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Health in Stark · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Stark residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 54639. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Stark

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Stark

1 in 9 adults have COPD (11%), vs 6.5% across Wisconsin. 1 in 10 adults have heart disease (9.6%), vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. Stroke is also above the state: 4.8%, vs 3.4% across Wisconsin. In all, Stark runs above Wisconsin on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (Wisconsin 19%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Making ends meet is harder in Stark

1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food (17.6%), vs 12.1% across Wisconsin. Utility shut-off threats (7.5% vs 5.5%) and no reliable transportation (9% vs 6.7%) are higher too. 21.3% of adults receive SNAP, vs 12.5% statewide. Everyday needs ↓

Dental care lags in Stark

59.4% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 67.1% across Wisconsin. Among those 65 and older, 17.9% have lost all their teeth (Wisconsin 9.9%). Checkups ↓

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 Stark’s likely range; Stark’s figures come from ZIP code 54639, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Stark adults…

Stark runs above WI on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

11 of every 100 Stark adults have COPD
Wisconsin: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 9.5–12.6%
Better than WIWorseAbout the sameWisconsin
Why age matters here

Stark is an older town: 30% 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 Stark as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Stark30%
Wisconsin19%
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 6
Stark adults worry about having enough food
17.6% · WI 12.1%
Worse than WI
1 in 8
Stark adults worry about keeping their housing
12.2% · WI 9.7%
Worse than WI
1 in 13
Stark adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.5% · WI 5.5%
Worse than WI
1 in 11
Stark adults lack reliable transportation
9% · WI 6.7%
Worse than WI

21.3% of Stark adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

77%Yearly checkupWI 78%
59%Dentist visitWI 67%
84%Cholesterol checkWI 86%
66%Colon screeningWI 69%
75%MammogramWI 80%
80%Taking BP medsWI 78%
1 in 10
working-age adults has no health insurance
Stark 10.3% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)
Getting care

Care in and near Stark

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

HNearest ERGundersen St. Josephs Hospital and ClinicsHillsboro · 13.9 miDirections →
+Low-cost careScenic Bluffs Health CenterCashton · 13.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
13.3 mi
Scenic Bluffs Health Center
6 sites · nearest in Cashton
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
13.9 mi
Gundersen St. Josephs Hospital and Clinics
Hillsboro · not rated
ERRural critical access
14.1 mi
Vernon Memorial Hospital
Viroqua · not rated
ERRural critical access
21.1 mi
Richland Hospital
Richland Center · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
26.1 mi
Mayo Clinic Health Systm Franciscan Healthcare Sparta
Sparta · not rated
ERRural critical access
31.2 mi
La Clinica De Los Campesinos
2 sites · nearest in Mauston
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Stark itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Stark itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Stark 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 Stark; ≈ 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 34.8%WI 26.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.7%WI 32.6%
Binge drink 18%WI 19%
Smoke cigarettes 20.6%WI 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Stark, betterStark, worseAbout the sameWisconsin
Where Stark gets moving

22 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Stark adults are doing

On 1 of 4 measures, Stark runs above Wisconsin.

3 in 10Stark adults feel lonely
30.5% · WI 30.6% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Stark adults lack social or emotional support
21.1% · WI 20.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 4Stark adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.4% · WI 23.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 6Stark adults are in frequent mental distress
17.8% · WI 15.5% · Worse than WI
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Stark 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.

Around town

Stark and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Webster: 40.2%Forest: 39%Whitestown: 42.3%Union: 40.8%Viroqua: 37.9%Clinton: 39.9%Liberty: 38.5%Viola: 38.2%Bloom: 39.8%Sylvan: 38.5%Ontario: 40.8%Sheldon: 44.4%Forest: 41.5%Henrietta: 39.2%Greenwood: 40.5%Stark: 41.5%StarkWebsterForestWhitestownUnionGundersen St. Josephs Hospital and Clinics · Hillsboro · 13.9 miHVernon Memorial Hospital · Viroqua · 14.1 miHScenic Bluffs CHC - Cashton · Cashton · 13.3 mi+
Healthier than WINear WILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#13 of 16 towns on this map, healthiest first
Forest39%
Webster40.2%
Union40.8%
Stark41.5%
Whitestown42.3%
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
Webster————
Forest————
Whitestown————
Union————

Webster, Forest, Whitestown and Union: 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.

37.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs19.8%
Thinking or memory16.7%
Hearing9.7%
Errands alone11.5%
Vision6.7%
Dressing or bathing5.6%
Wisconsin

Questions about health in Stark

Why doesn’t Stark have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Stark?

Gundersen St. Josephs Hospital and Clinics in Hillsboro, 13.9 miles in a straight line from Stark’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 Stark.

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.