Health Profile of Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska
Fairbanks North Star Borough Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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B
Fairbanks North Star Borough Around averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Alaska
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.3% | 11.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.6% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Fairbanks North Star Borough is 78.1 years, about 1.8 years shorter than the Alaska average of 79.9 years. The uninsured rate is 9.3%, lower than the Alaska average of 11.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.6% of residents, lower than the Alaska average of 15.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
24,783 residents in Fairbanks North Star Borough are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 595 229 men · 366 women
- 75–84 2,392 1,158 men · 1,234 women
- 65–74 6,411 3,387 men · 3,023 women
- 50–64 15,385 7,910 men · 7,475 women
Younger residents
22,339 residents in Fairbanks North Star Borough are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 6,057 3,204 boys · 2,853 girls
- 7–12 6,575 3,478 boys · 3,098 girls
- 3–7 5,517 2,910 boys · 2,607 girls
- 0–3 4,190 2,203 boys · 1,987 girls
About 2,096 residents in Fairbanks North Star Borough (2.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 6.6% | 10.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.8% | 5.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.4% | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 30.9% | 34.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Fairbanks North Star Borough is about 34% lower than in Alaska. The rate of heart disease in Fairbanks North Star Borough is about 29% lower than in Alaska.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.7% | 22.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.9% | 19.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 20.3% | 23.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Fairbanks North Star Borough is about 27% lower than in Alaska. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Fairbanks North Star Borough is about 15% lower than in Alaska.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 121,393 cigarettes a day, 3.6 million a month, or 44.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.3 million minutes a day and 487.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Fairbanks North Star Borough is 78.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 12 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | — | — | 6.09 |
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 95,452 residents against a local median of 6,967. Where Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 27% below the local median of 12.7% at 9.3%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.4% on uninsured, so Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK has the lowest uninsured of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK | 95,452 | 78.1 yrs #4/5 | 9.3% #1/5 | 30.9% #1/5 |
| Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK | 7,068 | 77.9 yrs | 14.8% | 33.8% |
| Copper River Census Area, AK | 2,630 | 79.0 yrs | 13.4% | 35.8% |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK | 112,982 | 79.0 yrs | 11.9% | 34.4% |
| Chugach Census Area, AK | 6,866 | 82.0 yrs | 11.4% | 31.7% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Alaska, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska.
What is the health grade for Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska?
Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska one of the healthiest counties in Alaska?
Fairbanks North Star Borough ranks 5th healthiest out of 27 counties in Alaska by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska?
People in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska can expect to live 78.1 years on average, 1.8 years shorter than the Alaska average of 79.9.
How many people lack health insurance in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska?
9.3% of residents in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska have no health insurance, about 1 in 11 people, 1.7 points below the Alaska rate of 11.0%.
How common is obesity in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska?
30.9% of adults in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.4 points below the Alaska rate of 34.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 121,393 cigarettes a day, 3.6 million a month, or 44.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.3 million minutes a day and 487.4 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Fairbanks North Star Borough is 78.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.03 lifetimes a day, or 12 lifetimes a year.
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