Health · Forest

Forest, WI health

Forest differs from Wisconsin on 7 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing food insecurity (9.2% vs 12.1%) and fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (4.3% vs 5.5%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10% vs 8.6%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 53057, 53079, 54937, 53019

BHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Forest’s Health Grade: B

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Forest is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns and 50% of Wisconsin towns.

B+Self-rated healthBPhysical distressA-Mental distressDObesityBDiabetesBSmokingC+Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 56%

Less healthyHealthier

Wisconsin towns we grade (877)Healthier than 50%

Towns with similar incomes, $85K–$141K (6,319)Healthier than 24%

Wealth explains part of the grade. Forest is healthier than 56% 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, Forest could be anywhere from C to A−.

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 Forest 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. Forest’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 Forest 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 Forest adults…

35 of every 100 Forest adults have high blood pressure

Wisconsin: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 31.7–38.9%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Forest, betterForest, worseToo close to callWisconsin

Get no exerciseshare of adults 27.8% Forest
WI 26.6%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 28.8% Forest
WI 32.6%

Binge drinkshare of adults 18.5% Forest
WI 19%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.8% Forest
WI 13.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Forest 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 15

working-age adults has no health insurance

Forest 6.7% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)

Mind & connection

How Forest adults are doing

1 in 3Forest adults feel lonely

30.4% · Wisconsin 30.6% · too close to call

1 in 4Forest adults have been diagnosed with depression

23.8% · Wisconsin 23.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Forest adults lack social or emotional support

19.9% · Wisconsin 20.2% · too close to call

1 in 7Forest adults are in frequent mental distress

14.7% · 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 11

Forest adults worry about having enough food

9.2% · WI 12.1% · better

1 in 13

Forest adults worry about keeping their housing

7.7% · WI 9.7% · better

1 in 23

Forest adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

4.3% · WI 5.5% · better

1 in 19

Forest adults lack reliable transportation

5.3% · WI 6.7% · better

9.3% of Forest adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Disability

Living with a disability

31%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.4%

Thinking or memory12.3%

Hearing7.8%

Errands alone7.6%

Vision4%

Dressing or bathing3.4%

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

Around Forest

Forest 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 Forest.

35.2%44.5%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#10 of 18towns on this map, healthiest first

Greenbush36.8%

Forest42.4%

Marshfield42.5%

Empire43.5%

Osceola43.6%

Care nearby

Ssm Health St. Agnes Hospital-Fond Du LacFond Du Lac · 11.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Ascension Calumet HospitalChilton · 19 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

St. Nicholas HospitalSheboygan · 23.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Aurora Medical Ctr OshkoshOshkosh · 26.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Lchc West BendWest Bend · 22.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Partnership Dental City Center OshkoshOshkosh · 24.5 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careForest is not a shortage area

! Dental careForest's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Fond du Lac County · need score 10 of 25

✓ Mental healthForest is not a shortage area

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Forest. 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 Forest

Measure	Forest	Margin	Wisconsin
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	35.3%	31.7–38.9%	33.3%	about the same
High cholesterol	37.3%	33.6–41.1%	34.4%	about the same
Obesity	42.4%	36.7–48.3%	37.7%	about the same
Arthritis	30.5%	27.4–33.7%	26.6%	worse
Depression	23.8%	20.7–27.2%	23.2%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	8.5%	6.8–10.4%	9.9%	about the same
Asthma	10.9%	9.7–12.3%	10.8%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	10%	9–10.9%	8.6%	worse
Diabetes	11.3%	9.8–12.9%	11.4%	about the same
COPD	6.7%	5.8–7.8%	6.5%	about the same
Heart disease	7.1%	6.3–8%	6.6%	about the same
Stroke	3.5%	3.1–3.9%	3.4%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	13.8%	11.7–16.2%	13.6%	about the same
Binge drink	18.5%	15.6–21.7%	19%	about the same
Get no exercise	27.8%	23.8–32.1%	26.6%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	28.8%	24–33.9%	32.6%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	79.3%	76.2–82.3%	77.6%	about the same
Dentist visit	70%	66.7–72.9%	67.1%	about the same
Cholesterol check	87.7%	86.1–89.3%	85.9%	better
Colon screening	69%	64.5–73.2%	69.4%	about the same
Mammogram	78.7%	72.1–84.3%	80.3%	about the same
Taking BP meds	79.7%	76.9–82.3%	77.8%	about the same
No health insurance	6.7%	5.5–8.1%	8%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	30.4%	26.3–34.8%	30.6%	about the same
Lack emotional support	19.9%	16.9–23.1%	20.2%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	14.7%	13–16.6%	15.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	16.6%	14.3–19.2%	17.8%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	13.5%	11.9–15.3%	12.9%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	9.2%	7.6–11.1%	12.1%	better
Housing insecurity	7.7%	6.4–9.2%	9.7%	better
Utility shut-off threat	4.3%	3.7–5%	5.5%	better
No reliable transportation	5.3%	4.6–6.2%	6.7%	better
Receive SNAP	9.3%	7.7–11.2%	12.5%
Disability
Any disability	31%	27.2–35.1%	29.4%
Walking or climbing stairs	14.4%	12.4–16.6%	13.4%
Thinking or memory	12.3%	10.8–14%	12.8%
Hearing	7.8%	6.9–8.8%	6.9%
Vision	4%	3.6–4.6%	4.5%
Dressing or bathing	3.4%	2.9–3.8%	3.5%
Errands alone	7.6%	6.6–8.7%	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 Forest door to door.

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

Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Forest by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Forest 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.