On CDC estimates, Funny River is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns
Funny River differs from Alaska on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Funny River. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Funny River
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Funny River
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.8%), vs 7% across Alaska. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.1%), vs 5.7% across Alaska. Arthritis is also above the state: 32.7%, vs 23.3% across Alaska. In all, Funny River runs above Alaska on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 34% of residents are 65 or older (Alaska 14%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Funny River is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Funny River is healthier than 71%. Against the 10,292 towns with similar household incomes ($51K–$85K), it’s healthier than 90%. Health Grade ↓
More high blood pressure in Funny River, and more people treating it
41.6% of adults have high blood pressure (Alaska 32.5%), but 77.7% of them take medicine for it, vs 68% statewide. Checkups ↓
Funny River adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (29% vs 33.3%), frequent mental distress (12.5% vs 16.1%) and lack of emotional support (19.6% vs 25.4%) all run below Alaska. Mind & connection ↓
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 Funny River’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Funny River’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Funny River is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 96% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 41%).
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). Funny River’s median household income is $67,656; among the 10,292 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($51K–$85K), it’s healthier than 90%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Funny River adults…
Funny River runs above AK on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Funny River is an older town: 34% of residents are 65 or older, vs 14% across Alaska. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Funny River as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Funny River adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alaska.
How Funny River adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Funny River does better than Alaska.
3 in 10 Funny River 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.
Care in and near Funny River
No hospital or community health center in Funny River 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 Funny River; ≈ 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.
2.2 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
6.6% of Funny River adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.1% across Alaska.
Funny River and the towns around it
Funny River’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funny River | B+ | 31% | 11.4% | 14% | CDC place |
| Sterling | A− | 31.7% | 9.9% | 14.9% | CDC place |
| Soldotna | B | 33% | 10.3% | 16.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Funny River adults live with a disability (Alaska 29.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Funny River
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Funny River is better than Alaska on 12 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Alaska figure falls inside Funny River’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Funny River | AK | U.S. | vs AK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.4%15.2–21.9 | 18.6% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.7%12.5–17 | 13.1% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.5%10.8–14.2 | 16.1% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31%26.3–35.8 | 35.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.4%9.6–13.3 | 9.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 41.6%37.7–45.4 | 32.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43.4%39.4–47.2 | 33.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 32.7%29.3–36.1 | 23.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10%8.8–11.2 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.8%11.5–14.1 | 7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.1%7.7–10.5 | 5.7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.2%6.7–10 | 6.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%3.7–5.1 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.3%10.3–14.9 | 13.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14%11.2–17.2 | 16% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.4%17.5–25.5 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14%11.8–16.3 | 17.6% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.2%24.7–32.2 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8%6.2–10.1 | 10% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 72%68.6–75.1 | 68.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 61.6%58.6–64.7 | 59.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.6%84.7–88.2 | 79.6% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.7%74.4–80.7 | 68% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.2%62.5–70.1 | 59.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 59.3%52.8–66.6 | 66% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18%15.4–20.7 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29%25.3–32.9 | 33.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.6%16.6–22.7 | 25.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.5%7.5–11.7 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.6%6.2–9.1 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.2%4.4–6.2 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.8%4.9–6.8 | 9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.6%5.1–8.3 | 10.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.1%26.8–35.6 | 29.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.8%12.2–17.8 | 11.9% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.1%9.4–13 | 14% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.1%9.7–12.7 | 7.7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.5%3.8–5.3 | 4.7% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7%5.9–8.3 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.7%3.1–4.4 | 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 Funny River
Is Funny River a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Funny River is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 90%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Funny River?
CDC estimates 31% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.3% and 35.8%, against 35.5% across Alaska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Funny River?
Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna, 9.9 miles in a straight line from Funny River’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Funny River have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.2–10.1%), 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 Funny River more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Funny River.
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.