Lakewood, WA is a suburban city with a population of over 59,000 located just south of Tacoma and the Puget Sound. While the city is known for its vibrant economy and outdoor recreational activities, it also boasts a high quality of healthcare with several local hospitals and medical facilities. Lakewood has two major hospitals: St. Clare Hospital and MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital, both of which provide comprehensive care to local citizens. Additionally, there are numerous clinics in the area specializing in various fields such as family practice, mental health, dentistry and obesity management. The city also houses several specialty medical centers including a cancer center and an orthopedic institute. With access to such excellent care facilities, Lakewood residents can rest assured that they will receive quality care for their medical needs no matter how small or urgent.
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 199 physicians per 100,000 population in Lakewood. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Lakewood area is 80.0 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
80.0 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Lakewood 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 Lakewood area is 87 (100=best). The US average is 87.
87 / 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 Lakewood commutes 28.1 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 Lakewood area is 47 (100=best). The US average is 58.
47 / 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.