The health of Birch Bay, WA is a top priority for the local community. There is an abundance of quality medical care available in the area with several local hospitals and numerous medical facilities providing a wide range of services. These facilities provide necessary care for people in need of medical help, ranging from primary care to specialized treatments. The community also strives to provide preventive programs that promote healthy lifestyles such as nutrition education, fitness classes, and smoking cessation classes. This allows residents to better manage their own health and prevent serious illnesses before they occur. The town also has access to mental health resources and programs to ensure that residents have adequate support when dealing with difficult circumstances. All these measures make Birch Bay a great place for anyone looking for quality health care resources.
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 219 physicians per 100,000 population in Birch Bay. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Birch Bay area is 78.9 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
78.9 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Birch Bay area is 60 (100=best). The US average is 55.
60 / 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 Birch Bay area is 79 (100=best). The US average is 87.
79 / 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 Birch Bay commutes 25.9 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 Birch Bay area is 75 (100=best). The US average is 58.
75 / 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.