The health of the residents of Palmer, Alaska is supported by a variety of local hospitals and medical facilities. The region’s top hospital is Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, located in nearby Wasilla and serving the greater Mat-Su Valley area. It provides services from emergency care to cancer treatment. In addition, there are two smaller medical centers located in the city – Providence Medical Center and Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Alaska. These serve as important providers for long-term care and rehabilitation services for those who need it. Furthermore, the area also has access to several private medical practices offering high quality primary care and specialty services. With such a variety of healthcare options available, Palmer’s residents are well served when it comes to their health 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 113 physicians per 100,000 population in Palmer. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Palmer area is 115.8 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
115.8 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Palmer area is 29 (100=best). The US average is 55.
29 / 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 Palmer area is 96 (100=best). The US average is 87.
96 / 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 Palmer commutes 30.2 minutes one-way, which is longer than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Palmer area is 77 (100=best). The US average is 58.
77 / 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.