Photo: Downspec · CC BY-SA 4.0Within Wisconsin, Hayward is healthier than 12% of graded towns
Hayward differs from Wisconsin on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 13 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 54843. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Hayward
Heart disease, COPD and stroke run high in Hayward
1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.1%), vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. 1 in 11 adults have COPD (8.8%), vs 6.5% across Wisconsin. Stroke is also above the state: 4.6%, vs 3.4% across Wisconsin. In all, Hayward runs above Wisconsin on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 28% of residents are 65 or older (Wisconsin 19%), and heart disease, COPD and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
In Hayward, insurance isn’t the gap
Only 7.6% of working-age adults are uninsured (Wisconsin 8%), yet 22.5% say their health is fair or poor, vs 17.8% across the state. Checkups ↓
More high blood pressure in Hayward, and more people treating it
40.3% of adults have high blood pressure (Wisconsin 33.3%), but 81.7% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.8% statewide. 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 Hayward’s likely range; Hayward’s figures come from ZIP code 54843, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Hayward’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Hayward is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns, #316 of 357 in Wisconsin. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 77% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 18%).
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). Hayward’s median household income is $66,615; among the 10,157 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$83K), it’s healthier than 43%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Hayward compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 81.7% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Hayward adults…
Hayward runs above WI on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Hayward is an older town: 28% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Wisconsin. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Hayward as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Hayward adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.
Care in and near Hayward
No hospital or community health center in Hayward 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 Hayward; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin
Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.
31 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
How Hayward adults are doing
About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.
3 in 10 Hayward 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
15.4% of Hayward adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.
Hayward and the towns around it
Hayward’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 4 graded towns around it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward · Round Lake | C | 34.2% | 14.6% | 17.2% | ZIP 54843 |
| Bass Lake | C | 34.2% | 14.7% | 17.2% | ZIP codes |
| Hayward | C+ | 33.3% | 13.3% | 16.7% | CDC place |
| Lenroot | C | 34.4% | 14.6% | 17% | ZIP codes |
| Hunter | — | — | — | — | |
| Chief Lake | — | — | — | — | |
| Little Round Lake | — | — | — | — | |
| Couderay | — | — | — | — |
Hayward and Round Lake share one ZIP estimate, so they share a row. Hunter, Chief Lake and Couderay: fewer than 1,000 residents. Little Round Lake: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Hayward adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Hayward
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Hayward is better than Wisconsin on 3 and worse on 13; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Hayward’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Hayward | WI | U.S. | vs WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.5%19.9–25.2 | 17.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.1%14.3–17.9 | 12.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.3%13.7–17.1 | 15.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.2%28.3–40.2 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.6%12.9–16.5 | 11.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.3%36.4–44.1 | 33.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.3%34.4–42.2 | 34.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 33.3%30–36.5 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.2%10–12.5 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11%10.1–12 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.1%8.2–10 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.8%7.9–9.9 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.6%4.2–5 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11%9–13.3 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.2%15–19.5 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 30.8%26.6–35 | 26.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.9%13.3–18.8 | 19% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34%28.6–39.6 | 32.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.6%6.5–8.8 | 8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.6%77.6–83.4 | 77.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.7%61.4–68 | 67.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.6%86.1–88.9 | 85.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.7%79.2–84.1 | 77.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.7%64–73.1 | 69.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.3%70.1–83.2 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.9%19.8–26.2 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.1%24.1–32.4 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.6%16.9–22.6 | 20.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.1%12.2–16.1 | 12.1% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.3%9–11.8 | 9.7% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.5%5.7–7.4 | 5.5% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8%7.1–9 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15.4%13.5–17.5 | 12.5% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.5%31.5–39.5 | 29.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.1%16–20.3 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.5%12.1–15.1 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.8%8.8–10.8 | 6.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.9%5.4–6.5 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.5%8.6–10.6 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.6%4.2–5.1 | 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 Hayward
Is Hayward a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Hayward is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #316 of 357 in Wisconsin. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 43%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Hayward?
CDC estimates 34.2% of adults (the figure for ZIP code 54843, which Hayward shares with Round Lake) have obesity, likely between 28.3% and 40.2%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Hayward?
Tamarack Health Hayward Medical Center in Hayward, 9.7 miles in a straight line from Hayward’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Hayward have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.5–8.8%), 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 Hayward more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B. The figures are ZIP code 54843’s, shared with Round Lake.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Hayward.
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.