Health Profile of Alaska
Alaska 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
Alaska Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Alaska
- Juneau City and Borough (103% of U.S. avg)
- Petersburg Borough (103% of U.S. avg)
- Chugach Census Area (102% of U.S. avg)
- Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area (95% of U.S. avg)
- Lake and Peninsula Borough (95% of U.S. avg)
- Northwest Arctic Borough (95% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | Alaska | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 11.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 15.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Alaska is 79.9 years, about 1.6 years longer than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 11.0%, higher than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 15.4% of residents, lower than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
219,289 residents in Alaska are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 6,327 2,410 men · 3,917 women
- 75–84 21,180 9,958 men · 11,222 women
- 65–74 55,093 28,455 men · 26,638 women
- 50–64 136,688 71,927 men · 64,761 women
Younger residents
171,539 residents in Alaska are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 50,320 25,492 boys · 24,828 girls
- 7–12 51,522 26,705 boys · 24,817 girls
- 3–7 40,370 20,975 boys · 19,395 girls
- 0–3 29,328 15,063 boys · 14,265 girls
About 14,967 residents in Alaska (2.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Alaska | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Alaska is about 21% lower than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Alaska | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Alaska is about 20% higher than in US. The rate of smoking in Alaska is about 19% higher than in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.3 million cigarettes a day, 38.1 million a month, or 463.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 14.0 million minutes a day and 5.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Alaska is 79.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.33 lifetimes a day, or 121 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 | Alaska | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | — | 6.09 |
Alaska Health Compared With Nearby States
Alaska is the smallest of the 6 states compared here, 735,577 residents against a local median of 4,252,306. The measure that sets Alaska apart most is uninsured: 11.0%, 67% above the local median of 6.6%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The states themselves spread 5.5% on uninsured, so Alaska sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Alaska has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 735,577 | 79.9 yrs #1/6 | 11.0% #5/6 | 34.3% #6/6 |
| Washington | 7,801,159 | 79.6 yrs | 6.3% | 32.6% |
| Oregon | 4,252,306 | 78.8 yrs | 5.9% | 30.7% |
| California | 39,245,658 | 79.6 yrs | 6.6% | 30.6% |
| Idaho | 1,929,983 | 79.5 yrs | 9.1% | 34.1% |
| Nevada | 3,183,702 | 78.7 yrs | 11.4% | 32.6% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Alaska has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Alaska.
How healthy is Alaska?
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 Alaska one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
Alaska ranks 29th healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Alaska?
People in Alaska can expect to live 79.9 years on average, 1.6 years longer than the US average of 78.3.
What is the uninsured rate in Alaska?
11.0% of residents in Alaska have no health insurance, about 1 in 9 people, 2.6 points above the US rate of 8.4%.
What is the obesity rate in Alaska?
34.3% of adults in Alaska are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, about the same as the US rate of 34.3%.
Which health problem stands out most in Alaska?
Compared with the U.S. as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 19.9%, about 20% higher than the US rate of 16.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Alaska go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.3 million cigarettes a day, 38.1 million a month, or 463.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 14.0 million minutes a day and 5.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Alaska is 79.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.33 lifetimes a day, or 121 lifetimes a year.
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