Photo: Andrei from New York City/Juneau, U.S.A. · CC BY 2.0Within Alaska, Utqiaġvik is healthier than 5% of graded towns
Utqiaġvik differs from Alaska on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 11 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Utqiaġvik. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Utqiaġvik
Making ends meet is harder in Utqiaġvik
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (21.6%), vs 14.3% across Alaska. No reliable transportation (13% vs 9%) and housing insecurity (17.4% vs 12.3%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Utqiaġvik trails towns with similar incomes
Utqiaġvik is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns, and only 7% of the 6,405 towns with similar household incomes ($86K–$144K), so income alone doesn’t explain its grade. Health Grade ↓
Dental care lags in Utqiaġvik
53.5% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 59.7% across Alaska. Among those 65 and older, 17.7% have lost all their teeth (Alaska 13.5%). Checkups ↓
Cancer and arthritis are less common in Utqiaġvik
Utqiaġvik runs below Alaska on cancer (4.7% vs 7%) and arthritis (19.1% vs 23.3%). Conditions ↓
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 Utqiaġvik’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Utqiaġvik’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Utqiaġvik is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns, #39 of 41 in Alaska. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 74% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 8%).
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). Utqiaġvik’s median household income is $115,313; among the 6,405 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($86K–$144K), it’s healthier than 7%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Where Utqiaġvik compares well: arthritis, 19.1% (U.S. 25.3%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 4.7% (U.S. 7.9%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
12.8% of Utqiaġvik adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.1% across Alaska.
Keeping up with care
Share of Utqiaġvik adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alaska.
Out of every 100 Utqiaġvik adults…
Utqiaġvik runs below AK on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Utqiaġvik residents are 65 or older, vs 14% across Alaska. Arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Utqiaġvik
1 hospital in Utqiaġvik.
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 Utqiaġvik; ≈ 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.
How Utqiaġvik adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Utqiaġvik runs above Alaska.
4 in 10 Utqiaġvik 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.
Utqiaġvik and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utqiaġvik | C+ | 41.2% | 10.5% | 20.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Utqiaġvik adults live with a disability (Alaska 29.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Utqiaġvik
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Utqiaġvik is better than Alaska on 2 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Alaska figure falls inside Utqiaġvik’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Utqiaġvik | AK | U.S. | vs AK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.9%17.9–24.1 | 18.6% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.3–16 | 13.1% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.1%15.9–20.5 | 16.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 41.2%34–49.5 | 35.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.5%9.1–12.1 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32%28.1–36.3 | 32.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 30.3%26.5–34.5 | 33.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 19.1%16.5–21.9 | 23.3% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.6%10.3–13.2 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.1%4.5–5.7 | 5.7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.6%4.9–6.5 | 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+) | 17.7%14.5–21.3 | 13.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 20.4%17.1–23.6 | 16% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 24.7%20.3–29.4 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.5%15.3–22.2 | 17.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.8%33.1–46.8 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.7%9.5–14.1 | 10% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 64.8%60.1–69.4 | 68.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 53.5%49.6–57.6 | 59.7% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 76%72.9–78.7 | 79.6% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 64.1%60.6–67.7 | 68% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 52.4%46.5–58.2 | 59.2% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 63%53.2–71.8 | 66% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.1%16.1–22.6 | 20.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 36.3%31.2–42 | 33.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 32.9%28.6–37.9 | 25.4% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 21.6%18.2–25.8 | 14.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 17.4%14.8–20.6 | 12.3% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 11%9.4–12.8 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 13%11.2–15.1 | 9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.8%10.4–15.5 | 10.1% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.3%26.8–36 | 29.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12%10.4–14 | 11.9% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.3%14–18.7 | 14% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.3%6.5–8.3 | 7.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.7%5–6.4 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.7%7.6–10 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.5%3.1–3.9 | 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 Utqiaġvik
Is Utqiaġvik a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Utqiaġvik is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #39 of 41 in Alaska. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 7%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Utqiaġvik?
CDC estimates 41.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 34% and 49.5%, against 35.5% across Alaska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Utqiaġvik?
Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital in Barrow, 2.5 miles in a straight line from Utqiaġvik’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Utqiaġvik have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.5–14.1%), 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 Utqiaġvik more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Utqiaġvik.
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.