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≈ BHealth Grade
Health in Oakland · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Oakland is healthier than 55% of U.S. towns

Oakland beats Wisconsin on 1 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 54874, 54880. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out

What stands out about health in Oakland

Health Grade

What’s behind Oakland’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Oakland is healthier than 55% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 72% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 16%).

B+Self-rated health17% · WI 17.8% · U.S. 19.4%
BPhysical distress13.5% · WI 12.9% · U.S. 13%
B+Mental distress15.7% · WI 15.5% · U.S. 15.9%
C−Obesity40.8% · WI 37.7% · U.S. 32.9%
BDiabetes11.5% · WI 11.4% · U.S. 12%
B−Smoking14.4% smoke · WI 13.6% · U.S. 11.8%
C+Exercise26.4% · WI 26.6% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 55%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $67K–$111K (10,093)Healthier than 46%

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). Oakland’s median household income is $88,828; among the 10,093 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($67K–$111K), it’s healthier than 46%, about where its income would put it.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Oakland could be anywhere from C− to A−. The letter shows with “≈”. Shared figures. CDC doesn’t publish an estimate for Oakland itself, so these are ZIP code 54874,54880’s, which Oakland shares with Parkland. The two towns get the same figures and the same grade, and the ZIP’s 6,253 adults include people outside Oakland.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Oakland adults…

Oakland runs below WI on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

36 of every 100 Oakland adults have high blood pressure
Wisconsin: 33 in 100 · about the same · likely 31.6–39.7%
Better than WIWorseAbout the sameWisconsin
Why age matters here

Oakland is an older town: 30% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Wisconsin. Many conditions rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Oakland as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Oakland30%
Wisconsin19%
Getting care

Care in and near Oakland

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

HNearest ERSt. Marys Hospital SuperiorSuperior · 15 miDirections →
+Low-cost careLakes Community Health Center, Inc thePoplar · 10.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
10.8 mi
Lakes Community Health Center, Inc the
3 sites · nearest in Poplar
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
14.7 mi
Lake Superior Community Health Center
5 sites · nearest in Superior
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
15 mi
St. Marys Hospital Superior
Superior · not rated
ERRural critical access
21.1 mi
Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center
Duluth · ★★★★★
ER
21.2 mi
Essentia Health Duluth
Duluth · not rated
21.3 mi
St. Lukes Hospital
Duluth · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careOakland is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careOakland is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Oakland 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 Oakland; ≈ 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin

Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.

Get no exercise 26.4%WI 26.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 33.7%WI 32.6%
Binge drink 18.9%WI 19%
Smoke cigarettes 14.4%WI 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Oakland, betterOakland, worseAbout the sameWisconsin
Where Oakland gets moving

13 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%Yearly checkupWI 78%
68%Dentist visitWI 67%
87%Cholesterol checkWI 86%
70%Colon screeningWI 69%
80%MammogramWI 80%
79%Taking BP medsWI 78%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Oakland 6.7% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)
Mind & connection

How Oakland adults are doing

About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.

3 in 10Oakland adults feel lonely
29.4% · WI 30.6% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Oakland adults lack social or emotional support
19.2% · WI 20.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 4Oakland adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.7% · WI 23.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 6Oakland adults are in frequent mental distress
15.7% · WI 15.5% · About the same as WI
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Oakland 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
Oakland adults worry about having enough food
10.2% · WI 12.1%
About the same as WI
1 in 12
Oakland adults worry about keeping their housing
8.3% · WI 9.7%
About the same as WI
1 in 20
Oakland adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.9% · WI 5.5%
About the same as WI
1 in 17
Oakland adults lack reliable transportation
5.9% · WI 6.7%
About the same as WI

10.6% of Oakland adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Around town

Oakland and the towns around it

Oakland’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 6 graded towns around it.

