Photo: Land Design North · Public domainWithin Alaska, Palmer is healthier than 35% of graded towns
On every measure CDC estimates, Palmer looks like Alaska as a whole.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Palmer. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Palmer
Alaska sets a high bar
Palmer is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns, but only 35% of the 41 Alaska towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Palmer is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Palmer’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care, dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Palmer is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Palmer is healthier than 65%. Against the 10,687 towns with similar household incomes ($54K–$90K), it’s healthier than 80%. Health Grade ↓
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 Palmer’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Palmer’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palmer is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns, #27 of 41 in Alaska. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 94% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 38%).
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). Palmer’s median household income is $72,201; among the 10,687 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($54K–$90K), it’s healthier than 80%, about where its income would put it.
Care in and near Palmer
1 community health center in Palmer, 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 Palmer; ≈ 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 Palmer adults…
On every condition, Palmer 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.
6.7 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Palmer adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alaska.
How Palmer adults are doing
About the same as Alaska on each measure.
1 in 3 Palmer 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.6% of Palmer adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.1% across Alaska.
Palmer 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Palmer adults live with a disability (Alaska 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Palmer
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Palmer is better than Alaska on 0 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Alaska figure falls inside Palmer’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Palmer | AK | U.S. | vs AK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.1%15.8–20.4 | 18.6% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.2%11.7–14.8 | 13.1% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.6%14.7–18.4 | 16.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.5%32–40.7 | 35.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.6%7.4–9.7 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 30.6%27.8–33.2 | 32.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.3%31.2–37.2 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 25.3%23–27.5 | 23.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11%9.8–12.2 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.4%6.7–8.1 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.8%5.1–6.4 | 5.7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.4%5.5–7.2 | 6.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.1%2.8–3.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.3%11.7–17.3 | 13.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16%13.6–18.3 | 16% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 22.3%19.2–25.6 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.2%13.8–18.6 | 17.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.3%29.6–37.3 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.8%8.2–11.7 | 10% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 70.6%67.1–73.7 | 68.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 58.8%55.6–61.9 | 59.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 79.2%76.7–81.5 | 79.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 67%63.8–69.7 | 68% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 60.5%56.5–64.5 | 59.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 68.3%61.8–74.5 | 66% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.3%19.5–24.9 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.1%29.4–36.6 | 33.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.4%21.5–27.4 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.3%11.4–15.5 | 14.3% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.9%10.2–13.5 | 12.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.7%6.7–8.8 | 8.2% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.8%7.7–9.9 | 9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.6%8–11.4 | 10.1% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.3%28.8–35.7 | 29.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12%10.4–13.5 | 11.9% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15%13.2–16.8 | 14% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8%7.1–8.9 | 7.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.5%4–5 | 4.7% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8%7–9 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.3%2.9–3.7 | 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 Palmer
Is Palmer a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palmer is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #27 of 41 in Alaska. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 80%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Palmer?
CDC estimates 36.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 32% and 40.7%, against 35.5% across Alaska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Palmer?
Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer, 5.4 miles in a straight line from Palmer’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Palmer have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.2–11.7%), 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 Palmer 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 Palmer.
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.