Health · Merrill

Merrill, WI health

Merrill differs from Wisconsin on 14 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (16.1% vs 9.9%) and more adults with COPD (9.1% vs 6.5%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Merrill

C-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁻

Merrill’s Health Grade: C−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Merrill is healthier than 21% of U.S. towns, and than 44% of towns with similar incomes.

CSelf-rated healthCPhysical distressC+Mental distressDObesityC+DiabetesC-SmokingDExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 21%

Less healthyHealthier

Wisconsin towns we grade (877)Healthier than 5%

Towns with similar incomes, $40K–$66K (6,380)Healthier than 44%

Better than its income would suggest. Merrill is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C−.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Merrill could be anywhere from D 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 Merrill 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. Merrill uses CDC’s own estimate for it. 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 Merrill 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 Merrill adults…

37 of every 100 Merrill adults have high blood pressure

Wisconsin: 33 in 100 · worse · margin 33.6–41.1%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Merrill, betterMerrill, worseToo close to callWisconsin

Get no exerciseshare of adults 32.7% Merrill
WI 26.6%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.5% Merrill
WI 32.6%

Binge drinkshare of adults 18.2% Merrill
WI 19%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17.4% Merrill
WI 13.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Merrill 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 11

working-age adults has no health insurance

Merrill 9% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)

Mind & connection

How Merrill adults are doing

1 in 3Merrill adults feel lonely

31.9% · Wisconsin 30.6% · too close to call

1 in 4Merrill adults have been diagnosed with depression

25.4% · Wisconsin 23.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Merrill adults lack social or emotional support

20.1% · Wisconsin 20.2% · too close to call

1 in 6Merrill adults are in frequent mental distress

17.5% · 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 7

Merrill adults worry about having enough food

15.1% · WI 12.1% · worse

1 in 9

Merrill adults worry about keeping their housing

11.2% · WI 9.7% · about the same

1 in 15

Merrill adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

6.6% · WI 5.5% · worse

1 in 13

Merrill adults lack reliable transportation

8% · WI 6.7% · worse

17.2% of Merrill adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Disability

Living with a disability

37.3%

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

Walking or climbing stairs17.6%

Thinking or memory15.6%

Hearing9.4%

Errands alone10.5%

Vision5.9%

Dressing or bathing4.6%

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

Around Merrill

Merrill 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 Merrill.

37.5%43.6%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#10 of 10towns on this map, healthiest first

Merrill42.4%

Scott42.4%

Pine River42.4%

Merrill43.6%

Care in and near Merrill

1 hospital and 1 community health center in Merrill, plus the nearest outside it. Nearest first.

Aspirus Merrill HospitalMerrill · 0.9 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Aspirus Wausau HospitalWausau · 14.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Marshfield Medical Center - WestonWeston · 21 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Aspirus Tomahawk HospitalTomahawk · 21.4 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Bridge Community Health Clinic - Behavioral Health MerrillMerrill · 0.5 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Family Health Center - Medford Dental CenterMedford · 32.3 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careMerrill is not a shortage area

✓ Dental careMerrill is not a shortage area

! Mental healthMerrill's county is a federal shortage area.Lincoln County · need score 14 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 Merrill. 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 Merrill

Measure	Merrill	Margin	Wisconsin
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	37.4%	33.6–41.1%	33.3%	worse
High cholesterol	36.6%	32.8–40.5%	34.4%	about the same
Obesity	43.6%	37–50.1%	37.7%	about the same
Arthritis	32.4%	29.2–35.6%	26.6%	worse
Depression	25.4%	21.9–29%	23.2%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	16.1%	13.2–19.7%	9.9%	worse
Asthma	11.4%	10.2–12.9%	10.8%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.5%	8.5–10.4%	8.6%	about the same
Diabetes	13%	11.3–14.8%	11.4%	about the same
COPD	9.1%	8–10.3%	6.5%	worse
Heart disease	8.5%	7.6–9.5%	6.6%	worse
Stroke	4.3%	3.9–4.7%	3.4%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	17.4%	14.9–20%	13.6%	worse
Binge drink	18.2%	15.3–21.4%	19%	about the same
Get no exercise	32.7%	28.2–37.5%	26.6%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	33.5%	28.4–39.5%	32.6%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	77.7%	74.3–80.8%	77.6%	about the same
Dentist visit	62.1%	58.7–65.6%	67.1%	worse
Cholesterol check	84.3%	82.4–86.2%	85.9%	about the same
Colon screening	66.6%	62–71.4%	69.4%	about the same
Mammogram	77%	70.2–83.6%	80.3%	about the same
Taking BP meds	78.6%	75.9–81%	77.8%	about the same
No health insurance	9%	7.6–10.6%	8%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	31.9%	27.3–36.5%	30.6%	about the same
Lack emotional support	20.1%	17.2–23.3%	20.2%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	17.5%	15.5–19.7%	15.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	22.4%	19.6–25.4%	17.8%	worse
Frequent physical distress	15.5%	13.7–17.5%	12.9%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	15.1%	13–17.9%	12.1%	worse
Housing insecurity	11.2%	9.6–13%	9.7%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	6.6%	5.7–7.7%	5.5%	worse
No reliable transportation	8%	7.1–9.2%	6.7%	worse
Receive SNAP	17.2%	14.9–20%	12.5%
Disability
Any disability	37.3%	33.1–41.8%	29.4%
Walking or climbing stairs	17.6%	15.5–19.9%	13.4%
Thinking or memory	15.6%	13.8–17.6%	12.8%
Hearing	9.4%	8.3–10.4%	6.9%
Vision	5.9%	5.3–6.5%	4.5%
Dressing or bathing	4.6%	4.2–5.2%	3.5%
Errands alone	10.5%	9.3–11.8%	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 Merrill door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Merrill directly, so these are its own figures.

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.