On CDC estimates, Sterling is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns
Sterling differs from Alaska on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 9 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Sterling. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Sterling
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Sterling
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.2%), vs 7% across Alaska. 1 in 14 adults have heart disease (7.2%), vs 5.7% across Alaska. Arthritis is also above the state: 28.1%, vs 23.3% across Alaska. In all, Sterling runs above Alaska on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 28% of residents are 65 or older (Alaska 14%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Sterling, and more people treating it
36.5% of adults have high blood pressure (Alaska 32.5%), but 73.4% of them take medicine for it, vs 68% statewide. Checkups ↓
Fewer Sterling adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Alaska. 1 in 10 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Sterling’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Sterling’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sterling is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns, #15 of 41 in Alaska. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 90% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 49%).
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). Sterling’s median household income is $102,415; among the 8,215 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($77K–$128K), it’s healthier than 64%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Sterling adults…
Sterling runs above AK on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Sterling is an older town: 28% of residents are 65 or older, vs 14% across Alaska. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Sterling as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Sterling adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alaska.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.1% of Sterling adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.1% across Alaska.
Care in and near Sterling
No hospital or community health center in Sterling 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 Sterling; ≈ 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.
12 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
How Sterling adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Sterling does better than Alaska.
3 in 10 Sterling 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.
Sterling and the towns around it
Sterling has the best Health Grade of the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling | A− | 31.7% | 9.9% | 14.9% | CDC place |
| Funny River | B+ | 31% | 11.4% | 14% | CDC place |
| Ridgeway | B | 33.5% | 10.7% | 17.2% | 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 Sterling adults live with a disability (Alaska 29.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Sterling
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sterling is better than Alaska on 9 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Alaska figure falls inside Sterling’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Sterling | AK | U.S. | vs AK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.5%15–20.1 | 18.6% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.9%12.1–15.7 | 13.1% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.9%12.1–15.7 | 16.1% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.7%27.1–36.4 | 35.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.9%8.5–11.4 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.5%33.2–39.9 | 32.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.6%36–43.2 | 33.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 28.1%25.3–30.9 | 23.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.2%9–11.5 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.2%9.2–11.2 | 7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.2%6.3–8.1 | 5.7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.2%6.1–8.4 | 6.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.6%3.2–4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14%11.7–16.9 | 13.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.9%12.3–17.6 | 16% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20.1%16.7–23.5 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.7%14.2–19.5 | 17.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.4%26.7–34.6 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.3%6.7–10.2 | 10% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 67.7%64–71.2 | 68.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 59.7%56.6–63.1 | 59.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.3%81.2–85.2 | 79.6% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73.4%70.1–76.5 | 68% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62%58–66.1 | 59.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 59.7%53–66.9 | 66% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.3%16.6–22.2 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.4%26.8–34.3 | 33.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.5%17.6–23.5 | 25.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.3%8.5–12.3 | 14.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.6%7.2–10.1 | 12.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.8%5–6.8 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.4%5.5–7.3 | 9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.1%5.7–8.7 | 10.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.7%25–32.4 | 29.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.7%10.8–14.7 | 11.9% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12%10.4–13.7 | 14% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.9%7.8–10 | 7.7% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.7–4.7 | 4.7% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.8%5.9–7.8 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.4%3–3.9 | 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 Sterling
Is Sterling a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sterling is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #15 of 41 in Alaska. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 64%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Sterling?
CDC estimates 31.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.1% and 36.4%, against 35.5% across Alaska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Sterling?
Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna, 9.5 miles in a straight line from Sterling’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Sterling have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.7–10.2%), 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 Sterling 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 Sterling.
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.