
Caledonia————
ArcadiaC−43.9%12.6%17%ZIP codes

Trempealeau: not graded. Caledonia: 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.

28.3%

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

Walking or climbing stairs13.1%
Thinking or memory12.6%
Hearing7.1%
Errands alone7.6%
Vision4%
Dressing or bathing3.4%
Wisconsin

Every CDC estimate for Gale

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

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Gale is better than Wisconsin on 1 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Gale’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…GaleWIU.S.vs WI
Overall health
Fair or poor health16.4%14.1–18.717.8%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)13.2%11.7–1512.9%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)15.6%13.8–17.515.5%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity40.1%32.9–47.337.7%32.9%About the same
Diabetes11.2%9.7–12.811.4%12%About the same
High blood pressure33.8%29.9–37.633.3%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)35.1%31.2–39.234.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis28.2%25.1–31.426.6%25.3%About the same
Asthma10.7%9.5–1210.8%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.3%8.3–10.28.6%7.9%About the same
Coronary heart disease6.8%6–7.56.6%6.4%About the same
COPD6.8%5.8–7.76.5%6.3%About the same
Stroke3.3%3–3.73.4%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)9.1%7.4–11.19.9%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes14.5%12.4–16.913.6%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work25.8%21.7–30.126.6%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking20.1%16.8–23.719%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours34.6%28.8–40.932.6%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)6.6%5.4–88%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year77.8%74.3–81.277.6%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year67.7%64.4–70.967.1%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years86.6%84.9–88.385.9%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)77.9%74.9–80.777.8%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)71%66.6–75.369.4%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)78.8%72–84.680.3%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression23.5%20.2–2723.2%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely27.9%23.5–32.630.6%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support19.2%16.3–22.520.2%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food10.1%8.4–1212.1%15%Better
Worried about keeping housing8.3%7–9.89.7%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off4.9%4.2–5.75.5%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation5.9%5.1–6.76.7%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)10.6%8.9–12.512.5%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability28.3%24.5–32.329.4%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs13.1%11.3–15.113.4%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering12.6%11–14.212.8%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty7.1%6.3–86.9%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty4%3.6–4.54.5%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone7.6%6.6–8.57.9%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.4%3–3.83.5%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 Gale

Is Gale a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Gale is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns: ≈ B 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 Gale?

CDC estimates 40.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.9% and 47.3%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Gale?

Winona Health Services in Winona, 17.0 miles in a straight line from Gale’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.

How many people in Gale have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 6.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.4–8%), 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 Gale more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.