It’s that time of year again, HomeSnacks has ranked the best places for families in Alaska; and this year, Alaska’s most family friendly places really brought their A-game. But, before we let you in on Alaska’s top ten best places for families, we should tell you a little bit about how we determined the state’s most family friendly places for 2024.
First, we consulted the US Census on places in The Last Frontier with more than 2,000 residents. We looked at several factors including crime, education, family friendly activities, and the percent of households that currently have children. We then entered it into our snackability formula and ended up with 20 family friendly Alaska places that any family would be lucky to call home. Are we at all surprised that some of Alaska’s best places to raise a family are also Alaska’s safest? Not at all. In true Alaskan fashion, the most family friendly places had to be pretty strong in safety, education, job security, and overall infrastructure: not just anyone can live in Alaska, and the same goes for families.
And speaking of education, we know that Alaska seems like it’s located in the middle-of-nowhere USA, but it does have some pretty top notch universities and colleges, like Anchorage’s University of Alaska and Alaska Pacific University. Both schools offer competitive degrees in sustainable living with an emphasis on ocean and river farming, engineering, and forestry. And educating the future of Alaska is a good thing, because Alaska has a lot to offer.
More importantly, if you’re looking for safe, family friendly cities and neighborhoods, amazing schools, large green spaces, and just overall good family friendly fun, keep reading.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Hey, folks, let’s not forget the Alaska kick-back: AKA Permanent Fund Dividend check. It will feel like Christmas in September when your family gets a little extra cash from the Alaska fund. We think that’s just one more reason to move to Alaska’s best place to raise a family, Valdez.
So if you want to be a part of the cool group, Alaska’s 220,000 other families, take a look at the list below to see where you can find them. And if you don’t see your favorite there head to the bottom.
More reading about Alaska and the best places for families in the country:
- Best Places To Live In Alaska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alaska
- Best Cities To Raise A Family In America
- Best States To Raise A Family In America
The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Alaska For 2024
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Population: 5,584
Median Income: $76,765
Average Home Price: $419,391
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 49
Closest Major City: Anchorage
Households with kids: 36.1%
More on Kodiak: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 8,462
Median Income: $95,261
Average Home Price: $499,205
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 37
Closest Major City: Anchorage
Households with kids: 28.3%
More on Sitka: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 6,091
Median Income: $68,929
Average Home Price: $384,706
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 48
Closest Major City: Anchorage
Households with kids: 33.3%
More on Palmer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 5,623
Median Income: $69,757
Average Home Price: $369,327
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 44
Closest Major City: Anchorage
Households with kids: 19.4%
More on Homer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in Alaska anyways?
To give you the places in Alaska that are best for families, we must look at a handful of metrics. We want to measure the criteria people want in a family-friendly city utilizing Saturday Night Science.
After researching U.S. Census data produced for the state of Alaska, we looked at the data for every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)
We then gave each city a “Family Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with over 2,000 people. For Alaska, that meant a total of 20 cities.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the best cities for families in Alaska.
Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In Alaska
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Alaska ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
The best places for families in Alaska are Valdez, Cordova, Seward, Kodiak, Sitka, Palmer, Nome, Dillingham, Unalaska, and Homer.
Here’s a look at the best cities for singles Alaska according to the data:
- Wasilla
- Fairbanks
- Wrangell
For more Alaska reading, check out:
Best Places For Families In Alaska
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Amenities Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valdez, AK | 3,935 | $89,255 | $291,208 | 51 |
| 2 | Cordova, AK | 2,507 | $79,526 | $342,401 | 54 |
| 3 | Seward, AK | 2,768 | $77,850 | $340,623 | 40 |
| 4 | Kodiak, AK | 5,584 | $76,765 | $419,391 | 61 |
| 5 | Sitka, AK | 8,462 | $95,261 | $499,205 | 58 |
| 6 | Palmer, AK | 6,091 | $68,929 | $384,706 | 55 |
| 7 | Nome, AK | 3,710 | $103,542 | $366,373 | 39 |
| 8 | Dillingham, AK | 2,175 | $92,578 | $316,028 | 32 |
| 9 | Unalaska, AK | 4,342 | $104,706 | $477,285 | 48 |
| 10 | Homer, AK | 5,623 | $69,757 | $369,327 | 52 |