Photo: AnaSoc · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Ester is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns
Ester beats Alaska on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Ester. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Ester
Ester ranks #2 for health in Alaska
Out of 41 Alaska towns with a Health Grade, Ester is #2 on the seven CDC estimates behind it. Nationally it’s healthier than 89% of towns. Health Grade ↓
Ester is short on dental care and mental health care
Ester’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 ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Ester
Ester runs below Alaska on four chronic conditions, most of all COPD (4.5% vs 6.1%), stroke (2.4% vs 3.1%) and diabetes (7.4% vs 9.4%). Conditions ↓
Fewer Ester adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Alaska. 1 in 12 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Ester is an active town
Only 18.4% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 21.7% across Alaska. The town has 133 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
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 Ester’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Ester’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ester is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, #2 of 41 in Alaska. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is diabetes (fewer adults with diabetes than 98% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 64%.
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). Ester’s median household income is $53,272; among the 6,867 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($40K–$67K), it’s healthier than 100%, about where its income would put it.
Care in and near Ester
No hospital or community health center in Ester 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 Ester; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 Ester adults…
Ester runs below AK on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Ester residents are 65 or older, vs 14% across Alaska. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
6% of Ester adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.1% across Alaska.
Everyday habits, side by side with Alaska
Share of adults, with the Alaska figure marked.
Keeping up with care
Share of Ester adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alaska.
How Ester adults are doing
About the same as Alaska on each measure.
1 in 3 Ester 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.
Ester and the towns around it
Ester’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 4 graded towns around it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ester | A | 34.3% | 7.4% | 12.4% | CDC place |
| Chena Ridge | A | 34.1% | 7.6% | 11.7% | CDC place |
| Goldstream | A | 35% | 8.2% | 12.7% | CDC place |
| College | A− | 35.4% | 8.4% | 13.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Ester adults live with a disability (Alaska 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Ester
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Ester is better than Alaska on 17 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Alaska figure falls inside Ester’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Ester | AK | U.S. | vs AK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14%11.9–16.2 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.9%9.5–12.4 | 13.1% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%12.7–16.3 | 16.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.3%29.8–38.8 | 35.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 7.4%6.3–8.5 | 9.4% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 30.1%27.2–33.1 | 32.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.9%29.8–36.1 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 20.2%18.1–22.6 | 23.3% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9.8%8.7–11 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.2%6.5–7.9 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.6%4–5.2 | 5.7% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.5%3.8–5.4 | 6.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.4%2.1–2.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.4%6.7–10.3 | 13.5% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.4%10.1–15 | 16% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 18.4%15.3–21.5 | 21.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 18.7%16.1–21.6 | 17.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36%31.9–40.3 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.5%5.8–9.4 | 10% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 66.7%63.1–70.2 | 68.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63.8%60.7–66.7 | 59.7% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.1%78.4–83.5 | 79.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 66.1%62.8–69.2 | 68% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.7%59.8–67.4 | 59.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 66.6%59.5–73 | 66% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.4%17.7–23.2 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.2%27.7–35.1 | 33.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.9%19.8–26.3 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.5%6.8–10.5 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.2%6.8–10 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.5%4.6–6.5 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.3%5.3–7.3 | 9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6%4.6–7.6 | 10.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.2%21.8–28.5 | 29.6% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.5%7.2–10 | 11.9% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.6%9.9–13.4 | 14% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.3%5.5–7.1 | 7.7% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.2%2.8–3.6 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.8%5–6.7 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.4%2.1–2.7 | 3.3% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Ester
Is Ester a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ester is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns: A for health, #2 of 41 in Alaska. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 100%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Ester?
CDC estimates 34.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.8% and 38.8%, against 35.5% across Alaska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Ester?
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital in Fairbanks, 9.4 miles in a straight line from Ester’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Ester have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.8–9.4%), 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 Ester 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 Ester.
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.