Health Profile of Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
Northwest Arctic 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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C
Northwest Arctic Borough Below averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Alaska
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Northwest Arctic Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.5 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 18.1% | 11.0% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 21.6% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Northwest Arctic Borough is 77.5 years, about 2.4 years shorter than the Alaska average of 79.9 years. The uninsured rate is 18.1%, higher than the Alaska average of 11.0%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 21.6% of residents, higher than the Alaska average of 15.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,611 residents in Northwest Arctic Borough are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 38 15 men · 23 women
- 75–84 154 60 men · 94 women
- 65–74 336 182 men · 155 women
- 50–64 1,083 616 men · 467 women
Younger residents
2,597 residents in Northwest Arctic Borough are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 760 403 boys · 357 girls
- 7–12 757 407 boys · 350 girls
- 3–7 608 314 boys · 295 girls
- 0–3 472 225 boys · 248 girls
About 147 residents in Northwest Arctic Borough (2.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Northwest Arctic Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.9% | 10.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.5% | 5.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.9% | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 40.8% | 34.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Northwest Arctic Borough is about 19% higher than in Alaska. The rate of obesity in Northwest Arctic Borough is about 19% higher than in Alaska. The rate of cancer in Northwest Arctic Borough is about 18% lower than in Alaska.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Northwest Arctic Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 32.6% | 22.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 21.6% | 19.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 30.5% | 23.8% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Northwest Arctic Borough is about 43% higher than in Alaska. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Northwest Arctic Borough is about 28% higher than in Alaska.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 15,205 cigarettes a day, 456,141 a month, or 5.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 167,252 minutes a day and 61.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Northwest Arctic Borough is 77.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.50 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 | Northwest Arctic Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | — | — | 6.09 |
Northwest Arctic Borough, AK Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Northwest Arctic Borough, AK is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 7,441 residents against a local median of 10,287. The measure that sets Northwest Arctic Borough, AK apart most is uninsured: 18.1%, 31% above the local median of 13.8%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 3.9% on uninsured, so Northwest Arctic Borough, AK sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Northwest Arctic Borough, AK has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Arctic Borough, AK | 7,441 | 77.5 yrs #5/5 | 18.1% #5/5 | 40.8% #5/5 |
| Nome Census Area, AK | 9,860 | 82.2 yrs | 14.0% | 33.3% |
| Bethel Census Area, AK | 18,392 | 78.7 yrs | 12.0% | 35.6% |
| North Slope Borough, AK | 10,714 | 78.6 yrs | 13.5% | 37.7% |
| Dillingham Census Area, AK | 4,728 | 83.3 yrs | 15.9% | 38.4% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with Alaska, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska.
Is Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska a healthy place to live?
Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
Is Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska one of the healthiest counties in Alaska?
Northwest Arctic Borough ranks 25th 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.
How long do people live in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska?
People in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska can expect to live 77.5 years on average, 2.4 years shorter than the Alaska average of 79.9.
How many people lack health insurance in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska?
18.1% of residents in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska have no health insurance, about 1 in 6 people, 7.0 points above the Alaska rate of 11.0%.
What percentage of Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska residents are obese?
40.8% of adults in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 6.4 points above the Alaska rate of 34.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska?
Compared with Alaska as a whole, smoking stands out most: the adult rate here is 32.6%, about 43% higher than the Alaska rate of 22.7%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 15,205 cigarettes a day, 456,141 a month, or 5.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 167,252 minutes a day and 61.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Northwest Arctic Borough is 77.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.00 lifetimes a day, or 1.50 lifetimes a year.
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