Health · Waterloo

Waterloo, WI health

On every measure CDC estimates, Waterloo looks like Wisconsin as a whole: no difference is outside the margin of error.

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 53594, 53551

B-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

B⁻

Waterloo’s Health Grade: B−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Waterloo is healthier than 50% of U.S. towns.

BSelf-rated healthBPhysical distressB+Mental distressDObesityB+DiabetesB-SmokingCExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 50%

Less healthyHealthier

Wisconsin towns we grade (877)Healthier than 38%

Towns with similar incomes, $66K–$110K (9,312)Healthier than 38%

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

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

31 of every 100 Waterloo adults have high blood pressure

Wisconsin: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 28.3–34.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Waterloo, betterWaterloo, worseToo close to callWisconsin

Get no exerciseshare of adults 27.7% Waterloo
WI 26.6%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 32.2% Waterloo
WI 32.6%

Binge drinkshare of adults 19% Waterloo
WI 19%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.7% Waterloo
WI 13.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Waterloo 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 12

working-age adults has no health insurance

Waterloo 8.3% · Wisconsin 1 in 13 (8%)

Mind & connection

How Waterloo adults are doing

1 in 3Waterloo adults feel lonely

30.2% · Wisconsin 30.6% · too close to call

1 in 4Waterloo adults have been diagnosed with depression

22.7% · Wisconsin 23.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Waterloo adults lack social or emotional support

19.6% · Wisconsin 20.2% · too close to call

1 in 7Waterloo adults are in frequent mental distress

15.2% · 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

Waterloo adults worry about having enough food

11% · WI 12.1% · about the same

1 in 11

Waterloo adults worry about keeping their housing

9.3% · WI 9.7% · about the same

1 in 19

Waterloo adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

5.2% · WI 5.5% · about the same

1 in 16

Waterloo adults lack reliable transportation

6.2% · WI 6.7% · about the same

11% of Waterloo adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.5% across Wisconsin.

Disability

Living with a disability

28.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs12.9%

Thinking or memory12.4%

Hearing6.8%

Errands alone7.5%

Vision4.2%

Dressing or bathing3.3%

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

Around Waterloo

Waterloo 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 Waterloo.

33.8%42.5%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#11 of 18towns on this map, healthiest first

Medina37.1%

Lake Mills40.3%

Waterloo41.4%

Milford41.4%

Portland41.8%

Waterloo42.2%

Care nearby

Watertown Memorial HospitalWatertown · 12.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Columbus Community HospitalColumbus · 13 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Fort Memorial HospitalFort Atkinson · 16.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Marshfield Medical Center - Beaver Dam (Mmc-Bd)Beaver Dam · 21.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Rock River Community Clinic - Johnson CreekJohnson Creek · 9.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Sun Prairie ClinicSun Prairie · 15.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careWaterloo is not a shortage area

✓ Dental careWaterloo is not a shortage area

✓ Mental healthWaterloo is not a shortage area

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas. Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Waterloo. 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 Waterloo

Measure	Waterloo	Margin	Wisconsin
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	31.4%	28.3–34.7%	33.3%	about the same
High cholesterol	33.5%	30.2–36.8%	34.4%	about the same
Obesity	41.4%	35.9–47.1%	37.7%	about the same
Arthritis	26.4%	23.8–29.1%	26.6%	about the same
Depression	22.7%	19.9–25.8%	23.2%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	8.6%	7.2–10.3%	9.9%	about the same
Asthma	10.8%	9.7–12%	10.8%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.7%	8–9.5%	8.6%	about the same
Diabetes	10.8%	9.5–12.3%	11.4%	about the same
COPD	6.4%	5.5–7.3%	6.5%	about the same
Heart disease	6.4%	5.7–7.1%	6.6%	about the same
Stroke	3.2%	2.9–3.5%	3.4%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	13.7%	11.5–16%	13.6%	about the same
Binge drink	19%	16.3–22%	19%	about the same
Get no exercise	27.7%	23.8–31.8%	26.6%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	32.2%	27.7–37.3%	32.6%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	76.7%	73.6–79.7%	77.6%	about the same
Dentist visit	68.6%	65.7–71.5%	67.1%	about the same
Cholesterol check	86.3%	84.5–88%	85.9%	about the same
Colon screening	66.8%	62.8–71%	69.4%	about the same
Mammogram	78.3%	72.5–83.5%	80.3%	about the same
Taking BP meds	77.5%	74.8–79.9%	77.8%	about the same
No health insurance	8.3%	6.8–10%	8%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	30.2%	26.4–34.3%	30.6%	about the same
Lack emotional support	19.6%	16.9–22.5%	20.2%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	15.2%	13.5–17%	15.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	17.1%	14.8–19.5%	17.8%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	13.1%	11.6–14.8%	12.9%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	11%	9–13.2%	12.1%	about the same
Housing insecurity	9.3%	7.8–10.9%	9.7%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	5.2%	4.4–6%	5.5%	about the same
No reliable transportation	6.2%	5.3–7.1%	6.7%	about the same
Receive SNAP	11%	9–13.1%	12.5%
Disability
Any disability	28.4%	24.8–32.1%	29.4%
Walking or climbing stairs	12.9%	11.1–14.7%	13.4%
Thinking or memory	12.4%	10.9–14.1%	12.8%
Hearing	6.8%	6.1–7.6%	6.9%
Vision	4.2%	3.7–4.7%	4.5%
Dressing or bathing	3.3%	2.9–3.8%	3.5%
Errands alone	7.5%	6.6–8.6%	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 Waterloo door to door.

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

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