Big Sand Lake Club · Photo: Sa magnuson33 · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Phelps is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns
Phelps differs from Wisconsin on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 11 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 54554, 54521, 54519, 54540. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Phelps
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Phelps
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (13.1%), vs 8.6% across Wisconsin. 1 in 10 adults have heart disease (9.8%), vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. Arthritis is also above the state: 36.3%, vs 26.6% across Wisconsin. In all, Phelps runs above Wisconsin on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 36% of residents are 65 or older (Wisconsin 19%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Phelps, and more people treating it
43% of adults have high blood pressure (Wisconsin 33.3%), but 83.8% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.8% statewide. Checkups ↓
Phelps is short on primary care and mental health care
Phelps’ 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 ↓
Fewer Phelps 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 Phelps’ likely range; Phelps’ figures come from ZIP codes 54554, 54521, 54519, 54540, 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 Phelps’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Phelps is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 94% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 24%).
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). Phelps’ median household income is $71,250; among the 10,615 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($53K–$89K), it’s healthier than 58%, about where its income would put it.
Where Phelps compares well: sleep under 7 hours, 27.1% (U.S. 36%); no health insurance (ages 18–64), 5.8% (U.S. 11%); checkup in the past year, 81.8% (U.S. 77.4%).
Out of every 100 Phelps adults…
Phelps runs above WI on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Phelps is an older town: 36% 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 Phelps as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Phelps adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.
Care in and near Phelps
No hospital or community health center in Phelps 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 Phelps; ≈ 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).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.1% of Phelps 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.
20 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
How Phelps adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Phelps does better than Wisconsin.
1 in 4 Phelps 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.
Phelps and the towns around it
Phelps’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phelps | B− | 37.9% | 13.9% | 13.9% | ZIP codes |
| Conover | B− | 37.6% | 13.6% | 13.5% | ZIP codes |
| Hiles | — | — | — | — | |
| Washington | B− | 37.4% | 13.1% | 13.9% | ZIP 54521 |
| Alvin | — | — | — | — | |
| Land O'Lakes | — | — | — | — |
Hiles, Alvin and Land O'Lakes: 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 Phelps adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Phelps
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Phelps is better than Wisconsin on 11 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Phelps’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Phelps | WI | U.S. | vs WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.6%15.7–22 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13–17.3 | 12.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.2%11.4–15 | 15.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.9%32–44.7 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.9%11.9–16.1 | 11.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 43%38.8–47.5 | 33.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43.3%39.1–47.7 | 34.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 36.3%32.8–40.3 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.8%9.6–12.2 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.1%11.8–14.5 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.8%8.7–11.1 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.7%7.4–10.3 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.6%4.1–5.2 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.8%8.6–13 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.9%11.2–16.8 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 28.9%24.1–33.9 | 26.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.8%13.2–18.8 | 19% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.1%22.3–32.3 | 32.6% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.8%4.5–7.4 | 8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.8%78.8–84.6 | 77.6% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.7%66.4–72.8 | 67.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.1%89.8–92.3 | 85.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.8%81.2–86.4 | 77.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.4%66.7–75.7 | 69.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.9%70.8–83.7 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.2%19.2–25.8 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.3%23.3–31.8 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 17.9%15.2–21 | 20.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.2%7.4–11.4 | 12.1% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.8%5.7–8.2 | 9.7% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.1%3.5–4.9 | 5.5% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.1%4.4–6 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.1%8–12.3 | 12.5% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.7%28.4–37.4 | 29.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17%14.4–19.9 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.3%9.7–13.2 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.9%8.7–11.2 | 6.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.8%4.1–5.5 | 4.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.1%6.9–9.4 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.5–4.8 | 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 Phelps
Is Phelps a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Phelps is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 58%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Phelps?
CDC estimates 37.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 32% and 44.7%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Phelps?
Aspirus Eagle River Hospital in Eagle River, 12.1 miles in a straight line from Phelps’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Phelps have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.5–7.4%), 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 Phelps 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 Phelps.
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.