You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Alaska.
The median household income in Aleutians West Census Area, the richest county in Alaska is $100,662, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 27 counties in the Last Frontier. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
What is the richest county in Alaska? The richest county in Alaska is Aleutians West Census Area. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, according to the Census 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.
The Richest Counties In Alaska For 2024
1. Aleutians West Census Area
Biggest Place: Unalaska
Population: 5,219
Median Income: $100,662 (highest)
Median Home Price: $414,519 (4th highest)
More on Aleutians West Census Area: Data
2. Juneau City And Borough
Biggest Place: Juneau
Population: 32,108
Median Income: $95,711 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $444,748 (3rd highest)
More on Juneau City And Borough: Data
3. Sitka City And Borough
Biggest Place: Sitka
Population: 8,462
Median Income: $95,261 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $466,842 (2nd highest)
More on Sitka City And Borough: Data
4. Anchorage Municipality
Biggest Place: Anchorage
Population: 290,674
Median Income: $95,731 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $399,899 (5th highest)
More on Anchorage Municipality: Data
5. Kodiak Island Borough
Biggest Place: Kodiak
Population: 13,065
Median Income: $91,138 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $387,621 (6th highest)
More on Kodiak Island Borough: Data
6. Skagway Municipality
Biggest Place: Skagway
Population: 1,303
Median Income: $79,583 (13th highest)
Median Home Price: $477,395 (highest)
More on Skagway Municipality: Data
7. Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Biggest Place: Knik-Fairview
Population: 108,661
Median Income: $86,435 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $326,361 (8th highest)
More on Matanuska-Susitna Borough: Data
8. Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Biggest Place: Ketchikan
Population: 13,910
Median Income: $82,763 (10th highest)
Median Home Price: $379,499 (7th highest)
More on Ketchikan Gateway Borough: Data
9. Bristol Bay Borough
Biggest Place: Naknek
Population: 854
Median Income: $94,167 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $278,544 (14th highest)
More on Bristol Bay Borough: Data
10. Denali Borough
Biggest Place: Healy
Population: 2,101
Median Income: $87,292 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $249,525 (16th highest)
More on Denali Borough: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Alaska county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Alaska, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. 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 the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Alaska for each of the criteria from one to 27, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Alaska.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Last Frontier.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Alaska. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In Alaska For 2024
Living in Alaska can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Alaska are Aleutians West Census Area, Juneau City and Borough, Sitka City and Borough, Anchorage Municipality, Kodiak Island Borough, Skagway Municipality, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Bristol Bay Borough, and Denali Borough.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in Alaska according to the data:
- Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
- Bethel Census Area
- Lake And Peninsula Borough
For more Alaska reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In Alaska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alaska
- Richest Cities In Alaska
- Safest Places In Alaska
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Alaska
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aleutians West Census Area | 5,219 | $100,662 | $414,519 |
| 2 | Juneau City And Borough | 32,108 | $95,711 | $444,748 |
| 3 | Sitka City And Borough | 8,462 | $95,261 | $466,842 |
| 4 | Anchorage Municipality | 290,674 | $95,731 | $399,899 |
| 5 | Kodiak Island Borough | 13,065 | $91,138 | $387,621 |
| 6 | Skagway Municipality | 1,303 | $79,583 | $477,395 |
| 7 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 108,661 | $86,435 | $326,361 |
| 8 | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 13,910 | $82,763 | $379,499 |
| 9 | Bristol Bay Borough | 854 | $94,167 | $278,544 |
| 10 | Denali Borough | 2,101 | $87,292 | $249,525 |
| 11 | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 96,299 | $81,655 | $286,711 |
| 12 | Petersburg Borough | 3,374 | $77,826 | $308,553 |
| 13 | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 59,235 | $76,272 | $315,209 |
| 14 | North Slope Borough | 10,924 | $83,472 | $227,285 |
| 15 | Haines Borough | 2,079 | $68,276 | $279,324 |
| 16 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | 6,888 | $75,378 | $244,248 |
| 17 | Aleutians East Borough | 3,407 | $79,961 | $180,383 |
| 18 | Wrangell City And Borough | 2,134 | $61,000 | $300,968 |
| 19 | Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | 2,329 | $62,344 | $267,992 |
| 20 | Nome Census Area | 10,018 | $70,121 | $199,290 |
| 21 | Northwest Arctic Borough | 7,682 | $77,647 | $161,806 |
| 22 | Yakutat City And Borough | 564 | $76,875 | $167,192 |
| 23 | Dillingham Census Area | 4,854 | $69,412 | $184,340 |
| 24 | Prince Of Wales-Hyder Census Area | 5,799 | $61,779 | $242,709 |
| 25 | Lake And Peninsula Borough | 999 | $61,607 | $183,571 |
| 26 | Bethel Census Area | 18,538 | $64,094 | $132,567 |
| 27 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 5,355 | $47,826 | $95,193 |