Health · How

How, WI health

How differs from Wisconsin on 17 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (82.4% vs 77.8%) and more adults getting a yearly checkup (80.8% vs 77.6%). Where it trails the state: more adults with COPD (9.3% vs 6.5%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 54174, 54124

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 702 people are less certain, so we show How's figures without a grade.

Report card

How How 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 How adults…

41 of every 100 How adults have high blood pressure

Wisconsin: 33 in 100 · worse · margin 36.9–45.1%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

How, betterHow, worseToo close to callWisconsin

Get no exerciseshare of adults 32.5% How
WI 26.6%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 32% How
WI 32.6%

Binge drinkshare of adults 16.2% How
WI 19%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17.1% How
WI 13.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of How 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

How 7.5% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)

Mind & connection

How How adults are doing

1 in 3How adults feel lonely

29.7% · Wisconsin 30.6% · too close to call

1 in 4How adults have been diagnosed with depression

22.8% · Wisconsin 23.2% · too close to call

1 in 5How adults lack social or emotional support

20.5% · Wisconsin 20.2% · too close to call

1 in 6How adults are in frequent mental distress

15.7% · 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 8

How adults worry about having enough food

12.8% · WI 12.1% · about the same

1 in 11

How adults worry about keeping their housing

9.5% · WI 9.7% · about the same

1 in 18

How adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

5.6% · WI 5.5% · about the same

1 in 15

How adults lack reliable transportation

6.8% · WI 6.7% · about the same

13.8% of How adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Disability

Living with a disability

36.9%

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

Walking or climbing stairs18.3%

Thinking or memory13.7%

Hearing9.9%

Errands alone9.3%

Vision5.5%

Dressing or bathing4.6%

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

Around How

How 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 How.

36.9%44.1%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#15 of 19towns on this map, healthiest first

Suring41.8%

How43.7%

Breed43.7%

Maple Valley43.9%

Underhill44.1%

Care nearby

Hshs St. Clare Memorial HospitalOconto Falls · 16.7 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Thedacare Medical Center - ShawanoShawano · 17.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Bellin Health Oconto HospitalOconto · 28.1 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

St. Marys Hospital Medical CtrGreen Bay · 35.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Northlakes - White LakeWhite Lake · 20.5 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

N.E.W. Community Clinic at NwtcGreen Bay · 35 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careHow's county is a federal shortage area.Oconto County · need score 14 of 25

✓ Dental careHow is not a shortage area

! Mental healthPart of How is a federal shortage area.Northern Oconto County · need score 8 of 25

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 How. 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 How

Measure	How	Margin	Wisconsin
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	40.9%	36.9–45.1%	33.3%	worse
High cholesterol	40.6%	36.5–44.8%	34.4%	worse
Obesity	43.7%	36.8–50.9%	37.7%	about the same
Arthritis	34.6%	31.2–38.1%	26.6%	worse
Depression	22.8%	19.7–26.2%	23.2%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	13.7%	11.1–16.5%	9.9%	worse
Asthma	11.3%	10.1–12.6%	10.8%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	11.1%	10.1–12.1%	8.6%	worse
Diabetes	14.9%	13.2–16.9%	11.4%	worse
COPD	9.3%	8.2–10.5%	6.5%	worse
Heart disease	9.4%	8.6–10.5%	6.6%	worse
Stroke	4.7%	4.3–5.2%	3.4%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	17.1%	14.8–19.7%	13.6%	worse
Binge drink	16.2%	13.6–19%	19%	about the same
Get no exercise	32.5%	28–37.3%	26.6%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	32%	26.1–38.4%	32.6%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	80.8%	78–83.5%	77.6%	better
Dentist visit	63.6%	60–67%	67.1%	worse
Cholesterol check	88.4%	86.8–89.6%	85.9%	better
Colon screening	70%	65.1–74.5%	69.4%	about the same
Mammogram	78.6%	71.5–84.6%	80.3%	about the same
Taking BP meds	82.4%	79.8–84.7%	77.8%	better
No health insurance	7.5%	6.3–8.8%	8%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	29.7%	25.6–34.3%	30.6%	about the same
Lack emotional support	20.5%	17.6–23.7%	20.2%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	15.7%	14–17.6%	15.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	21.4%	18.8–24.1%	17.8%	worse
Frequent physical distress	16.1%	14.3–18%	12.9%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	12.8%	11–14.9%	12.1%	about the same
Housing insecurity	9.5%	8.2–11%	9.7%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	5.6%	4.8–6.5%	5.5%	about the same
No reliable transportation	6.8%	6–7.7%	6.7%	about the same
Receive SNAP	13.8%	11.8–16%	12.5%
Disability
Any disability	36.9%	32.7–41.3%	29.4%
Walking or climbing stairs	18.3%	16.2–20.6%	13.4%
Thinking or memory	13.7%	12.1–15.4%	12.8%
Hearing	9.9%	9–11%	6.9%
Vision	5.5%	5–6.1%	4.5%
Dressing or bathing	4.6%	4.2–5.1%	3.5%
Errands alone	9.3%	8.3–10.4%	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 How door to door.

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

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