Photo: Bfkenney · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Milwaukee as a whole is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns
Milwaukee differs from Wisconsin on 28 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 24 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Milwaukee. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Milwaukee
Making ends meet is harder in Milwaukee
3 in 10 adults worry about having enough food (28.8%), more than twice the Wisconsin rate. Utility shut-off threats (13.4% vs 5.5%) and no reliable transportation (14.8% vs 6.7%) are higher too. 32% of adults receive SNAP, vs 12.5% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Every town around Milwaukee scores healthier
All ten graded neighbors are ahead of Milwaukee’s D, from West Milwaukee (C+) to Shorewood (A+). Around town ↓
More Milwaukee adults lack emotional support
3 in 10 adults lack social or emotional support (27.8%), vs 20.2% across Wisconsin. Frequent mental distress is above the state too: 19.1%, vs 15.5% across Wisconsin. Mind & connection ↓
Milwaukee has six hospitals within its borders
6 hospitals and 6 community health centers are inside Milwaukee. Ascension Se Wisconsin Hospital is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
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 Milwaukee’s likely range.
What’s behind Milwaukee’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Milwaukee is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 36% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 10%).
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). Milwaukee’s median household income is $54,234; among the 7,195 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($41K–$68K), it’s healthier than 27%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Milwaukee compares well: high cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years), 31.4% (U.S. 37.1%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 5.2% (U.S. 7.9%).
At 562,407 residents, Milwaukee is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
32% of Milwaukee adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.
Milwaukee and the towns around it
Milwaukee’s Health Grade ranks 11th of 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | D | 41.8% | 14.7% | 17.3% | CDC place |
| Wauwatosa | A | 31.4% | 8.8% | 9.1% | CDC place |
| Greenfield | A− | 33.2% | 11.3% | 11.6% | CDC place |
| Glendale | A− | 33.3% | 11.8% | 9.7% | CDC place |
| Shorewood | A+ | 30.5% | 8.8% | 7.7% | CDC place |
| West Allis | B | 35.8% | 11.1% | 13.8% | CDC place |
| St. Francis | B | 35.6% | 12.1% | 13.6% | CDC place |
| West Milwaukee | C+ | 39% | 12.5% | 15.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
How Milwaukee adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Milwaukee runs above Wisconsin.
2 in 5 Milwaukee 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.
Care in and near Milwaukee
6 hospitals and 6 community health centers in Milwaukee, 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 Milwaukee; ≈ 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 Milwaukee adults…
Milwaukee runs below WI on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Milwaukee residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Wisconsin. Arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin
Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.
87 miles of trails across 212 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Milwaukee adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Milwaukee adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Milwaukee
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Milwaukee is better than Wisconsin on 4 and worse on 24; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Milwaukee’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Milwaukee | WI | U.S. | vs WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27.1%25.2–29.1 | 17.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15%13.7–16.4 | 12.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.1%17.5–21 | 15.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 41.8%38.5–45.1 | 37.7% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 14.7%13.4–16.1 | 11.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 36.1%33.9–38.3 | 33.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 31.4%29.3–33.5 | 34.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 23.8%22.1–25.6 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 12.6%11.4–14 | 10.8% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.2%4.7–5.6 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.1%5.6–6.7 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.3%6.6–8 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.8–4.4 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.6%15.2–20.1 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.3%15.7–19.2 | 13.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 32.5%30–35.1 | 26.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.3%14.3–18.4 | 19% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.7%36.7–42.7 | 32.6% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 14.1%12.6–15.8 | 8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.5%75–79.8 | 77.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55.8%53.2–58.4 | 67.1% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.8%80–83.5 | 85.9% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.2%72.9–77.3 | 77.8% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.1%60.8–67.1 | 69.4% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 81.1%77–84.6 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.1%21.8–26.4 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 37.6%34.8–40.3 | 30.6% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.8%25.4–30.3 | 20.2% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 28.8%26.6–30.9 | 12.1% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 21.1%19.2–23.1 | 9.7% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 13.4%12–14.8 | 5.5% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 14.8%13.5–16.2 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 32%29.9–34.1 | 12.5% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.3%31.9–36.8 | 29.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17%15.6–18.4 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.4%15.9–19 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.5%4.9–6.1 | 6.9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 8.2%7.6–8.8 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 12.4%11.4–13.5 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.2%5.8–6.7 | 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 Milwaukee
Is Milwaukee a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Milwaukee is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns: D for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 27%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Milwaukee?
CDC estimates 41.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 38.5% and 45.1%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Milwaukee?
Ascension Se Wisconsin Hospital in Milwaukee, 0.8 miles in a straight line from Milwaukee’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Milwaukee have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 14.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 12.6–15.8%), 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 Milwaukee more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Milwaukee.
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.