Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Iron River is healthier than 84%
Iron River differs from Wisconsin on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 54847. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Iron River
Iron River is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Iron River is healthier than 55%. Against the 8,223 towns with similar household incomes ($43K–$72K), it’s healthier than 84%. Health Grade ↓
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Iron River
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.1%), vs 8.6% across Wisconsin. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.8%), vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. Arthritis is also above the state: 33.9%, vs 26.6% across Wisconsin. In all, Iron River runs above Wisconsin on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (Wisconsin 19%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
The nearest ER is 23 miles from Iron River
The closest emergency room is Tamarack Health Ashland Medical Center in Ashland, 22.6 miles away in a straight line. For everyday care, Lakes Community Health Center, Inc the is closer (2.7 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. Getting care ↓
More high blood pressure in Iron River, and more people treating it
40.6% of adults have high blood pressure (Wisconsin 33.3%), but 83.1% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.8% statewide. Checkups ↓
Fewer Iron River adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Wisconsin. 1 in 11 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 8 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Iron River’s likely range; Iron River’s figures come from ZIP code 54847, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Iron River’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Iron River is healthier than 55% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 90% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 32%).
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). Iron River’s median household income is $57,685; among the 8,223 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($43K–$72K), it’s healthier than 84%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Iron River adults…
Iron River runs above WI on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Iron River is an older town: 29% 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 Iron River as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Iron River
1 community health center in Iron River, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Iron River; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Iron River adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.4% of Iron River adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.
Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin
Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.
40 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
How Iron River adults are doing
About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.
3 in 10 Iron River 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.
Iron River and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron River | B | 38.5% | 13.3% | 13% | ZIP 54847 |
| Hughes | — | — | — | — | |
| Iron River | — | — | — | — | |
| Tripp | — | — | — | — | |
| Delta | — | — | — | — | |
| Pilsen | — | — | — | — | |
| Keystone | — | — | — | — |
Hughes, Iron River, Tripp, Delta, Pilsen and Keystone: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Iron River adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Iron River
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Iron River is better than Wisconsin on 7 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Iron River’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Iron River | WI | U.S. | vs WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.9%15.4–20.7 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.4–16.1 | 12.9% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.8%12.2–15.6 | 15.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.5%32.4–44.8 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.3%11.5–15.3 | 11.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.6%36.8–44.5 | 33.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 42.9%38.8–46.9 | 34.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 33.9%30.4–37.3 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.5–11.9 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.1%11–13.3 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.8%7.8–9.8 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.8%6.7–9 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.7–4.6 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.7%7.8–12 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13%10.9–15.3 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 26.6%22.4–31 | 26.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.2%13.5–19.1 | 19% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30%24.5–35.6 | 32.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.9%4.8–7.2 | 8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.7%77.6–83.5 | 77.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.4%67.1–73.5 | 67.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90%88.6–91.3 | 85.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.1%80.5–85.5 | 77.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.6%67.9–76.9 | 69.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79%71.7–84.8 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.2%20.1–26.5 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.9%23.7–32.3 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 17.9%15.1–20.9 | 20.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.7%7.1–10.6 | 12.1% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.9%5.7–8.3 | 9.7% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.1%3.5–4.8 | 5.5% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.2%4.5–6 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.4%7.7–11.3 | 12.5% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.6%27.6–35.8 | 29.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.8%13.5–18.2 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.4%10–12.9 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9%8–10.1 | 6.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.4%3.8–4.9 | 4.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.7%6.8–8.8 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.7%3.3–4.2 | 3.5% | 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 Iron River
Is Iron River a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Iron River is healthier than 55% 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 Iron River?
CDC estimates 38.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.4% and 44.8%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Iron River?
Tamarack Health Ashland Medical Center in Ashland, 22.6 miles in a straight line from Iron River’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Iron River have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.8–7.2%), 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 Iron River 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 Iron River.
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.