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–Not graded
Health in Howard · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Howard residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 54730, 54729, 54724. How CDC estimates town health

Fair or poor health
17.4%
About the same as WI (17.8%)
Obesity
40.7%
About the same as WI (37.7%)
No exercise
27.1%
About the same as WI (26.6%)
Uninsured
6.8%
About the same as WI (8%)
Feel lonely
29.5%
About the same as WI (30.6%)
Nearest ER
9.1 mi
Mayo Clinic Health System Chippewa Valley
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Howard adults…

Howard runs above WI on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Howard adults have had cancer
Wisconsin: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 8.7–10.3%
Better than WIWorseAbout the sameWisconsin
Getting care

Care in and near Howard

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

HNearest ERMayo Clinic Health System Chippewa ValleyBloomer · 9.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire Hospital★★★★★ · 11.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careFamily Health Center of MarshfieldChippewa Falls · 11.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.1 mi
Mayo Clinic Health System Chippewa Valley
Bloomer · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
11.1 mi
Mayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire Hospital
Eau Claire · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
11.7 mi
Family Health Center of Marshfield
3 sites · nearest in Chippewa Falls
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
13.7 mi
Lakes Community Health Center, Inc the
5 sites · nearest in Eau Claire
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
13.8 mi
Marshfield Medical Center - Eau Claire
Eau Claire · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
14.7 mi
Oakleaf Surgical Hospital
Altoona · not rated
DirectionsMedicare profile
✓ Primary careHoward is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careHoward is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthHoward 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 Howard; ≈ 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 27.1%WI 26.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 32.8%WI 32.6%
Binge drink 18.9%WI 19%
Smoke cigarettes 14.5%WI 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Howard, betterHoward, worseAbout the sameWisconsin
Where Howard gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

77%Yearly checkupWI 78%
69%Dentist visitWI 67%
87%Cholesterol checkWI 86%
71%Colon screeningWI 69%
79%MammogramWI 80%
79%Taking BP medsWI 78%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Howard 6.8% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)
Mind & connection

How Howard adults are doing

About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.

3 in 10Howard adults feel lonely
29.5% · WI 30.6% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Howard adults lack social or emotional support
19.3% · WI 20.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 4Howard adults have been diagnosed with depression
24% · WI 23.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 7Howard adults are in frequent mental distress
15.2% · WI 15.5% · About the same as WI
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Howard 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
Howard adults worry about having enough food
10.1% · WI 12.1%
Better than WI
1 in 12
Howard adults worry about keeping their housing
8.4% · WI 9.7%
About the same as WI
1 in 20
Howard adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.9% · WI 5.5%
About the same as WI
1 in 17
Howard adults lack reliable transportation
6% · WI 6.7%
About the same as WI

10.8% of Howard adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Around town

Howard and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Colfax: 40.5%Wheaton: 38.9%Cooks Valley: 41.6%Tilden: 41.3%Tainter: 40.1%Grant: 40.5%Elk Mound: 40.3%Tainter Lake: 40.4%Chippewa Falls: 41%Lake Hallie: 41.5%Eau Claire: 30.1%Union: 31.7%Woodmohr: 41.8%Auburn: 41.8%Eagle Point: 40.9%Howard: 40.7%HowardColfaxWheatonCooks ValleyTildenMayo Clinic Health System Chippewa Valley · Bloomer · 9.1 mi · 4★ MedicareHMayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire Hospital · Eau Claire · 11.1 mi · 5★ MedicareHMarshfield Medical Center - Eau Claire · Eau Claire · 13.8 mi · 3★ MedicareHOakleaf Surgical Hospital · Altoona · 14.7 miHFamily Health Center - Chippewa Falls Dental Center · Chippewa Falls · 11.7 mi+Northlakes Eau Claire - Oak Ridge · Eau Claire · 13.7 mi+
Healthier than WINear WILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#9 of 16 towns on this map, healthiest first
Wheaton38.9%
Colfax40.5%
Howard40.7%
Tilden41.3%
Cooks Valley41.6%
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
Colfax————
WheatonB38.9%10.4%14.6%ZIP codes
Cooks Valley————
TildenB−41.3%11.4%15.1%ZIP codes

Colfax: not graded. Cooks Valley: 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.

31%

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

Walking or climbing stairs13.6%
Thinking or memory12.7%
Hearing7.5%
Errands alone7.7%
Vision4.2%
Dressing or bathing3.5%
Wisconsin

Questions about health in Howard

Why doesn’t Howard have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Howard?

Mayo Clinic Health System Chippewa Valley in Bloomer, 9.1 miles in a straight line from Howard’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.