Health · Decatur

Decatur, WI health

Decatur differs from Wisconsin on 5 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (7.8% vs 6.5%) and more adults with heart disease (7.6% vs 6.6%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 53520, 53550

C+Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁺

Decatur’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Decatur is healthier than 39% of U.S. towns.

B-Self-rated healthB-Physical distressB+Mental distressDObesityB-DiabetesC+SmokingCExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 39%

Less healthyHealthier

Wisconsin towns we grade (877)Healthier than 23%

Towns with similar incomes, $76K–$126K (7,792)Healthier than 15%

Wealth explains part of the grade. Decatur is healthier than 39% of U.S. towns overall, but against towns with similar incomes its edge is smaller.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Decatur could be anywhere from C− to B+.

How the Health Grade works

Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Wisconsin ranking.
Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Decatur with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Decatur’s figures come from the ZIP codes that cover it, weighted by land area. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.

Report card

How Decatur compares with Wisconsin

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Decatur adults…

37 of every 100 Decatur adults have high blood pressure

Wisconsin: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 33.3–40.4%

Bars show Decatur; the black tick is Wisconsin. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Decatur, betterDecatur, worseToo close to callWisconsin

Get no exerciseshare of adults 29.5% Decatur
WI 26.6%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.4% Decatur
WI 32.6%

Binge drinkshare of adults 17.7% Decatur
WI 19%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.7% Decatur
WI 13.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

WI 78%

Dentist visit

WI 67%

Cholesterol check

WI 86%

Colon screening

WI 69%

Mammogram

WI 80%

Taking BP meds

WI 78%

1 in 13

working-age adults has no health insurance

Decatur 8% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)

Mind & connection

How Decatur adults are doing

1 in 3Decatur adults feel lonely

29.5% · Wisconsin 30.6% · too close to call

1 in 4Decatur adults have been diagnosed with depression

23.9% · Wisconsin 23.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Decatur adults lack social or emotional support

19.9% · Wisconsin 20.2% · too close to call

1 in 6Decatur adults are in frequent mental distress

16.2% · Wisconsin 15.5% · too close to call

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 8

Decatur adults worry about having enough food

12.1% · WI 12.1% · about the same

1 in 11

Decatur adults worry about keeping their housing

9.5% · WI 9.7% · about the same

1 in 18

Decatur adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

5.6% · WI 5.5% · about the same

1 in 15

Decatur adults lack reliable transportation

6.7% · WI 6.7% · about the same

13.3% of Decatur adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Disability

Living with a disability

32.8%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.1%

Thinking or memory13.9%

Hearing8.2%

Errands alone8.8%

Vision4.9%

Dressing or bathing3.9%

Black tick: Wisconsin. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Decatur

Decatur and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Decatur.

37.2%42.4%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#11 of 16towns on this map, healthiest first

Albany40.2%

Sylvester40.6%

Decatur42%

Spring Valley42%

Spring Grove42.2%

Brodhead42.3%

Care nearby

The Monroe ClinicMonroe · 10.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mercy Health SystemJanesville · 20.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Stoughton HospitalStoughton · 22 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Beloit Health SystemBeloit · 22.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Beloit Area Community Health CenterBeloit · 21.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Children's Dental Center of Madison-FitchburgFitchburg · 24.9 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careDecatur is not a shortage area

✓ Dental careDecatur is not a shortage area

✓ Mental healthDecatur is not a shortage area

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas. Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Decatur. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Decatur

Measure	Decatur	Margin	Wisconsin
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	36.8%	33.3–40.4%	33.3%	about the same
High cholesterol	37%	33.5–40.8%	34.4%	about the same
Obesity	42%	35.7–48.4%	37.7%	about the same
Arthritis	29.6%	26.7–32.5%	26.6%	worse
Depression	23.9%	20.9–27.1%	23.2%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	10.7%	9.1–12.5%	9.9%	about the same
Asthma	11%	9.9–12.3%	10.8%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.4%	8.6–10.3%	8.6%	about the same
Diabetes	12.3%	10.8–13.9%	11.4%	about the same
COPD	7.8%	7–8.7%	6.5%	worse
Heart disease	7.6%	6.9–8.4%	6.6%	worse
Stroke	3.8%	3.5–4.2%	3.4%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.7%	13.6–17.9%	13.6%	about the same
Binge drink	17.7%	15.1–20.7%	19%	about the same
Get no exercise	29.5%	25.5–33.8%	26.6%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	34.4%	29.4–39.6%	32.6%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	77.4%	74.3–80.3%	77.6%	about the same
Dentist visit	62.8%	59.7–65.8%	67.1%	worse
Cholesterol check	85.8%	84.3–87.5%	85.9%	about the same
Colon screening	68.2%	64.3–72.1%	69.4%	about the same
Mammogram	78.7%	73–83.6%	80.3%	about the same
Taking BP meds	79%	76.5–81.3%	77.8%	about the same
No health insurance	8%	6.7–9.4%	8%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	29.5%	25.7–33.6%	30.6%	about the same
Lack emotional support	19.9%	17.3–22.8%	20.2%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	16.2%	14.5–18.1%	15.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	19.5%	17.2–22%	17.8%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	14.4%	12.8–16%	12.9%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	12.1%	10.2–14%	12.1%	about the same
Housing insecurity	9.5%	8.1–10.9%	9.7%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	5.6%	4.8–6.4%	5.5%	about the same
No reliable transportation	6.7%	5.9–7.6%	6.7%	about the same
Receive SNAP	13.3%	11.3–15.4%	12.5%
Disability
Any disability	32.8%	29.1–36.7%	29.4%
Walking or climbing stairs	15.1%	13.3–17%	13.4%
Thinking or memory	13.9%	12.3–15.6%	12.8%
Hearing	8.2%	7.4–9.1%	6.9%
Vision	4.9%	4.4–5.4%	4.5%
Dressing or bathing	3.9%	3.6–4.4%	3.5%
Errands alone	8.8%	7.9–9.8%	7.9%

About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Decatur door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Wisconsin figure falls inside it, we don't call Decatur better or worse.

Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Decatur by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Decatur by how much of its land each one covers.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Wisconsin figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.