Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For a city of 287,155, Anchorage does unevenly: it grades C+, ranked 26th of 41 in Alaska. It is more walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. The trade-offs: its police reported 2,951 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 96% of U.S. towns, and FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Anchorage’s violent crime rate is 10.3 per 1,000 residents, above both Alaska’s towns (3.3) and U.S. towns (1.6). Its National Register listings include Campus Center and Site Summit. Only 3 of Alaska’s 68 towns score higher on incomes.
Where Anchorage beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Old St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church
Its 33 National Register listings are more than in any other Alaska town with a listing.
Census counts: 1,856 in 1920, 291,247 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1899 and a map from 1979 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Anchorage is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Anchorage. Close and well known come first.
in town Stadium & arenaSullivan Arena
in town State parkChugach State Park
in town Scenic driveGlenn Highwayin town Zoo & aquariumAlaska Wildlife Conservation Center
in town Zoo & aquariumAlaska Zooin town Ski areaAlyeska Resort73 runs · 2,484 ft verticalSullivan Arena: Acez1, CC0 · Chugach State Park: Frank K. from Anchorage, Alaska, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Glenn Highway: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alaska Zoo: James from Boulder, USA, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Anchorage, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Anchorage.
Anchorage has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and keeps more of its land conserved than most of Alaska, but it has seen reported crime rise beyond ordinary swings.
Its 886,767 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 93% of Alaska towns. Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #1 of 41 in Alaska.
875 miles of trail in 109 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Knik Public Use Area, 45,937 acres with 23.6 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Far North Bicentennial Park | 48.5 mi | 5,058 |
| 2. Kincaid Park | 43.9 mi | 1,576 |
| 3. Knik Public Use Area | 23.6 mi | 45,937 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Anchorage School District. Three of its 108 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romig Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,138 | B− |
| West High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,702 | B− |
| Bear Valley ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 316 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes rose from 11,268 to 12,455 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Anchorage is 33.1 per 1,000 residents. Anchorage reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 96% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Since 1988, 25 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Anchorage.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 8,085 U.S. towns with household incomes like Anchorage’s, it is healthier than 59%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
Anchorage beats the Alaska average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 71% of Anchorage adults had a checkup this year.
| Anchorage | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 68% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | Anchorage | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.7% | 13.5% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 5.4% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Eagle Rvr 5 Se weather station, 10 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 116 days, shorter than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 67.4°, cooler than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 6.4°.
Anchorage has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Anchorage’s July high is 67°F. About 59 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Anchorage | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 67°F | 66°F | 85°F |
| January low | 6°F | 7°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Alaska average. 39% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Anchorage.
| Anchorage | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 27% | 29% |
| Median age | 35.2 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 13% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 24% | 24% | 22% |
48.9% women, 51.1% men
About 105 men for every 100 women. Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women. Median age: women 35.9, men 34.4.
| Anchorage | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.2% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.3% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.7% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.5% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.7% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.4% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.4% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.5% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.9% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.1% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.4% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.7% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.9% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical Anchorage home is worth about $423,000, up 5.3% in a year, 6% above the Alaska typical home.
| Anchorage | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,489 a month | $1,402 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 46% | 42% | 48% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Anchorage; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Anchorage residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alaska.
71.9% of the town is conserved land, across 109 parks and preserves.
33 places in Anchorage on the National Register of Historic Places.
46 notable people were born in Anchorage.
One town shares a border with Anchorage.
| Town | AK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | #26 | C+ | C− | D− | B+ | B+ |
| Knik River | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Knik River isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Anchorage with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Anchorage grades C+ overall, better than 37% of U.S. towns and #26 of 41 in Alaska. It grades B+ for health, D− for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
46 notable people were born here, including Mario Chalmers and Mark Begich.
