Health · Phelps

Phelps, WI health

Phelps differs from Wisconsin on 20 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing housing insecurity (6.8% vs 9.7%) and fewer uninsured adults (5.8% vs 8%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (13.1% vs 8.6%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 54554, 54521, 54519, 54540
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Phelps’s Health Grade: B−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Phelps is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns.

BSelf-rated healthC+Physical distressAMental distressC+ObesityCDiabetesBSmokingCExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 48%
Less healthyHealthier
Wisconsin towns we grade (877)Healthier than 35%
Towns with similar incomes, $53K–$89K (9,697)Healthier than 58%

About what its income would suggest. Phelps does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Phelps 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 Phelps 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. Phelps’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 Phelps 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 Phelps adults…

43 of every 100 Phelps adults have high blood pressure
Wisconsin: 33 in 100 · worse · margin 38.8–47.5%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Phelps, betterPhelps, worseToo close to callWisconsin
Get no exerciseshare of adults 28.9% Phelps
WI 26.6%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 27.1% Phelps
WI 32.6%
Binge drinkshare of adults 15.8% Phelps
WI 19%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.9% Phelps
WI 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

82%
Yearly checkup
WI 78%
70%
Dentist visit
WI 67%
91%
Cholesterol check
WI 86%
71%
Colon screening
WI 69%
78%
Mammogram
WI 80%
84%
Taking BP meds
WI 78%
1 in 17
working-age adults has no health insurance
Phelps 5.8% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)
Mind & connection

How Phelps adults are doing

1 in 4Phelps adults feel lonely
27.3% · Wisconsin 30.6% · too close to call
1 in 5Phelps adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.2% · Wisconsin 23.2% · too close to call
1 in 6Phelps adults lack social or emotional support
17.9% · Wisconsin 20.2% · too close to call
1 in 8Phelps adults are in frequent mental distress
13.2% · Wisconsin 15.5% · better
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
Phelps adults worry about having enough food
9.2% · WI 12.1% · better
1 in 15
Phelps adults worry about keeping their housing
6.8% · WI 9.7% · better
1 in 24
Phelps adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.1% · WI 5.5% · better
1 in 20
Phelps adults lack reliable transportation
5.1% · WI 6.7% · better

10.1% of Phelps adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Disability

Living with a disability

32.7%

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

Walking or climbing stairs17%
Thinking or memory11.3%
Hearing9.9%
Errands alone8.1%
Vision4.8%
Dressing or bathing4.2%

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

Around Phelps

Phelps 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 Phelps.

Conover: 37.6% Watersmeet: 35.6% Hiles: 37.5% Washington: 37.4% Alvin: 38.5% Stambaugh: 39.7% Land O'Lakes: 36.7% Plum Lake: 36.2% Cloverland: 37.4% Lincoln: 37.4% Marenisco: 36.6% Haight: 37% Interior: 36.9% Three Lakes: 34.3% Argonne: 40.1% Piehl: 35.1% Crandon: 42.7% Tipler: 38.5% Popple River: 39.4% Florence: 37.8% Iron River: 39.3% Gaastra: 39.8% Bates: 39.7% Mastodon: 38.6% Iron River: 40.5% Caspian: 40.4% Presque Isle: 36% Boulder Junction: 36.6% Phelps: 37.9% Phelps Conover Watersmeet Hiles Washington Alvin Stambaugh Land O'Lakes Aspirus Eagle River Hospital · Eagle River · 12.1 miH Aspirus Iron River Hospital & Clinics · Iron River · 21.9 miH Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital · Rhinelander · 30.1 mi · 3★ MedicareH Howard Young Medical Center · Woodruff · 32.3 mi · 4★ MedicareH Ice Lake Family Health Center · Iron River · 21.8 mi+ Family Health Center - Rhinelander Alcohol & Drug Recovery Center · Rhinelander · 32 mi+
34.3%42.7%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#17 of 29towns on this map, healthiest first
Watersmeet35.6%
Land O'Lakes36.7%
Washington37.4%
Hiles37.5%
Conover37.6%
Phelps37.9%
Alvin38.5%
Stambaugh39.7%

Care nearby

Aspirus Eagle River HospitalEagle River · 12.1 mi · ER · rural critical access DirectionsMedicare profile
Aspirus Iron River Hospital & ClinicsIron River · 21.9 mi · ER · rural critical access DirectionsMedicare profile
Aspirus Rhinelander HospitalRhinelander · 30.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER DirectionsMedicare profile
Howard Young Medical CenterWoodruff · 32.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER DirectionsMedicare profile
Ice Lake Family Health CenterIron River · 21.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions
Family Health Center - Rhinelander Alcohol & Drug Recovery CenterRhinelander · 32 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions
! Primary carePhelps's county is a federal shortage area.Vilas County · need score 12 of 25
✓ Dental carePhelps is not a shortage area
! Mental healthPhelps's county is a federal shortage area.Vilas County · need score 16 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 Phelps. 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 Phelps
MeasurePhelpsMarginWisconsin
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure43%38.8–47.5%33.3%worse
High cholesterol43.3%39.1–47.7%34.4%worse
Obesity37.9%32–44.7%37.7%about the same
Arthritis36.3%32.8–40.3%26.6%worse
Depression22.2%19.2–25.8%23.2%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)10.8%8.6–13%9.9%about the same
Asthma10.8%9.6–12.2%10.8%about the same
Cancer (not skin)13.1%11.8–14.5%8.6%worse
Diabetes13.9%11.9–16.1%11.4%worse
COPD8.7%7.4–10.3%6.5%worse
Heart disease9.8%8.7–11.1%6.6%worse
Stroke4.6%4.1–5.2%3.4%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes13.9%11.2–16.8%13.6%about the same
Binge drink15.8%13.2–18.8%19%better
Get no exercise28.9%24.1–33.9%26.6%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours27.1%22.3–32.3%32.6%better
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup81.8%78.8–84.6%77.6%better
Dentist visit69.7%66.4–72.8%67.1%about the same
Cholesterol check91.1%89.8–92.3%85.9%better
Colon screening71.4%66.7–75.7%69.4%about the same
Mammogram77.9%70.8–83.7%80.3%about the same
Taking BP meds83.8%81.2–86.4%77.8%better
No health insurance5.8%4.5–7.4%8%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely27.3%23.3–31.8%30.6%about the same
Lack emotional support17.9%15.2–21%20.2%about the same
Frequent mental distress13.2%11.4–15%15.5%better
Fair or poor health18.6%15.7–22%17.8%about the same
Frequent physical distress15.1%13–17.3%12.9%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity9.2%7.4–11.4%12.1%better
Housing insecurity6.8%5.7–8.2%9.7%better
Utility shut-off threat4.1%3.5–4.9%5.5%better
No reliable transportation5.1%4.4–6%6.7%better
Receive SNAP10.1%8–12.3%12.5%
Disability
Any disability32.7%28.4–37.4%29.4%
Walking or climbing stairs17%14.4–19.9%13.4%
Thinking or memory11.3%9.7–13.2%12.8%
Hearing9.9%8.7–11.2%6.9%
Vision4.8%4.1–5.5%4.5%
Dressing or bathing4.2%3.5–4.8%3.5%
Errands alone8.1%6.9–9.4%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 Phelps door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Wisconsin figure falls inside it, we don't call Phelps better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Phelps by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Phelps 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.

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Phelps

Wisconsin · WI · Vilas County
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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01