Photo: Craig Talbert · CC BY 2.0On CDC estimates, Bear Creek is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns
Bear Creek differs from Alaska on 8 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 6 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Bear Creek. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bear Creek
Cancer runs high in Bear Creek
1 in 12 adults have had cancer (8.2%), vs 7% across Alaska. Conditions ↓
Fewer Bear Creek adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Alaska. 1 in 9 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Alaska figure falls outside Bear Creek’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Bear Creek’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bear Creek is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 94% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 48%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Bear Creek’s median household income is $95,774; among the 9,196 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($72K–$120K), it’s healthier than 81%, about where its income would put it.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.4% of Bear Creek adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.1% across Alaska.
Out of every 100 Bear Creek adults…
Bear Creek runs below AK on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 10% of Bear Creek residents are 65 or older, vs 14% across Alaska. Age-related conditions run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Bear Creek
No hospital or community health center in Bear Creek itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Bear Creek; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with Alaska
Share of adults, with the Alaska figure marked.
Keeping up with care
Share of Bear Creek adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alaska.
How Bear Creek adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Bear Creek does better than Alaska.
1 in 3 Bear Creek adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Bear Creek and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek | A− | 31.6% | 8.5% | 15% | CDC place |
| Primrose | — | — | — | — | |
| Seward | A | 30.7% | 7.2% | 14.4% | CDC place |
Primrose: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bear Creek adults live with a disability (Alaska 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bear Creek
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bear Creek is better than Alaska on 6 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Alaska figure falls inside Bear Creek’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bear Creek | AK | U.S. | vs AK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.2%13.7–19.3 | 18.6% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.9%11.1–14.9 | 13.1% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.5–16.3 | 16.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.6%26.9–36.5 | 35.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.5%7.2–9.9 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32.2%29–35.7 | 32.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.3%32.9–39.8 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.8%21.2–26.6 | 23.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.2%9.1–11.5 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.2%7.4–9.1 | 7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.6%4.9–6.4 | 5.7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.9%4.9–7.2 | 6.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.9%2.6–3.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11%9–13.4 | 13.5% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15%12–18.3 | 16% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 18.5%15.4–22.2 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.5%15.7–21.4 | 17.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.3%27.7–35.6 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.4%6.5–10.6 | 10% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 64.9%60.9–68.6 | 68.8% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.4%57.4–63.7 | 59.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.7%79–84.2 | 79.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 68.7%65–72.3 | 68% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 58.4%54.3–62.7 | 59.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 62.1%55.4–69 | 66% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.5%16.8–22.3 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.9%26.9–34.9 | 33.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21%17.8–24.3 | 25.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.8%8.6–13.4 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.4%7.6–11.3 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.3%5.2–7.5 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.7%5.6–7.9 | 9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.4%5.6–9.6 | 10.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.9%22.4–29.9 | 29.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.6%8.9–12.8 | 11.9% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12%10.2–14.1 | 14% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.2%6.3–8.2 | 7.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.8%3.3–4.5 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.4%5.4–7.5 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.6–3.6 | 3.3% | 3.8% | About the same |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Alaska figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Bear Creek
Is Bear Creek a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bear Creek is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns: A− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 81%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bear Creek?
CDC estimates 31.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.9% and 36.5%, against 35.5% across Alaska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bear Creek?
Providence Seward Hospital in Seward, 7.6 miles in a straight line from Bear Creek’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Bear Creek have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.5–10.6%), against 10% across Alaska.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Bear Creek more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bear Creek.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Alaska figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.