On CDC estimates, Townsend is healthier than 29% of U.S. towns
Townsend differs from Wisconsin on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 9 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 54175. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Townsend
Heart disease, cancer and COPD run high in Townsend
1 in 9 adults have heart disease (11.7%), vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. 1 in 7 adults have had cancer (14.4%), vs 8.6% across Wisconsin. COPD is also above the state: 10.4%, vs 6.5% across Wisconsin. In all, Townsend runs above Wisconsin on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 55% of residents are 65 or older (Wisconsin 19%), and heart disease, cancer and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Townsend, and more people treating it
47.1% of adults have high blood pressure (Wisconsin 33.3%), but 86.6% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.8% statewide. Checkups ↓
The nearest ER is 28 miles from Townsend
The closest emergency room is Langlade Hospital in Antigo, 27.8 miles away in a straight line. For everyday care, Lakes Community Health Center, Inc the is closer (5.8 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. Getting care ↓
More Townsend adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (32.7%), vs 26.6% across Wisconsin. There are 35 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve in town, a place to start. 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 Townsend’s likely range; Townsend’s figures come from ZIP code 54175, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Townsend’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Townsend is healthier than 29% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 95% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 6%).
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). Townsend’s median household income is $87,857; among the 10,168 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($66K–$110K), it’s healthier than 14%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Townsend compares well: binge drinking, 12.6% (U.S. 15.4%); checkup in the past year, 85% (U.S. 77.4%); cholesterol check in 5 years, 92.2% (U.S. 87.1%).
Out of every 100 Townsend adults…
Townsend runs above WI on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Townsend is an older town: 55% 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 Townsend as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Townsend adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.
Care in and near Townsend
No hospital or community health center in Townsend itself. These are the nearest.
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 Townsend; ≈ 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.
35 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
How Townsend adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Townsend does better than Wisconsin.
1 in 4 Townsend 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.
10.9% of Townsend adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.
Townsend 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Townsend | C | 42.2% | 17.1% | 14.6% | ZIP 54175 |
| Doty | — | — | — | — | |
| Lakewood | — | — | — | — | |
| Wabeno | D | 42.6% | 16.7% | 19.3% | ZIP codes |
| Wolf River | — | — | — | — | |
| Riverview | — | — | — | — | |
| Freedom | — | — | — | — |
Doty, Lakewood, Wolf River, Riverview and Freedom: 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 Townsend adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Townsend
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Townsend is better than Wisconsin on 9 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Townsend’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Townsend | WI | U.S. | vs WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.4%17.7–25.6 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.4%14–19.1 | 12.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.8%11–14.6 | 15.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 42.2%34.5–49.8 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 17.1%14.6–20 | 11.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 47.1%42.4–51.9 | 33.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 46.1%41.4–50.8 | 34.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 40.9%36.5–45.4 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.4–12.1 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 14.4%12.9–15.9 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 11.7%10.2–13.5 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.4%8.4–12.6 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.4%4.6–6.3 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11%8.8–13.6 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.6%11.5–17.7 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 32.7%26.8–38.6 | 26.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 12.6%10.4–15.1 | 19% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.2%23.4–35.4 | 32.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.6%5–8.4 | 8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 85%82.5–87.4 | 77.6% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 66.6%62.9–69.9 | 67.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.2%91–93.3 | 85.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 86.6%84–88.8 | 77.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 75.9%71.2–79.9 | 69.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.2%73.3–85.9 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.6%17.4–24.1 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27%22.8–31.9 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.3%15.2–21.8 | 20.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.1%7.8–12.9 | 12.1% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.8%5.5–8.3 | 9.7% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4%3.3–4.8 | 5.5% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.2%4.3–6.2 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.9%8.3–13.8 | 12.5% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.9%32.6–43.6 | 29.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20.3%16.9–24.1 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.4%9.6–13.4 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.8%10.3–13.6 | 6.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.4%4.5–6.4 | 4.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.7%7.3–10.3 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.7%3.9–5.6 | 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 Townsend
Is Townsend a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Townsend is healthier than 29% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 14%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Townsend?
CDC estimates 42.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 34.5% and 49.8%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Townsend?
Langlade Hospital in Antigo, 27.8 miles in a straight line from Townsend’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Townsend have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5–8.4%), 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 Townsend more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Townsend.
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.