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Health in Smelser · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Smelser residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 53807, 53818. How CDC estimates town health

Fair or poor health
17.6%
About the same as WI (17.8%)
Obesity
39.6%
About the same as WI (37.7%)
No exercise
29.3%
About the same as WI (26.6%)
Uninsured
7.6%
About the same as WI (8%)
Feel lonely
31.6%
About the same as WI (30.6%)
Nearest ER
5.9 mi
Southwest Health Center
What stands out

What stands out about health in Smelser

35%of residents 65+ · WI 19%
★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Smelser adults…

On every condition, Smelser is about the same as Wisconsin. Tap one to see it as people.

30 of every 100 Smelser adults have high blood pressure
Wisconsin: 33 in 100 · about the same · likely 27.4–33.4%
Better than WIWorseAbout the sameWisconsin
Why age matters here

Smelser is an older town: 35% 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 Smelser as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Smelser35%
Wisconsin19%
Getting care

Care in and near Smelser

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

HNearest ERSouthwest Health CenterPlatteville · 5.9 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyFinley Hospital★★★★★ · 12.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCrescent Community Health CenterDubuque · 11.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
5.9 mi
Southwest Health Center
Platteville · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
11.8 mi
Crescent Community Health Center
7 sites · nearest in Dubuque
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
12.5 mi
Finley Hospital
Dubuque · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
13.9 mi
Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center
Dubuque · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
16.6 mi
Midwest Medical Center
Galena · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
28.5 mi
Dodgeville Dental Clinic
Dodgeville · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
Directions
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Smelser itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Smelser itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Smelser 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 Smelser; ≈ 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin

Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.

Get no exercise 29.3%WI 26.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 33.4%WI 32.6%
Binge drink 20.3%WI 19%
Smoke cigarettes 13.6%WI 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Smelser, betterSmelser, worseAbout the sameWisconsin
Where Smelser gets moving

7.4 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

76%Yearly checkupWI 78%
66%Dentist visitWI 67%
82%Cholesterol checkWI 86%
68%Colon screeningWI 69%
79%MammogramWI 80%
76%Taking BP medsWI 78%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Smelser 7.6% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)
Mind & connection

How Smelser adults are doing

About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.

1 in 3Smelser adults feel lonely
31.6% · WI 30.6% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Smelser adults lack social or emotional support
19.8% · WI 20.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 4Smelser adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.7% · WI 23.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 6Smelser adults are in frequent mental distress
17.5% · WI 15.5% · About the same as WI
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Smelser 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
Smelser adults worry about having enough food
12.1% · WI 12.1%
About the same as WI
1 in 11
Smelser adults worry about keeping their housing
9.1% · WI 9.7%
About the same as WI
1 in 18
Smelser adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.5% · WI 5.5%
About the same as WI
1 in 14
Smelser adults lack reliable transportation
7.3% · WI 6.7%
About the same as WI

12.9% of Smelser adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Around town

Smelser and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Platteville: 38.3%Cuba City: 39.8%Paris: 40.6%Hazel Green: 40.8%Benton: 41.2%Harrison: 39.3%Lima: 38.4%Potosi: 41.2%Jamestown: 40.8%Hazel Green: 41.6%Menominee Township: 36.1%Vinegar Hill Township: 34.7%New Diggings: 42.5%Council Hill Township: 36.1%Elk Grove: 40%Smelser: 39.6%SmelserPlattevilleCuba CityParisHazel GreenBentonSouthwest Health Center · Platteville · 5.9 miHFinley Hospital · Dubuque · 12.5 mi · 3★ MedicareHMercyone Dubuque Medical Center · Dubuque · 13.9 mi · 3★ MedicareHMidwest Medical Center · Galena · 16.6 miHHills & Dales Clinic · Dubuque · 11.8 mi+
Healthier than WINear WILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#7 of 16 towns on this map, healthiest first
Platteville38.3%
Smelser39.6%
Cuba City39.8%
Paris40.6%
Hazel Green40.8%
Benton41.2%
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
PlattevilleB−38.3%9%13%ZIP 53818
Cuba CityB−39.8%11.4%13.6%CDC place
Paris————
Hazel Green————
Benton————

Paris, Hazel Green and Benton: 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.

31.1%

of Smelser adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs13.3%
Thinking or memory14.7%
Hearing7.3%
Errands alone8.9%
Vision4.6%
Dressing or bathing3.5%
Wisconsin

Questions about health in Smelser

Why doesn’t Smelser have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Smelser?

Southwest Health Center in Platteville, 5.9 miles in a straight line from Smelser’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.