Wisconsin covers 54,310 square miles, with a 2017 estimated population of 5,795,483 people – 1,498,256 living in rural Wisconsin (USDA-ERS). Madison, the capital, is located in the southern region of the state. The state’s largest cities are Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay. According to 2016 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 87.5% of the state’s population is white, 6.6% is African-American, 2.8% is Asian, 1.1% is American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.1% is Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 6.7% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.
Wisconsin Rural Healthcare Facilities
There are 127 hospitals in Wisconsin (Kaiser, 2016). The state has 58 hospitals identified as Critical Access Hospitals (Flex Team, 4/2018). There are 76 Rural Health Clinics in Wisconsin (CMS, 2017), and 17 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 115 sites in the state (NACHC, 2016).
Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Wisconsin
7% of Wisconsin residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2016). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Wisconsinites in 2016 was $46,762, although rural per-capita income lagged at $41,689. The ERS reports, based on 2016 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Wisconsin is 11.3%, compared with 11.9% in urban areas of the state. 9.5% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 8.3% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2012-2016 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Wisconsin is at 4.5%, while in urban Wisconsin it is at 4.0% (USDA-ERS, 2016).United States.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Rural Health Clinic List; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List; Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; National Association of Community Health Centers: Key Health Center Data By State; U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
Phone: 800.385.0005 or 608.261.1883
Supports rural healthcare delivery in Wisconsin by providing education, resources, and services. Works closely with individual rural communities and rural hospitals.
There are more organizations related to Wisconsin in the organizations section.
Last Reviewed: 7/17/2017