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Best places to live in Alaska

121 places and 680,836 residents in Alaska, United States, ranked for 29 household profiles. Local data: official statistics on affordability, green space, education and family, health and elderly, jobs and economy, lifestyle and amenities, mobility and connectivity and safety and community (local or regional figures, sources on every place page) plus population and geography.

10#10 Gateway (Alaska)9#9 Meadow Lakes8#8 Tanaina7#7 Lakes6#6 Knik-Fairview5#5 College4#4 Badger (Alaska)3#3 Anchorage (Alaska)2#2 Elmendorf Air Force Base1#1 Eagle River (Alaska)
Young family fit across Alaska, one dot per place; numbers mark the top 10.weakerbest fit not ranked

Rank Alaska for your household

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For young families

  1. 1Eagle River (Alaska)
    Alaska, 24,793 residents    59
  2. 2Elmendorf Air Force Base
    Alaska, 6,621 residents    57
  3. 3Anchorage (Alaska)
    Alaska, 289,600 residents    55
  4. 4Badger (Alaska)
    Alaska, 19,482 residents    53
  5. 5College
    Alaska, 12,964 residents    52
  6. 6Knik-Fairview
    Alaska, 14,923 residents    52
  7. 7Lakes
    Alaska, 8,364 residents    50
  8. 8Tanaina
    Alaska, 8,197 residents    50
  9. 9Meadow Lakes
    Alaska, 7,570 residents    49
  10. 10Gateway (Alaska)
    Alaska, 5,552 residents    49

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For retired couples

  1. 1Badger (Alaska)
    Alaska, 19,482 residents    47
  2. 2Lakes
    Alaska, 8,364 residents    47
  3. 3Elmendorf Air Force Base
    Alaska, 6,621 residents    45
  4. 4Wasilla
    Alaska, 9,284 residents    45
  5. 5Anchorage (Alaska)
    Alaska, 289,600 residents    44
  6. 6Gateway (Alaska)
    Alaska, 5,552 residents    44
  7. 7Eagle River (Alaska)
    Alaska, 24,793 residents    41
  8. 8College
    Alaska, 12,964 residents    41
  9. 9Palmer (Alaska)
    Alaska, 6,788 residents    39
  10. 10Tanaina
    Alaska, 8,197 residents    34

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For remote workers

  1. 1Eagle River (Alaska)
    Alaska, 24,793 residents    56
  2. 2Anchorage (Alaska)
    Alaska, 289,600 residents    54
  3. 3Elmendorf Air Force Base
    Alaska, 6,621 residents    53
  4. 4Sitka
    Alaska, 8,863 residents    51
  5. 5Badger (Alaska)
    Alaska, 19,482 residents    50
  6. 6Juneau (Alaska)
    Alaska, 31,555 residents    50
  7. 7Lakes
    Alaska, 8,364 residents    50
  8. 8Wasilla
    Alaska, 9,284 residents    48
  9. 9College
    Alaska, 12,964 residents    47
  10. 10Knik-Fairview
    Alaska, 14,923 residents    46

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For commuters

  1. 1Anchorage (Alaska)
    Alaska, 289,600 residents    78
  2. 2Eagle River (Alaska)
    Alaska, 24,793 residents    60
  3. 3Elmendorf Air Force Base
    Alaska, 6,621 residents    59
  4. 4Big Lake (Alaska)
    Alaska, 3,350 residents    37

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For single professionals

  1. 1Anchorage (Alaska)
    Alaska, 289,600 residents    70
  2. 2Eagle River (Alaska)
    Alaska, 24,793 residents    41
  3. 3Elmendorf Air Force Base
    Alaska, 6,621 residents    40
  4. 4Knik-Fairview
    Alaska, 14,923 residents    11

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For movers on a budget

  1. 1Utqiagvik
    Alaska, 4,384 residents    47
  2. 2Dillingham
    Alaska, 2,404 residents    45
  3. 3Wrangell
    Alaska, 2,382 residents    44
  4. 4Prudhoe Bay
    Alaska, 2,174 residents    43
  5. 5Valdez
    Alaska, 3,870 residents    42
  6. 6Kotzebue
    Alaska, 3,277 residents    41
  7. 7Anchorage (Alaska)
    Alaska, 289,600 residents    41
  8. 8Bethel (Alaska)
    Alaska, 6,450 residents    41
  9. 9Cordova (Alaska)
    Alaska, 2,196 residents    40
  10. 10Badger (Alaska)
    Alaska, 19,482 residents    39

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All profiles in Alaska

ProfileTop placeScorePlaces that pass
Young familyEagle River (Alaska)5921
Low-income householdAnchorage (Alaska)4534
Low-income familyEagle River (Alaska)5116
Single parentEagle River (Alaska)5613
Pensioner coupleBadger (Alaska)4719
Single pensionerBadger (Alaska)5819
Early retireeSitka6037
Single professionalAnchorage (Alaska)704
Young professionalAnchorage (Alaska)733
DINKSAnchorage (Alaska)742
Remote workerEagle River (Alaska)5622
CommuterAnchorage (Alaska)784
Car-free householdAnchorage (Alaska)773
StudentAnchorage (Alaska)792
First-home buyerAnchorage (Alaska)5316
Budget-constrained moverUtqiagvik4748
Urban lifestyle seekerAnchorage (Alaska)723
Expat professionalAnchorage (Alaska)7322
Healthcare-first moverAnchorage (Alaska)5919
Nature-focused householdWrangell6980
Cross-border commuter–0
Outdoor and mountain loverHaines7571
Rural value seekerWrangell6580
High-net-worth moverJuneau (Alaska)6871
Lottery winnerAnchorage (Alaska)84121
Climate-resilient relocationAnchorage (Alaska)7148
Coastal livingWrangell7340
Business ownerAnchorage (Alaska)7548
Digital nativeAnchorage (Alaska)714

Towns of 30,000+ in Alaska