Within Wisconsin, Pelican is healthier than 21% of graded towns
Pelican trails Wisconsin on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 54501. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Pelican
Heart disease, cancer and COPD run high in Pelican
1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.1%), vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. 1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.5%), vs 8.6% across Wisconsin. COPD is also above the state: 7.9%, vs 6.5% across Wisconsin. In all, Pelican runs above Wisconsin on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 25% of residents are 65 or older (Wisconsin 19%), and heart disease, cancer and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Pelican is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Pelican is healthier than 46%. Against the 9,462 towns with similar household incomes ($47K–$78K), it’s healthier than 68%. Health Grade ↓
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 Pelican’s likely range; Pelican’s figures come from ZIP code 54501, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
What’s behind Pelican’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Pelican is healthier than 46% of U.S. towns, #281 of 357 in Wisconsin. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 69% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 34%).
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). Pelican’s median household income is $62,198; among the 9,462 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($47K–$78K), it’s healthier than 68%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Pelican adults…
Pelican runs above WI on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Pelican is an older town: 25% 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 Pelican as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Pelican
No hospital or community health center in Pelican 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 Pelican; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin
Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.
13 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Pelican adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.
How Pelican adults are doing
About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.
1 in 3 Pelican 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.
12.7% of Pelican adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.
Pelican and the towns around it
Pelican has the best Health Grade of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelican · Crescent · Pine Lake | B− | 36% | 13.1% | 15.3% | ZIP 54501 |
| Rhinelander | C | 37.2% | 12.7% | 16.9% | CDC place |
| Stella | — | — | — | — | |
| Enterprise | — | — | — | — | |
| Monico | — | — | — | — |
Pelican, Crescent and Pine Lake share one ZIP estimate, so they share a row. Stella, Enterprise and Monico: 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 Pelican adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Pelican
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Pelican is better than Wisconsin on 0 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Pelican’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Pelican | WI | U.S. | vs WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19%16.9–21.5 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15%13.4–16.8 | 12.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.9%14.1–17.7 | 15.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36%30.8–41.7 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.1%11.6–15 | 11.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 37.3%33.9–41 | 33.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37%33.5–40.9 | 34.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.8%27.9–33.9 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.8%9.6–12.1 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.5%9.5–11.5 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.1%7.3–9 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.9%7–8.9 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.6–4.3 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.7%9.5–14 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.3%13.3–17.5 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 27.5%24–31.5 | 26.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.2%15.3–21.4 | 19% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.8%29.2–38.6 | 32.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.1%6–8.4 | 8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.1%75.8–82 | 77.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63.7%60.4–66.8 | 67.1% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.1%85.5–88.6 | 85.9% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.4%76.6–82.1 | 77.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70%65.8–73.9 | 69.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.1%73.2–84.2 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.7%21.6–28.1 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.8%27.7–36 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.3%16.5–22.2 | 20.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.3%9.5–13.2 | 12.1% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.9%7.6–10.4 | 9.7% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.3%4.5–6.1 | 5.5% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.4%5.5–7.2 | 6.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.7%10.9–14.7 | 12.5% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.8%29.3–36.7 | 29.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16%14.2–18 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.1%11.6–14.7 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.4%7.6–9.5 | 6.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.7%4.3–5.2 | 4.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.5%7.6–9.5 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4%3.6–4.4 | 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 Pelican
Is Pelican a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Pelican is healthier than 46% of U.S. towns: B− for health, #281 of 357 in Wisconsin. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 68%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Pelican?
CDC estimates 36% of adults (the figure for ZIP code 54501, which Pelican shares with Pine Lake and Crescent) have obesity, likely between 30.8% and 41.7%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Pelican?
Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital in Rhinelander, 4.5 miles in a straight line from Pelican’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Pelican have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6–8.4%), 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 Pelican more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+. The figures are ZIP code 54501’s, shared with Pine Lake and Crescent.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Pelican.
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.