On CDC estimates, Polk is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns
Polk beats Wisconsin on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 53086, 53037, 53095, 53076. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Polk
Polk is an older town
28% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Wisconsin. Conditions like heart disease and arthritis become more common with age, so keep that in mind when comparing Polk with the state. Conditions ↓
Fewer Polk adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Wisconsin. 1 in 12 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 8 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Polk has a top-rated hospital
St. Josephs Community Hospital West Bend is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
Polk is an active town
Only 21.5% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 26.6% 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 Polk’s likely range; Polk’s figures come from ZIP codes 53086, 53037, 53095, 53076, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Polk’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Polk is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns, #76 of 357 in Wisconsin. Fair or poor health holds the grade up (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than 88% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 50%).
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). Polk’s median household income is $98,676; among the 8,779 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($74K–$123K), it’s healthier than 78%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Polk adults…
Polk runs below WI on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Polk is an older town: 28% 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 Polk as about how healthy they are.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8% of Polk adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.
Care in and near Polk
1 hospital in Polk, 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 Polk; ≈ 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.
3.7 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Polk adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.
How Polk adults are doing
About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.
3 in 10 Polk 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.
Polk and the towns around it
Polk’s Health Grade ranks 5th of 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk | A− | 36.2% | 9.7% | 11.8% | ZIP codes |
| Slinger | A− | 36.4% | 8.8% | 12.3% | CDC place |
| Jackson | A− | 36.2% | 9.6% | 11.7% | CDC place |
| Richfield | A | 35.6% | 10.2% | 10.6% | CDC place |
| Hartford | B+ | 37.3% | 10.5% | 13.5% | ZIP codes |
| West Bend | A− | 36.1% | 10.6% | 12.1% | ZIP 53095 |
| Jackson | A− | 34.5% | 10% | 11.4% | ZIP codes |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Polk adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Polk
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Polk is better than Wisconsin on 13 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Polk’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Polk | WI | U.S. | vs WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.3%12.3–16.3 | 17.8% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.6%10.2–13.1 | 12.9% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.8%13.1–16.6 | 15.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.2%30.7–42 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.7%8.4–11.1 | 11.4% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 31.3%27.9–34.7 | 33.3% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.9%31.4–38.6 | 34.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 25.1%22.3–27.9 | 26.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.6%9.5–11.9 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.1%8.3–10 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.9%5.3–6.6 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.5%4.8–6.2 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.9%2.6–3.2 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6%4.8–7.4 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.8%10–13.9 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.5%18.2–25.1 | 26.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 21.2%18.1–24.6 | 19% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.9%27.9–38.2 | 32.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.7%4.8–6.8 | 8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.8%75.6–81.7 | 77.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73.6%70.5–76.2 | 67.1% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.3%86.7–89.7 | 85.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.2%75.2–80.9 | 77.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71%66.6–74.9 | 69.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82.1%76.2–86.9 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.7%19.7–26 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.6%24.9–32.5 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.6%16.1–21.3 | 20.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.2%6.8–9.7 | 12.1% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.2%6.1–8.4 | 9.7% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.1%3.5–4.7 | 5.5% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5%4.3–5.7 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8%6.7–9.5 | 12.5% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 24.7%21.5–28.2 | 29.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11%9.5–12.6 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.2%9.8–12.7 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.3%5.6–7.1 | 6.9% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.4%3.1–3.8 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.4%5.7–7.3 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.5–3.2 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Polk
Is Polk a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Polk is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #76 of 357 in Wisconsin. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 78%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Polk?
CDC estimates 36.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.7% and 42%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Polk?
St. Josephs Community Hospital West Bend in West Bend, 0.7 miles in a straight line from Polk’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Polk have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.8–6.8%), 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 Polk more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Polk.
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.