Big Lake, Alaska is a small town in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley region with a population of approximately 3,000 people. Despite its size, there are plenty of healthcare resources and services available to the residents of Big Lake. The city is serviced by two hospitals: MatSu Regional Medical Center and Valley Hospital. In addition to these facilities, there are several medical clinics located throughout the area offering primary care and specialty services. For those needing access to pharmacy services, there is the Big Lake Pharmacy as well as other pharmacies located nearby. These healthcare options ensure that the residents of Big Lake have access to quality medical care when needed.
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 Big Lake. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Big Lake 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 Big Lake 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 Big Lake 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 Big Lake commutes 40.3 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 Big Lake area is 82 (100=best). The US average is 58.
82 / 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.