On CDC estimates, Ridgeway is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns
Ridgeway differs from Alaska on 10 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Ridgeway. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Ridgeway
Cancer, heart disease and COPD run high in Ridgeway
1 in 11 adults have had cancer (9.5%), vs 7% across Alaska. 1 in 13 adults have heart disease (7.6%), vs 5.7% across Alaska. COPD is also above the state: 8.1%, vs 6.1% across Alaska. In all, Ridgeway runs above Alaska on six of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Ridgeway, and more people treating it
37.2% of adults have high blood pressure (Alaska 32.5%), but 72.8% of them take medicine for it, vs 68% statewide. Checkups ↓
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 Ridgeway’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Ridgeway’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ridgeway is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 80% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 27%).
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). Ridgeway’s median household income is $90,391; among the 9,901 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($68K–$113K), it’s healthier than 49%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Ridgeway adults…
Ridgeway runs above AK on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of Ridgeway adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alaska.
Care in and near Ridgeway
No hospital or community health center in Ridgeway 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 Ridgeway; ≈ 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.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
How Ridgeway adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Ridgeway does better than Alaska.
1 in 3 Ridgeway 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.
10.3% of Ridgeway adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.1% across Alaska.
Ridgeway and the towns around it
Ridgeway’s Health Grade ranks 5th of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgeway | B | 33.5% | 10.7% | 17.2% | CDC place |
| Sterling | A− | 31.7% | 9.9% | 14.9% | CDC place |
| Kalifornsky | A− | 31.7% | 8.8% | 15.4% | CDC place |
| Kenai | B | 32.7% | 8.9% | 17.3% | 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 Ridgeway adults live with a disability (Alaska 29.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Ridgeway
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Ridgeway is better than Alaska on 3 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Alaska figure falls inside Ridgeway’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Ridgeway | AK | U.S. | vs AK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20%17–22.9 | 18.6% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15%13–16.9 | 13.1% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13.1–17 | 16.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.5%28.6–38.3 | 35.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.7%9.1–12.3 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.2%33.7–40.6 | 32.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.9%35.3–42.4 | 33.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 28.1%25.2–31 | 23.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.5%9.2–11.7 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.5%8.6–10.5 | 7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.6%6.7–8.6 | 5.7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.1%6.8–9.4 | 6.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.5–4.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.6%9.6–14.1 | 13.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.2%14.1–20.3 | 16% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 22.9%19–26.8 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.5%13.9–19.1 | 17.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.6%26.1–33.6 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.7%7.7–12 | 10% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 66.7%62.9–70.3 | 68.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.6%59.7–65.8 | 59.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 80.6%78.3–83 | 79.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 72.8%69.4–75.8 | 68% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 59.5%55.5–63.7 | 59.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 60.1%53.4–67 | 66% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.1%17.3–22.9 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.3%27.5–35.2 | 33.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.2%18–24.5 | 25.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.5%11.1–16.3 | 14.3% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.5%8.7–12.5 | 12.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.5%6.3–8.9 | 8.2% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8%6.8–9.3 | 9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.3%8.2–12.6 | 10.1% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.6%27.5–35.5 | 29.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.3%12.1–16.4 | 11.9% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.6%11.6–15.6 | 14% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.6%8.5–10.8 | 7.7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.1%4.4–5.7 | 4.7% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8%6.9–9.2 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4%3.4–4.6 | 3.3% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Ridgeway
Is Ridgeway a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ridgeway is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 49%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Ridgeway?
CDC estimates 33.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.6% and 38.3%, against 35.5% across Alaska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Ridgeway?
Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna, 2.7 miles in a straight line from Ridgeway’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Ridgeway have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.7–12%), 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 Ridgeway 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 Ridgeway.
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.