Summit: 41.3%Bennett: 40.7%Parkland: 40.8%Hawthorne: 41.1%Superior: 41.1%Amnicon: 41.1%Gordon: 41.4%Holyoke Township: 38.3%Dairyland: 39%Nickerson Township: 39.4%Solon Springs: 40.5%Highland: 40.6%Lake Nebagamon: 41.2%Superior: 41%Duluth: 35.1%Oliver: 40.2%Superior: 39.2%Silver Brook Township: 38%Twin Lakes Township: 37.4%Lakeside: 41.2%Poplar: 40.8%Maple: 41.3%Wascott: 40.8%Barnes: 40.4%Oakland: 40.8%OaklandSummitBennettParklandHawthorneSuperiorAmniconGordonSt. Marys Hospital Superior · Superior · 15 miHEssentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center · Duluth · 21.1 mi · 4★ MedicareHEssentia Health Duluth · Duluth · 21.2 miHSt. Lukes Hospital · Duluth · 21.3 mi · 3★ MedicareHNorthlakes - Poplar · Poplar · 10.8 mi+Lschc Superior Clinic · Superior · 14.7 mi+
Healthier than WINear WILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#13 of 25 towns on this map, healthiest first
Bennett40.7%
Oakland40.8%
Parkland40.8%
Hawthorne41.1%
Superior41.1%
Amnicon41.1%
Summit41.3%
Gordon41.4%
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
Oakland · ParklandB40.8%11.5%14.4%ZIP codes
SummitB−41.3%12.7%14.6%ZIP codes
Bennett————
SuperiorB−41.1%11.3%14.8%ZIP codes
HawthorneB−41.1%11.9%14.1%ZIP codes
Gordon————
AmniconB41.1%11.4%14.3%ZIP codes

Oakland and Parkland share one ZIP estimate, so they share a row. Bennett and Gordon: 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.

30%

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

Walking or climbing stairs13.4%
Thinking or memory12.6%
Hearing7.5%
Errands alone7.6%
Vision4.1%
Dressing or bathing3.4%
Wisconsin

Every CDC estimate for Oakland

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Oakland is better than Wisconsin on 1 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Oakland’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…OaklandWIU.S.vs WI
Overall health
Fair or poor health17%14.5–19.717.8%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)13.5%11.7–15.412.9%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)15.7%13.8–17.815.5%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity40.8%33.7–48.137.7%32.9%About the same
Diabetes11.5%9.8–13.311.4%12%About the same
High blood pressure35.6%31.6–39.733.3%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)36.6%32.4–40.834.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis28.4%25.1–31.826.6%25.3%About the same
Asthma11%9.7–12.410.8%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.4%8.4–10.48.6%7.9%About the same
Coronary heart disease7%6.2–7.96.6%6.4%About the same
COPD6.8%5.8–7.86.5%6.3%About the same
Stroke3.5%3.1–3.93.4%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)7.5%6.1–9.39.9%12.3%Better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes14.4%12.1–16.913.6%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work26.4%22–3126.6%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking18.9%15.7–22.419%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours33.7%28.2–39.632.6%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)6.7%5.5–8.18%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year78.1%74.5–81.577.6%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year67.9%64.9–71.267.1%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years87.3%85.4–88.985.9%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)78.5%75.4–81.377.8%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)70.4%66.1–74.869.4%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)80.2%74–85.680.3%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression23.7%20.1–27.423.2%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely29.4%25–3430.6%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support19.2%16.3–22.320.2%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food10.2%8.4–12.212.1%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing8.3%6.9–9.79.7%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off4.9%4.2–5.75.5%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation5.9%5–6.76.7%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)10.6%8.7–12.412.5%11.6%Lower
Disability
Any disability30%25.9–34.529.4%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs13.4%11.5–15.513.4%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering12.6%11–14.412.8%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty7.5%6.6–8.56.9%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty4.1%3.6–4.64.5%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone7.6%6.7–8.77.9%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.4%3–3.93.5%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 Oakland

Is Oakland a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Oakland is healthier than 55% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 46%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Oakland?

CDC estimates 40.8% of adults (the figure for ZIP code 54874,54880, which Oakland shares with Parkland) have obesity, likely between 33.7% and 48.1%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Oakland?

St. Marys Hospital Superior in Superior, 15.0 miles in a straight line from Oakland’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in Oakland have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 6.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.5–8.1%), 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 Oakland more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−. The figures are ZIP code 54874,54880’s, shared with Parkland.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.