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Hayward, Wisconsin 2Photo: Downspec · CC BY-SA 4.0
≈ C+Health Grade
Health in Hayward · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Hayward is healthier than 81%

Hayward trails Wisconsin on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Hayward

Stroke, COPD and heart disease run high in Hayward

1 in 23 adults have had a stroke (4.4%), vs 3.4% across Wisconsin. 1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.4%), vs 6.5% across Wisconsin. Heart disease is also above the state: 8.5%, vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. In all, Hayward runs above Wisconsin on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

Smoking is more common in Hayward

1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (16.7%), vs 13.6% across Wisconsin. Habits ↓

Hayward is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Hayward is healthier than 36%. Against the 4,247 towns with similar household incomes ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 81%. 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 Hayward’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Hayward’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Hayward is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns, #311 of 357 in Wisconsin. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 70% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 18%).

CSelf-rated health22.3% · WI 17.8% · U.S. 19.4%
CPhysical distress15.7% · WI 12.9% · U.S. 13%
BMental distress16.3% · WI 15.5% · U.S. 15.9%
B+Obesity33.3% · WI 37.7% · U.S. 32.9%
CDiabetes13.3% · WI 11.4% · U.S. 12%
CSmoking16.7% smoke · WI 13.6% · U.S. 11.8%
C−Exercise31.3% · WI 26.6% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 36%
Less healthyHealthier
Wisconsin towns we grade (357)Healthier than 13%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $34K–$57K (4,247)Healthier than 81%

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 $45,665; among the 4,247 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 81%, more than its income alone would suggest.

Most Wisconsin towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Hayward is healthier than 13% of graded towns, against 36% nationally.

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

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Hayward adults…

Hayward runs above WI on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

4 of every 100 Hayward adults have had a stroke
Wisconsin: 3 in 100 · worse · likely 3.8–5%
Better than WIWorseAbout the sameWisconsin
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin

Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.

Get no exercise 31.3%WI 26.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 33.6%WI 32.6%
Binge drink 17%WI 19%
Smoke cigarettes 16.7%WI 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Hayward, betterHayward, worseAbout the sameWisconsin
Where Hayward gets moving

2.6 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Hayward

1 community health center in Hayward, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERTamarack Health Hayward Medical CenterHayward · 12.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyTamarack Health Hayward Medical Center★★★★★ · 12.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost careLakes Community Health Center, Inc theHayward · 0.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
0.2 mi
Lakes Community Health Center, Inc the
5 sites · nearest in Hayward
Sliding-scale feesIn Hayward
Directions to nearest
12.7 mi
Tamarack Health Hayward Medical Center
Hayward · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
23.5 mi
Spooner Health System
Spooner · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
27.8 mi
Indianhead Medical Center
Shell Lake · not rated
ERRural critical access
36.7 mi
Family Health Center of Marshfield
3 sites · nearest in Rice Lake
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
36.9 mi
Marshfield Medical Center - Rice Lake
Rice Lake · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Hayward itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Hayward itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Hayward 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 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%Yearly checkupWI 78%
64%Dentist visitWI 67%
85%Cholesterol checkWI 86%
68%Colon screeningWI 69%
78%MammogramWI 80%
80%Taking BP medsWI 78%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Hayward 8.6% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)
Mind & connection

How Hayward adults are doing

About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.

3 in 10Hayward adults feel lonely
29.6% · WI 30.6% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Hayward adults lack social or emotional support
20.3% · WI 20.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 4Hayward adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.8% · WI 23.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 6Hayward adults are in frequent mental distress
16.3% · WI 15.5% · About the same as WI
The one neighbors can help with

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.

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
Hayward adults worry about having enough food
14.2% · WI 12.1%
About the same as WI
1 in 9
Hayward adults worry about keeping their housing
10.6% · WI 9.7%
About the same as WI
1 in 16
Hayward adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.4% · WI 5.5%
About the same as WI
1 in 12
Hayward adults lack reliable transportation
8.1% · WI 6.7%
Worse than WI

15.5% of Hayward adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Around town

Hayward and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Hayward: 34.2%Bass Lake: 34.2%Lenroot: 34.4%Round Lake: 34.2%Hunter: 35.2%Little Round Lake: 41.2%Chief Lake: 39.9%Reserve: 41.1%Couderay: 37.5%Bass Lake: 35.1%Stinnett: 35.6%Hayward: 33.3%HaywardHaywardTamarack Health Hayward Medical Center · Hayward · 12.7 mi · 4★ MedicareHNorthlakes - Hayward River's Edge · Hayward · 0.2 mi+
Healthier than WINear WILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#1 of 12 towns on this map, healthiest first
Hayward33.3%
Hayward34.2%
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
HaywardC+33.3%13.3%16.7%CDC place
HaywardC34.2%14.6%17.2%ZIP 54843

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

36%

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

Walking or climbing stairs17.6%
Thinking or memory14.5%
Hearing9.6%
Errands alone9.9%
Vision5.9%
Dressing or bathing4.4%
Wisconsin

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 0 and worse on 11; 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…HaywardWIU.S.vs WI
Overall health
Fair or poor health22.3%18.9–26.117.8%19.4%Worse
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.7%13.5–1812.9%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)16.3%14.2–18.415.5%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity33.3%27.3–39.737.7%32.9%About the same
Diabetes13.3%11.4–15.411.4%12%About the same
High blood pressure37.5%33.5–41.333.3%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)35.7%31.9–39.734.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis30.8%27.5–34.226.6%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.2%9.9–12.610.8%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10.1%9.1–11.18.6%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease8.5%7.5–9.76.6%6.4%Worse
COPD8.4%6.9–106.5%6.3%Worse
Stroke4.4%3.8–53.4%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)15.5%12.7–18.59.9%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes16.7%13.8–19.713.6%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work31.3%26.2–36.526.6%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking17%14.2–20.119%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours33.6%28–39.432.6%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)8.6%6.8–10.88%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year78.7%75.5–81.877.6%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year63.9%60.4–67.467.1%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years85.3%83.2–87.385.9%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)80%77.3–82.377.8%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)67.5%62.6–72.169.4%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)78.1%70.8–84.180.3%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression23.8%20.4–27.323.2%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely29.6%25.2–34.230.6%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support20.3%17.2–23.620.2%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food14.2%11.7–17.312.1%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing10.6%8.9–12.69.7%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off6.4%5.4–7.55.5%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation8.1%7–9.46.7%7.9%Worse
Received SNAP (food stamps)15.5%12.5–18.812.5%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability36%31.2–40.729.4%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs17.6%14.8–20.613.4%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering14.5%12.4–16.512.8%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty9.6%8.4–10.86.9%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5.9%5–6.84.5%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone9.9%8.4–11.57.9%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.4%3.8–5.23.5%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 36% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #311 of 357 in Wisconsin. 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 33.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.3% and 39.7%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Hayward?

Tamarack Health Hayward Medical Center in Hayward, 12.7 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 8.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.8–10.8%), 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+.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.