Health · Shell Lake

Shell Lake, WI health

Shell Lake differs from Wisconsin on 12 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing housing insecurity (8% vs 9.7%) and more adults treating high blood pressure (83.6% vs 77.8%). Where it trails the state: more adults with heart disease (9.8% vs 6.6%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Shell Lake

B-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

B⁻

Shell Lake’s Health Grade: B−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Shell Lake is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns, and than 77% of towns with similar incomes.

B-Self-rated healthC+Physical distressAMental distressB+ObesityC-DiabetesBSmokingC-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 48%

Less healthyHealthier

Wisconsin towns we grade (877)Healthier than 34%

Towns with similar incomes, $43K–$72K (7,433)Healthier than 77%

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

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

41 of every 100 Shell Lake adults have high blood pressure

Wisconsin: 33 in 100 · worse · margin 36.5–45.4%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Shell Lake, betterShell Lake, worseToo close to callWisconsin

Get no exerciseshare of adults 31.5% Shell Lake
WI 26.6%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 32% Shell Lake
WI 32.6%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.9% Shell Lake
WI 19%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.9% Shell Lake
WI 13.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Shell Lake 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

Shell Lake 7.6% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)

Mind & connection

How Shell Lake adults are doing

1 in 3Shell Lake adults feel lonely

30.5% · Wisconsin 30.6% · too close to call

1 in 5Shell Lake adults have been diagnosed with depression

21% · Wisconsin 23.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Shell Lake adults lack social or emotional support

18.4% · Wisconsin 20.2% · too close to call

1 in 7Shell Lake adults are in frequent mental distress

14.3% · 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 9

Shell Lake adults worry about having enough food

10.7% · WI 12.1% · about the same

1 in 13

Shell Lake adults worry about keeping their housing

8% · WI 9.7% · better

1 in 21

Shell Lake adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

4.8% · WI 5.5% · about the same

1 in 16

Shell Lake adults lack reliable transportation

6.1% · WI 6.7% · about the same

11.8% of Shell Lake adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Disability

Living with a disability

35.1%

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

Walking or climbing stairs18.2%

Thinking or memory12.7%

Hearing10.6%

Errands alone9.3%

Vision5.4%

Dressing or bathing4.3%

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

Around Shell Lake

Shell Lake and the towns around it

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

33.7%38.8%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#1 of 12towns on this map, healthiest first

Shell Lake33.7%

Bashaw35.7%

Beaver Brook35.7%

Barronett36.4%

Care nearby

Indianhead Medical CtrShell Lake · 1.3 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Spooner Health SystemSpooner · 10.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Cumberland Memorial HospitalCumberland · 12.9 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Marshfield Medical Center - Rice LakeRice Lake · 16.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Cumberland Elementary SchoolCumberland · 14.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Northlakes - CumberlandCumberland · 14.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careShell Lake's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Washburn County · need score 15 of 25

! Dental careShell Lake's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Washburn County · need score 15 of 25

! Mental healthShell Lake's county is a federal shortage area.Ashland/Bayfield/Douglas/Iron/Sawyer/Washburn Counties · need score 17 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 Shell Lake. 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 Shell Lake

Measure	Shell Lake	Margin	Wisconsin
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	40.9%	36.5–45.4%	33.3%	worse
High cholesterol	41.2%	36.7–45.7%	34.4%	worse
Obesity	33.7%	26.7–41.5%	37.7%	about the same
Arthritis	35.8%	31.9–39.7%	26.6%	worse
Depression	21%	17.7–24.6%	23.2%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	8.1%	6.4–10%	9.9%	about the same
Asthma	11%	9.7–12.5%	10.8%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	12.5%	11.2–13.9%	8.6%	worse
Diabetes	14.1%	12–16.3%	11.4%	worse
COPD	8.9%	7.2–10.8%	6.5%	worse
Heart disease	9.8%	8.5–11.3%	6.6%	worse
Stroke	4.8%	4.1–5.6%	3.4%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	13.9%	11.3–16.9%	13.6%	about the same
Binge drink	15.9%	13.1–19%	19%	about the same
Get no exercise	31.5%	26–37.2%	26.6%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	32%	26.3–38.4%	32.6%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	81.5%	78.3–84.6%	77.6%	better
Dentist visit	65.5%	62–68.9%	67.1%	about the same
Cholesterol check	89%	87.2–90.6%	85.9%	better
Colon screening	72%	67.7–76.2%	69.4%	about the same
Mammogram	75.3%	67.7–82.3%	80.3%	about the same
Taking BP meds	83.6%	81.1–85.9%	77.8%	better
No health insurance	7.6%	5.8–9.7%	8%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	30.5%	25.8–35.4%	30.6%	about the same
Lack emotional support	18.4%	15.4–21.6%	20.2%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	14.3%	12.4–16.2%	15.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	19.9%	16.5–23.6%	17.8%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	15.1%	12.8–17.4%	12.9%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	10.7%	8.6–13%	12.1%	about the same
Housing insecurity	8%	6.7–9.5%	9.7%	better
Utility shut-off threat	4.8%	4–5.6%	5.5%	about the same
No reliable transportation	6.1%	5.2–7%	6.7%	about the same
Receive SNAP	11.8%	9.4–14.4%	12.5%
Disability
Any disability	35.1%	30–40%	29.4%
Walking or climbing stairs	18.2%	14.9–21.5%	13.4%
Thinking or memory	12.7%	10.7–14.8%	12.8%
Hearing	10.6%	9.1–12.1%	6.9%
Vision	5.4%	4.5–6.6%	4.5%
Dressing or bathing	4.3%	3.6–5.2%	3.5%
Errands alone	9.3%	7.7–11.1%	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 Shell Lake door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Shell Lake 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.