Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Alaska a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Alaska.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Last Frontier based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Alaska, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 27 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Alaska For 2024
Juneau City And Borough is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Alaska. And you should avoid Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Alaska. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Alaska and the cheapest places to live in Alaska.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Alaska For 2024
1. Juneau City And Borough
Biggest Place: Juneau
Population: 32,108
Median Income: $95,711 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $444,748 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (10th best)
More on Juneau City And Borough: Data
2. Denali Borough
Biggest Place: Healy
Population: 2,101
Median Income: $87,292 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $249,525 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.9% (2nd best)
More on Denali Borough: Data
3. Sitka City And Borough
Biggest Place: Sitka
Population: 8,462
Median Income: $95,261 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $466,842 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (11th best)
More on Sitka City And Borough: Data
4. Fairbanks North Star Borough
Biggest Place: Fairbanks
Population: 96,299
Median Income: $81,655 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $286,711 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (13th best)
More on Fairbanks North Star Borough: Data
5. Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Biggest Place: Ketchikan
Population: 13,910
Median Income: $82,763 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $379,499 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (6th best)
More on Ketchikan Gateway Borough: Data
6. Anchorage Municipality
Biggest Place: Anchorage
Population: 290,674
Median Income: $95,731 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $399,899 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (12th best)
More on Anchorage Municipality: Data
7. Haines Borough
Biggest Place: Haines
Population: 2,079
Median Income: $68,276 (2best)
Median Home Price: $279,324 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (7th best)
More on Haines Borough: Data
8. Aleutians West Census Area
Biggest Place: Unalaska
Population: 5,219
Median Income: $100,662 (best)
Median Home Price: $414,519 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (4th best)
More on Aleutians West Census Area: Data
9. Skagway Municipality
Biggest Place: Skagway
Population: 1,303
Median Income: $79,583 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $477,395 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 11.0% (20th best)
More on Skagway Municipality: Data
10. Bristol Bay Borough
Biggest Place: Naknek
Population: 854
Median Income: $94,167 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $278,544 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (3rd best)
More on Bristol Bay Borough: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Alaska county is the best?
To give you the best county in Alaska, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Alaska across each of the criteria from one to 27, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Alaska.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Last Frontier.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Alaska.
Read on to see why Juneau City And Borough is the best county, while Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area is probably in contention for being the worst county in Alaska.
Summary: The Best Counties In Alaska To Call Home For 2024
Living in Alaska can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Alaska are Juneau City and Borough, Denali Borough, Sitka City and Borough, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Anchorage Municipality, Haines Borough, Aleutians West Census Area, Skagway Municipality, and Bristol Bay Borough.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Alaska according to the data:
- Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
- Bethel Census Area
- Northwest Arctic Borough
For more Alaska reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In Alaska
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Alaska
- Best Places To Retire In Alaska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alaska
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Alaska
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juneau City And Borough | 32,108 | $95,711 | $444,748 |
| 2 | Denali Borough | 2,101 | $87,292 | $249,525 |
| 3 | Sitka City And Borough | 8,462 | $95,261 | $466,842 |
| 4 | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 96,299 | $81,655 | $286,711 |
| 5 | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 13,910 | $82,763 | $379,499 |
| 6 | Anchorage Municipality | 290,674 | $95,731 | $399,899 |
| 7 | Haines Borough | 2,079 | $68,276 | $279,324 |
| 8 | Aleutians West Census Area | 5,219 | $100,662 | $414,519 |
| 9 | Skagway Municipality | 1,303 | $79,583 | $477,395 |
| 10 | Bristol Bay Borough | 854 | $94,167 | $278,544 |
| 11 | Petersburg Borough | 3,374 | $77,826 | $308,553 |
| 12 | Kodiak Island Borough | 13,065 | $91,138 | $387,621 |
| 13 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 108,661 | $86,435 | $326,361 |
| 14 | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 59,235 | $76,272 | $315,209 |
| 15 | North Slope Borough | 10,924 | $83,472 | $227,285 |
| 16 | Yakutat City And Borough | 564 | $76,875 | $167,192 |
| 17 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | 6,888 | $75,378 | $244,248 |
| 18 | Wrangell City And Borough | 2,134 | $61,000 | $300,968 |
| 19 | Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | 2,329 | $62,344 | $267,992 |
| 20 | Aleutians East Borough | 3,407 | $79,961 | $180,383 |
| 21 | Prince Of Wales-Hyder Census Area | 5,799 | $61,779 | $242,709 |
| 22 | Dillingham Census Area | 4,854 | $69,412 | $184,340 |
| 23 | Nome Census Area | 10,018 | $70,121 | $199,290 |
| 24 | Lake And Peninsula Borough | 999 | $61,607 | $183,571 |
| 25 | Northwest Arctic Borough | 7,682 | $77,647 | $161,806 |
| 26 | Bethel Census Area | 18,538 | $64,094 | $132,567 |
| 27 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 5,355 | $47,826 | $95,193 |