Photo: Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA · CC BY 2.0On CDC estimates, Cordova is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns
Cordova beats Alaska on 4 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Cordova. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Cordova
Cordova is short on dental care and mental health care
Cordova’s county is a federal shortage area for dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Fewer Cordova adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Alaska. 1 in 8 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 Cordova’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Cordova’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cordova is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 88% of towns); the weakest is smoking, still better than 51%.
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). Cordova’s median household income is $85,132; among the 10,402 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($64K–$106K), it’s healthier than 86%, about where its income would put it.
Care in and near Cordova
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Cordova, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Cordova; ≈ 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).
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 Cordova adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.1% across Alaska.
Out of every 100 Cordova adults…
On every condition, Cordova is about the same as Alaska. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Alaska
Share of adults, with the Alaska figure marked.
27 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Cordova adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alaska.
How Cordova adults are doing
About the same as Alaska on each measure.
1 in 3 Cordova 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.
Cordova and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cordova | A− | 29.8% | 9.4% | 14.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Cordova adults live with a disability (Alaska 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Cordova
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cordova is better than Alaska on 4 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Alaska figure falls inside Cordova’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Cordova | AK | U.S. | vs AK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.1%14.5–19.9 | 18.6% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.8%11.1–14.5 | 13.1% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.2%12.4–16.1 | 16.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29.8%23.5–36.5 | 35.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.4%8.1–10.9 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32.7%28.9–36.6 | 32.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35%30.8–39.3 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.7%20.7–26.7 | 23.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.8%8.6–11 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.6%6.9–8.5 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6%5.3–6.8 | 5.7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.1%5.1–7.2 | 6.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.2%2.8–3.5 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.1%9.7–14.8 | 13.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.7%12.2–17.5 | 16% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.4%17.5–25.6 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.3%14.2–20.5 | 17.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.4%28.3–40.9 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.6%6.9–10.4 | 10% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 67.9%63.2–72 | 68.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.5%56.7–64.3 | 59.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.5%79.1–83.9 | 79.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.7%67–74.1 | 68% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62.4%57.2–67.4 | 59.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 65.3%56–73.6 | 66% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18%15.1–21.1 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.5%26.7–36.3 | 33.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.6%20.9–28.5 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.8%9.6–14.2 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.7%8–11.4 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.3%5.3–7.4 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.2%6.1–8.3 | 9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.4%5.9–9.1 | 10.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.2%23.2–31.4 | 29.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.4%9.6–13.3 | 11.9% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.5%10.8–14.3 | 14% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.8%6.9–8.8 | 7.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.7–4.7 | 4.7% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.8%5.9–7.8 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.7–3.6 | 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 Cordova
Is Cordova a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cordova is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns: A− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 86%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Cordova?
CDC estimates 29.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.5% and 36.5%, against 35.5% across Alaska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Cordova?
Cordova Community Medical Center in Cordova, 3.9 miles in a straight line from Cordova’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Cordova have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.9–10.4%), 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 Cordova 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 Cordova.
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.