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–Not graded
Health in Sterling · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Sterling residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 54840, 54024, 54006. How CDC estimates town health

Fair or poor health
19.4%
About the same as WI (17.8%)
Obesity
37.3%
About the same as WI (37.7%)
No exercise
29.3%
About the same as WI (26.6%)
Uninsured
7.5%
About the same as WI (8%)
Feel lonely
29.6%
About the same as WI (30.6%)
Nearest ER
12.1 mi
Burnett Medical Center
What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Sterling

8.3%have COPD · WI 6.5%80.8%treat their high blood pressure · WI 77.8%

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Sterling

1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.3%), vs 6.5% across Wisconsin. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.3%), vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. Stroke is also above the state: 4.2%, vs 3.4% across Wisconsin. In all, Sterling runs above Wisconsin on six of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

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

37.6% of adults have high blood pressure (Wisconsin 33.3%), but 80.8% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.8% statewide. 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 Sterling’s likely range; Sterling’s figures come from ZIP codes 54840, 54024, 54006, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Sterling adults…

Sterling runs above WI on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

8 of every 100 Sterling adults have COPD
Wisconsin: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 7.2–9.6%
Better than WIWorseAbout the sameWisconsin
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%Yearly checkupWI 78%
66%Dentist visitWI 67%
88%Cholesterol checkWI 86%
70%Colon screeningWI 69%
79%MammogramWI 80%
81%Taking BP medsWI 78%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Sterling 7.5% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)
Getting care

Care in and near Sterling

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

HNearest ERBurnett Medical CenterGrantsburg · 12.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySt. Croix Regional Medical Center★★★★★ · 15.0 miDirections →
+Low-cost careLakes Community Health Center, Inc theTurtle Lake · 33 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
12.1 mi
Burnett Medical Center
Grantsburg · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
15 mi
St. Croix Regional Medical Center
Saint Croix Falls · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
21.4 mi
Ladd Memorial Hospital
Osceola · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
22.6 mi
Cambridge Medical Center
Cambridge · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
33 mi
Lakes Community Health Center, Inc the
4 sites · nearest in Turtle Lake
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
39.9 mi
North Metro Clinic
Coon Rapids · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
Directions
✓ Primary careSterling is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careSterling is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthSterling is not a shortage area

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 Sterling; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

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 29.7%WI 32.6%
Binge drink 17.6%WI 19%
Smoke cigarettes 15.7%WI 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Sterling, betterSterling, worseAbout the sameWisconsin
Where Sterling gets moving

30 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves

1Governor Knowles State Forest11.3 mi of trails2Polk County Forest-Sterling Block6.1 mi of trails3Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway2.3 mi of trails
Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Sterling adults are doing

About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.

3 in 10Sterling adults feel lonely
29.6% · WI 30.6% · About the same as WI
1 in 5Sterling adults lack social or emotional support
19.2% · WI 20.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 4Sterling adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.9% · WI 23.2% · About the same as WI
1 in 7Sterling adults are in frequent mental distress
15.3% · WI 15.5% · About the same as WI
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Sterling 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 9
Sterling adults worry about having enough food
11.5% · WI 12.1%
About the same as WI
1 in 11
Sterling adults worry about keeping their housing
8.7% · WI 9.7%
About the same as WI
1 in 19
Sterling adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.2% · WI 5.5%
About the same as WI
1 in 16
Sterling adults lack reliable transportation
6.3% · WI 6.7%
About the same as WI

12.4% of Sterling adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Around town

Sterling and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Sunrise Township: 36.9%Amador Township: 36.3%Anderson: 38.7%Laketown: 36.5%Eureka: 36.1%Harris: 37.5%Chisago Lake Township: 36.2%North Branch: 37.1%Rushseba Township: 39.5%Shafer Township: 36.5%Grantsburg: 38.7%Trade Lake: 37.6%Wood River: 38.7%Luck: 36.5%Milltown: 37.1%St. Croix Falls: 36%Sterling: 37.3%SterlingSunrise TownshipAmador TownshipAndersonLaketownEurekaBurnett Medical Center · Grantsburg · 12.1 miHSt. Croix Regional Medical Center · Saint Croix Falls · 15 mi · 3★ MedicareHLadd Memorial Hospital · Osceola · 21.4 miH
Healthier than WINear WILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#11 of 17 towns on this map, healthiest first
Eureka36.1%
Amador Township36.3%
Laketown36.5%
Sunrise Township36.9%
Sterling37.3%
Anderson38.7%
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
Anderson————
LaketownB−36.5%13.6%15.1%ZIP codes
EurekaB−36.1%13.1%15.1%ZIP codes

Anderson: 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.

33%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.1%
Thinking or memory13.3%
Hearing8.9%
Errands alone8.6%
Vision4.9%
Dressing or bathing4.2%
Wisconsin

Questions about health in Sterling

Why doesn’t Sterling have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Sterling?

Burnett Medical Center in Grantsburg, 12.1 miles in a straight line from Sterling’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 Sterling.

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.