Anchorage, Alaska is a vibrant city providing its citizens with access to a variety of health facilities. The local hospitals in Anchorage offer excellent care for critical illnesses and injuries. Furthermore, there are numerous medical clinics and specialists available for regular checkups and preventive care. Anchorage also boasts high quality walk-in health centers that provide multiple services to those in need. From abundant primary care physicians to urgent care centers, the health options in Anchorage are plentiful. In addition, the city has plenty of mental health resources such as counseling centers and support groups. Overall, Anchorage offers its residents access to a large array of healthcare options that cater to all types of needs.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 308 physicians per 100,000 population in Anchorage. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Anchorage area is 115.5 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
115.5 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Anchorage area is 49 (100=best). The US average is 55.
49 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Anchorage area is 85 (100=best). The US average is 87.
85 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Anchorage commutes 18.9 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Anchorage area is 38 (100=best). The US average is 58.
38 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.