Photo: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Woodruff is healthier than 54% of U.S. towns
Woodruff differs from Wisconsin on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 10 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 54539, 54568, 54558. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Woodruff
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Woodruff
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.7%), vs 8.6% across Wisconsin. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.3%), vs 6.6% across Wisconsin. Arthritis is also above the state: 34.5%, vs 26.6% across Wisconsin. In all, Woodruff runs above Wisconsin on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 36% of residents are 65 or older (Wisconsin 19%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Woodruff, and more people treating it
41.7% of adults have high blood pressure (Wisconsin 33.3%), but 82.8% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.8% statewide. Checkups ↓
Fewer Woodruff adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Wisconsin. 1 in 11 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 8 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Woodruff has a top-rated hospital
Howard Young Medical Center is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
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 Woodruff’s likely range; Woodruff’s figures come from ZIP codes 54539, 54568, 54558, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Woodruff’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Woodruff is healthier than 54% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 94% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 22%).
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). Woodruff’s median household income is $81,827; among the 10,641 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($61K–$102K), it’s healthier than 53%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Woodruff adults…
Woodruff runs above WI on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Woodruff is an older town: 36% 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 Woodruff as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Woodruff adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Wisconsin.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.5% of Woodruff adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.
Care in and near Woodruff
1 hospital in Woodruff, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Woodruff; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Wisconsin
Share of adults, with the Wisconsin figure marked.
37 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
How Woodruff adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Woodruff does better than Wisconsin.
3 in 10 Woodruff 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.
Woodruff and the towns around it
Woodruff’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodruff | B− | 35.8% | 14.1% | 13.3% | ZIP codes |
| Minocqua | B− | 36.2% | 14.4% | 13.8% | ZIP codes |
| Arbor Vitae | B | 36.1% | 12.9% | 12.9% | ZIP 54568 |
| Woodruff | — | — | — | — | |
| Newbold | B− | 36.2% | 13.5% | 14.5% | ZIP codes |
| Lake Tomahawk | B− | 35.3% | 14.9% | 13.8% | ZIP codes |
| Lac du Flambeau | C− | 41.6% | 16.2% | 18.6% | ZIP codes |
Woodruff: 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 Woodruff adults live with a disability (Wisconsin 29.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Woodruff
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Woodruff is better than Wisconsin on 10 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Wisconsin figure falls inside Woodruff’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Woodruff | WI | U.S. | vs WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.2%15.8–20.8 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.7%13–16.5 | 12.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.2%11.7–14.9 | 15.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.8%30.7–41.2 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.1%12.4–16 | 11.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 41.7%38.1–45.4 | 33.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.1%37.6–44.9 | 34.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.5%31.4–37.7 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.2–11.5 | 10.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.7%11.6–13.9 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.3%8.4–10.4 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.1%7–9.2 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.4%4–4.9 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.9%7.3–10.7 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.3%11.2–15.7 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 27.4%23.5–31.4 | 26.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.2%13.9–18.9 | 19% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.1%25.8–34.4 | 32.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.3%5.2–7.5 | 8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.8%79.1–84.3 | 77.6% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.2%66.3–72 | 67.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.6%89.4–91.8 | 85.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.8%80.3–85.2 | 77.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.1%69.3–76.6 | 69.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.4%73.8–84.3 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.9%19.2–24.9 | 23.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.8%25.1–32.6 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.2%15.6–20.8 | 20.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9%7.4–10.7 | 12.1% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.1%5.9–8.2 | 9.7% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.1%3.5–4.8 | 5.5% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.1%4.4–5.8 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.5%7.9–11.3 | 12.5% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.4%28.7–36.2 | 29.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.6%14.4–18.9 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11%9.6–12.5 | 12.8% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.6%8.6–10.6 | 6.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.6%4–5.1 | 4.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.7%6.7–8.7 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.4–4.4 | 3.5% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Woodruff
Is Woodruff a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Woodruff is healthier than 54% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 53%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Woodruff?
CDC estimates 35.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.7% and 41.2%, against 37.7% across Wisconsin and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Woodruff?
Howard Young Medical Center in Woodruff, 5.0 miles in a straight line from Woodruff’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Woodruff have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.2–7.5%), 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 Woodruff more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Woodruff.
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.