Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Washington is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns
Washington differs from Wisconsin on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 54521. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Washington
Cancer, heart disease and stroke run high in Washington
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12%), vs 8.6% across Wisconsin. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.1%), vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. Stroke is also above the state: 4.3%, vs 3.4% across Wisconsin. In all, Washington runs above Wisconsin on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 32% of residents are 65 or older (Wisconsin 19%), and cancer, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Washington, and more people treating it
40.3% of adults have high blood pressure (Wisconsin 33.3%), but 82.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.8% statewide. Checkups ↓
Washington is short on primary care and mental health care
Washington’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Fewer Washington adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Wisconsin. 1 in 10 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 8 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Washington’s likely range; Washington’s figures come from ZIP code 54521, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to B+.
What’s behind Washington’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Washington is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 89% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 30%).
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). Washington’s median household income is $85,379; among the 10,371 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($64K–$107K), it’s healthier than 44%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Washington adults…
Washington runs above WI on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Washington is an older town: 32% 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 Washington as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Washington adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.
Care in and near Washington
No hospital or community health center in Washington 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 Washington; ≈ 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).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.7% of Washington adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.
Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin
Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.
12 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
How Washington adults are doing
About the same as Wisconsin on each measure.
3 in 10 Washington 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.
Washington and the towns around it
Washington’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 4 graded towns around it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington · Lincoln | B− | 37.4% | 13.1% | 13.9% | ZIP 54521 |
| Three Lakes | B | 34.3% | 13.8% | 12.7% | ZIP codes |
| Phelps | B− | 37.9% | 13.9% | 13.9% | ZIP codes |
| Hiles | — | — | — | — |
Washington and Lincoln share one ZIP estimate, so they share a row. Hiles: 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 Washington adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Washington
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Washington is better than Wisconsin on 7 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Washington’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Washington | WI | U.S. | vs WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.4%16.5–20.7 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.6%13.2–16.3 | 12.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14%12.6–15.6 | 15.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.4%32–42.9 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.1%11.6–14.7 | 11.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.3%36.9–43.7 | 33.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.7%37.2–44.3 | 34.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 33.6%30.8–36.6 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.8%9.7–11.9 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12%11.1–13.1 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.1%8.3–9.9 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.1%7.3–9.1 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%4–4.7 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.8%8.9–12.9 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.9%12.1–15.8 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 28.5%25.1–32.3 | 26.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17%14.6–19.8 | 19% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.7%24.3–33.2 | 32.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.6%5.6–7.6 | 8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.2%77.5–82.9 | 77.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67%64–69.9 | 67.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.3%88.2–90.5 | 85.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.2%79.9–84.4 | 77.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.6%68.8–76.1 | 69.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.1%71–82.4 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.9%20.2–25.9 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.7%25.1–32.5 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.4%16–21 | 20.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10%8.5–11.5 | 12.1% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.6%6.6–8.7 | 9.7% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.5%3.9–5.1 | 5.5% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.6%4.9–6.3 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.7%9.2–12.3 | 12.5% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.5%29.3–36.1 | 29.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.2%14.5–18.1 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.9%10.7–13.3 | 12.8% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.4%8.5–10.3 | 6.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.7%4.3–5.2 | 4.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.2%7.4–9.1 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4%3.6–4.3 | 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 Washington
Is Washington a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Washington is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns: B− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 44%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Washington?
CDC estimates 37.4% of adults (the figure for ZIP code 54521, which Washington shares with Lincoln) have obesity, likely between 32% and 42.9%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Washington?
Aspirus Eagle River Hospital in Eagle River, 5.7 miles in a straight line from Washington’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Washington have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.6–7.6%), 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 Washington more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to B+. The figures are ZIP code 54521’s, shared with Lincoln.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Washington.
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.