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Kivalina 2Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/shorezone/ · CC BY 2.0
–Not graded
Health in Kivalina · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Kivalina residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Kivalina, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Kivalina. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Kivalina

Making ends meet is harder in Kivalina

42.7% of adults worry about having enough food, vs 14.3% across Alaska (3 times the Alaska rate). No reliable transportation (25.5% vs 9%) and utility shut-off threats (22.7% vs 8.2%) are higher too. 33.7% of adults receive SNAP, vs 10.1% statewide. Everyday needs ↓

Dental care lags in Kivalina

37.5% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 59.7% across Alaska. Among those 65 and older, 28.7% have lost all their teeth (Alaska 13.5%). Checkups ↓

Smoking is more common in Kivalina

1 in 3 adults smoke cigarettes (33.8%), about twice the Alaska rate. 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 Kivalina’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

4 in 10
Kivalina adults worry about having enough food
42.7% · AK 14.3%
Worse than AK
1 in 3
Kivalina adults worry about keeping their housing
31.3% · AK 12.3%
Worse than AK
1 in 4
Kivalina adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
22.7% · AK 8.2%
Worse than AK
1 in 4
Kivalina adults lack reliable transportation
25.5% · AK 9%
Worse than AK

33.7% of Kivalina adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.1% across Alaska.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Kivalina adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alaska.

64%Yearly checkupAK 69%
38%Dentist visitAK 60%
67%Cholesterol checkAK 80%
46%Colon screeningAK 59%
57%MammogramAK 66%
62%Taking BP medsAK 68%
1 in 6
working-age adults has no health insurance
Kivalina 16.6% · Alaska 1 in 10 (10%)
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Alaska

Share of adults, with the Alaska figure marked.

Get no exercise 33.5%AK 21.7%
Sleep under 7 hours 45.1%AK 35.1%
Binge drink 17.5%AK 17.6%
Smoke cigarettes 33.8%AK 16%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Kivalina, betterKivalina, worseAbout the sameAlaska
Where Kivalina gets moving

1.4 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Kivalina adults…

Kivalina runs below AK on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 6. Tap one to see it as people.

9 of every 100 Kivalina adults have COPD
Alaska: 6 in 100 · worse · likely 8–11%
Better than AKWorseAbout the sameAlaska
Getting care

Care in and near Kivalina

No hospital or community health center in Kivalina itself. These are the nearest.

+Low-cost careManiilaq AssociationKivalina · 42.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
42.1 mi
Maniilaq Association
5 sites · nearest in Kivalina
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
110.8 mi
Katherine Miksruaq Olanna Memorial HC
Shishmaref · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
✓ Primary careKivalina is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careKivalina is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Kivalina itself

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 Kivalina; ≈ 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).

Mind & connection

How Kivalina adults are doing

On 3 of 4 measures, Kivalina runs above Alaska.

2 in 5Kivalina adults feel lonely
41.4% · AK 33.3% · Worse than AK
1 in 3Kivalina adults lack social or emotional support
35.6% · AK 25.4% · Worse than AK
1 in 4Kivalina adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.5% · AK 20.7% · About the same as AK
1 in 4Kivalina adults are in frequent mental distress
24.2% · AK 16.1% · Worse than AK
The one neighbors can help with

2 in 5 Kivalina adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Around town

Kivalina and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

46%

of Kivalina adults live with a disability (Alaska 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs19.2%
Thinking or memory24.9%
Hearing10.9%
Errands alone15.7%
Vision11.3%
Dressing or bathing6.1%
Alaska

Questions about health in Kivalina

Why doesn’t Kivalina have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Kivalina.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Kivalina.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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. 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.