On CDC estimates, Little Black is healthier than 30% of U.S. towns
Little Black trails Wisconsin on 8 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 54451, 54480, 54425. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Little Black
More Little Black adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (32.1%), vs 26.6% across Wisconsin. Habits ↓
Little Black is short on primary care and mental health care
Little Black’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Smoking is more common in Little Black
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (17%), vs 13.6% across Wisconsin. Habits ↓
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 Little Black’s likely range; Little Black’s figures come from ZIP codes 54451, 54480, 54425, 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 Little Black’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Little Black is healthier than 30% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 53% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 5%).
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). Little Black’s median household income is $68,906; among the 10,452 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($52K–$86K), it’s healthier than 34%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin
Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Care in and near Little Black
No hospital or community health center in Little Black 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 Little Black; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 Little Black adults…
Little Black runs above WI on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of Little Black adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.
How Little Black adults are doing
About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.
1 in 3 Little Black 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% of Little Black adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.
Little Black and the towns around it
Little Black’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Black | C | 43.8% | 11.9% | 17% | ZIP codes |
| Medford | B− | 42.4% | 11.2% | 14.1% | CDC place |
| Stetsonville | — | — | — | — | |
| Medford | C+ | 44.1% | 11.8% | 16% | ZIP 54451 |
| Holway | — | — | — | — | |
| Deer Creek | — | — | — | — | |
| Mayville | — | — | — | — |
Stetsonville, Holway and Deer Creek: fewer than 1,000 residents. Mayville: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Little Black adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Little Black
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Little Black is better than Wisconsin on 0 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Little Black’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Little Black | WI | U.S. | vs WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.7%18.2–23.4 | 17.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.9%13.3–16.8 | 12.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.9%15–18.9 | 15.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 43.8%37.7–50.1 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.9%10.5–13.6 | 11.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.2%31.6–38.7 | 33.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.1%32.4–39.8 | 34.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.1%26.2–32.1 | 26.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.9%9.7–12.2 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9%8.2–9.8 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.5%6.8–8.3 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.1%7.2–9.2 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.5–4.3 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.4%11.9–17.2 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17%14.7–19.6 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 32.1%27.9–36.6 | 26.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 18.3%15.4–21.5 | 19% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.2%27.9–38.8 | 32.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9%7.5–10.7 | 8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.6%74.3–80.7 | 77.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.3%60.9–67.6 | 67.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.8%83–86.6 | 85.9% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79%76.3–81.5 | 77.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.9%62.4–71.2 | 69.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.1%72.6–84.5 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.4%19.4–25.7 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.3%27–36 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.2%17.3–23.4 | 20.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.2%11.2–15.6 | 12.1% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.2%8.7–11.9 | 9.7% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6%5.2–6.9 | 5.5% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.3%6.4–8.4 | 6.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15%12.8–17.5 | 12.5% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.8%29.9–37.8 | 29.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.1%14.2–18.3 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.7%13–16.6 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.2%7.4–9.1 | 6.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.2%4.6–5.8 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.4%8.3–10.5 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.8–4.7 | 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 Little Black
Is Little Black a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Little Black is healthier than 30% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 34%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Little Black?
CDC estimates 43.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 37.7% and 50.1%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Little Black?
Aspirus Medford Hospital & Clinics in Medford, 4.5 miles in a straight line from Little Black’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Little Black have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.5–10.7%), 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 Little Black 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 Little Black.
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.