Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Shell Lake is healthier than 76%
Shell Lake differs from Wisconsin on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Shell Lake. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Shell Lake
Heart disease, cancer and stroke run high in Shell Lake
1 in 10 adults have heart disease (9.8%), vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. 1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.5%), vs 8.6% across Wisconsin. Stroke is also above the state: 4.8%, vs 3.4% across Wisconsin. In all, Shell Lake runs above Wisconsin on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 31% of residents are 65 or older (Wisconsin 19%), and heart disease, cancer and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Shell Lake, and more people treating it
40.9% of adults have high blood pressure (Wisconsin 33.3%), but 83.6% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.8% statewide. Checkups ↓
Shell Lake is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Shell Lake is healthier than 48%. Against the 8,174 towns with similar household incomes ($43K–$72K), it’s healthier than 76%. 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 Shell Lake’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Shell Lake’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Shell Lake is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 87% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 17%).
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). Shell Lake’s median household income is $57,500; among the 8,174 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($43K–$72K), it’s healthier than 76%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Shell Lake compares well: checkup in the past year, 81.5% (U.S. 77.4%); cholesterol check in 5 years, 89% (U.S. 87.1%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 83.6% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Shell Lake adults…
Shell Lake runs above WI on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Shell Lake is an older town: 31% 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 Shell Lake as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Shell Lake adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.
Care in and near Shell Lake
1 hospital in Shell Lake, 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 Shell Lake; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin
Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.
1.3 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
How Shell Lake adults are doing
About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.
3 in 10 Shell Lake 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.
11.8% of Shell Lake adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.
Shell Lake and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Lake | B− | 33.7% | 14.1% | 13.9% | CDC place |
| Bashaw | C+ | 35.7% | 13.8% | 15.5% | ZIP codes |
| Barronett | — | — | — | — | |
| Beaver Brook | — | — | — | — |
Barronett and Beaver Brook: 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 Shell Lake adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Shell Lake
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Shell Lake is better than Wisconsin on 4 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Shell Lake’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Shell Lake | WI | U.S. | vs WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.9%16.5–23.6 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%12.8–17.4 | 12.9% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.4–16.2 | 15.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.7%26.7–41.5 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.1%12–16.3 | 11.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.9%36.5–45.4 | 33.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.2%36.7–45.7 | 34.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 35.8%31.9–39.7 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11%9.7–12.5 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.5%11.2–13.9 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.8%8.5–11.3 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.9%7.2–10.8 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.8%4.1–5.6 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.1%6.4–10 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.9%11.3–16.9 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 31.5%26–37.2 | 26.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.9%13.1–19 | 19% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32%26.3–38.4 | 32.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.6%5.8–9.7 | 8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.5%78.3–84.6 | 77.6% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.5%62–68.9 | 67.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89%87.2–90.6 | 85.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.6%81.1–85.9 | 77.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72%67.7–76.2 | 69.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.3%67.7–82.3 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21%17.7–24.6 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.5%25.8–35.4 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.4%15.4–21.6 | 20.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.7%8.6–13 | 12.1% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8%6.7–9.5 | 9.7% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.8%4–5.6 | 5.5% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.1%5.2–7 | 6.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.8%9.4–14.4 | 12.5% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.1%30–40 | 29.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.2%14.9–21.5 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.7%10.7–14.8 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.6%9.1–12.1 | 6.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.4%4.5–6.6 | 4.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.3%7.7–11.1 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.3%3.6–5.2 | 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 Shell Lake
Is Shell Lake a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Shell Lake is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Shell Lake?
CDC estimates 33.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.7% and 41.5%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Shell Lake?
Indianhead Medical Ctr in Shell Lake, 1.3 miles in a straight line from Shell Lake’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Shell Lake have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.8–9.7%), 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 Shell Lake 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 Shell Lake.
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.