Northwest Arctic County

AlaskaFIPS 02188

Pop. 7,7930 HospitalsSVI 0.87RUCC 9 (Rural)PC HPSADental HPSAMH HPSA
!

Hospital Desert

Northwest Arctic County has no hospital. Residents must travel to neighboring counties for hospital care.

Health Snapshot

MetricNorthwest Arctic CountyState Avg 
Diabetes Prevalence13.5%10.1%
Adult Obesity38.0%34.3%
Uninsured Rate16.6%15.9%
PCPs per 10K7.911.6
Premature Death (YPLL)19,917.503

Source: County Health Rankings (2025)

Workforce Supply

5
Primary Care Physicians
67.9 per 100k
10
NPs & PAs
135.9 per 100k
3
Dentists
30
Hospital Beds
4.1 per 1,000
$22,037.47
Medicare Per Capita
1241.0%
Readmission Rate

Source: Area Health Resources File (AHRF) 2024-2025

CDC PLACES Health Indicators

IndicatorNorthwest Arctic CountyState Avg 
Diabetes13.1%
Obesity40.3%
Depression21.3%
Frequent Mental Distress21.3%
COPD8.2%
Current Smoking28.1%
Heart Disease6.7%
Stroke4.2%
High Blood Pressure34.8%
Poor General Health28.4%
Disability40.1%
No Leisure Physical Activity29.0%
Binge Drinking18.0%
Uninsured13.6%

Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024. Values are age-adjusted prevalence (%).

Northwest Arctic County has no hospital. 20 of Alaska's counties are hospital deserts.

See all hospital deserts in Alaska

Social Vulnerability Index

Overall0.87
Socioeconomic Status0.83
Household Composition & Disability0.36
Minority Status & Language0.99
Housing Type & Transportation0.96

Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022. Score 0-1; higher = more vulnerable.

Health Professional Shortage Areas

!
Primary Care
Designated Shortage Area
!
Dental Health
Designated Shortage Area
!
Mental Health
Designated Shortage Area

Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce

Nearest Hospitals

Since Northwest Arctic County has no hospital, residents travel to nearby facilities.

HospitalCountyBedsDistance
Maniilaq Health Center1736.8 mi
Norton Sound Regional HospitalNome21203.9 mi
Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital10307.4 mi
Fairbanks Memorial HospitalFairbanks North Star162376.5 mi
Us Air Force HospFairbanks North Star20400.4 mi

Related Pages

Stay Informed on Alaska Rural Health

Subscribe to Rural Health Pulse for weekly data updates on hospitals, closures, and funding.

Share this pageLinkedInX / TwitterEmail

Data from CMS Provider of Services, County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce, AHRF 2024-2025, CDC PLACES 2023-2024, and UNC Sheps Center. Last updated: 2026-03-11.