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Health in Rusk · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Rusk residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Rusk, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 54801, 54893. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Rusk

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Rusk

1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.3%), vs 6.5% across Wisconsin. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.4%), vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. Stroke is also above the state: 4.6%, vs 3.4% across Wisconsin. In all, Rusk runs above Wisconsin on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (Wisconsin 19%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

More high blood pressure in Rusk, and more people treating it

40.1% of adults have high blood pressure (Wisconsin 33.3%), but 82.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.8% statewide. Checkups ↓

More Rusk adults get no exercise

1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (31.4%), 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 Rusk’s likely range; Rusk’s figures come from ZIP codes 54801, 54893, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Rusk adults…

Rusk runs above WI on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

9 of every 100 Rusk adults have COPD
Wisconsin: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 8.2–10.4%
Better than WIWorseAbout the sameWisconsin
Why age matters here

Rusk is an older town: 29% 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 Rusk as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Rusk29%
Wisconsin19%
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%Yearly checkupWI 78%
65%Dentist visitWI 67%
88%Cholesterol checkWI 86%
70%Colon screeningWI 69%
77%MammogramWI 80%
82%Taking BP medsWI 78%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Rusk 7.7% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin

Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.

Get no exercise 31.4%WI 26.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 32.7%WI 32.6%
Binge drink 16.8%WI 19%
Smoke cigarettes 16.1%WI 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Rusk, betterRusk, worseAbout the sameWisconsin
Where Rusk gets moving

9.9 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Rusk

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

HNearest ERSpooner Health SystemSpooner · 8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySpooner Health System★★★★★ · 8.0 miDirections →
+Low-cost careLakes Community Health Center, Inc theMinong · 21.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8 mi
Spooner Health System
Spooner · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
11.6 mi
Indianhead Medical Center
Shell Lake · not rated
ERRural critical access
20.1 mi
Cumberland Memorial Hospital
Cumberland · not rated
ERRural critical access
21.8 mi
Lakes Community Health Center, Inc the
7 sites · nearest in Minong
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
29.2 mi
Marshfield Medical Center - Rice Lake
Rice Lake · ★★★★★
ER
29.2 mi
Family Health Center - Rice Lake Dental Center
Rice Lake · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Rusk itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Rusk itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Rusk 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 Rusk; ≈ 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).

Mind & connection

How Rusk adults are doing

About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.

3 in 10Rusk adults feel lonely
30% · WI 30.6% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Rusk adults lack social or emotional support
18.8% · WI 20.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Rusk adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.2% · WI 23.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 7Rusk adults are in frequent mental distress
15.1% · WI 15.5% · About the same as WI
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Rusk 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 8
Rusk adults worry about having enough food
12.2% · WI 12.1%
About the same as WI
1 in 11
Rusk adults worry about keeping their housing
9.1% · WI 9.7%
About the same as WI
1 in 18
Rusk adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.6% · WI 5.5%
About the same as WI
1 in 15
Rusk adults lack reliable transportation
6.7% · WI 6.7%
About the same as WI

14.1% of Rusk adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Around town

Rusk and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Dewey: 36.1%Evergreen: 36.1%Scott: 38%Sand Lake: 39.3%Roosevelt: 38%Bashaw: 35.7%La Follette: 37.4%Lorain: 36.8%Spooner: 35.5%Spooner: 36.1%Casey: 36.1%Trego: 35.5%Jackson: 39.2%Webb Lake: 39.1%Chicog: 35.7%Meenon: 39.5%Oakland: 39.2%Rusk: 36.7%RuskDeweyEvergreenScottSand LakeSpooner Health System · Spooner · 8 mi · 5★ MedicareHIndianhead Medical Center · Shell Lake · 11.6 miH
Healthier than WINear WILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#9 of 18 towns on this map, healthiest first
Dewey36.1%
Evergreen36.1%
Rusk36.7%
Scott38%
Sand Lake39.3%
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
Dewey————
EvergreenC+36.1%14.3%16%ZIP 54801
Scott————
Sand Lake————

Dewey, Scott and Sand Lake: 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.

34.2%

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

Walking or climbing stairs17.6%
Thinking or memory13.4%
Hearing9.7%
Errands alone9.3%
Vision5.5%
Dressing or bathing4.5%
Wisconsin

Questions about health in Rusk

Why doesn’t Rusk have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Rusk.

What hospital is closest to Rusk?

Spooner Health System in Spooner, 8.0 miles in a straight line from Rusk’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

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

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. 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.