Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,401, settled in 1884. 2.3 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Alaska town.
Trash & recyclingCordova’s best subject grades are an A for schools and an A− for walkability and health; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. 53% of the land in Cordova is conserved, above both the Alaska town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Cordova's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 97% of U.S. towns. On history, just 3 of Alaska’s 68 towns do better. Cordova has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Cordova beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Mt. Eccles Elementary | PK–6 | 234 |
| Cordova Jr/Sr High School | 7–12 | 126 |
| Cordova School District Innovative Learning | K–12 | 1 |
2,239 counted in 2010 and 2,609 in 2020; an estimated 2,401 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Cordova is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1898.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cordova, 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 Cordova.
In 2 parks and preserves, walkers have 27 miles of trail. Cordova’s trail network density stands at 0.4 miles per square mile, close to both Alaska’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4).
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hollis Henrichs Park | 0.2 mi | 11 |
| 2. Nirvana Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Two of its 3 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The public schools here belong to the Cordova City School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Eccles ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 234 | B+ |
| Cordova Jr/Sr High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 126 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation
77% of Cordova’s expected losses from natural hazards come from avalanches, followed by earthquakes at 15%. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 84% of U.S. communities. One claim on flood insurance has been paid out locally since 2006.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Among adults in Cordova, 68% had a checkup this year. Only 2 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Cordova.
| Cordova | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 68% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 21% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Cordova | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.3% | 8.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.7% | 12.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Cordova reports less crime per resident than 71% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade. The rate of thefts and burglaries for Cordova comes to 4.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Cordova | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 3.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.1 per 1,000 residents | 9.1 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Cordova’s midsummer high is 62°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
For residents in Cordova, the share who are 65 or older is 20%. This Alaska town is shrinking: down 7.9% since 2020, to 2,401 residents (2025 estimate). Only 4 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Cordova. The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 32%, against 32% across Alaska.
| Cordova | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 19% | 24% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 13% | 18% |
| Median age | 37.8 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 28% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.1 points. Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women.
| Cordova | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.4% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.4% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.8% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.6% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.6% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.9% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.4% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.8% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.9% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.2% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.4% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.7% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.8% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,400, single groups can be off by several points
Values rose 2.1% in the 12 months to September 2026. In Cordova, 65% of households are owner-occupiers. For Cordova, the midpoint rent is $1,200 a month.
| Cordova | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 65% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,200 a month | $1,406 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Cordova; the nearest are
About 8 of every 100 Cordova residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
4 places in Cordova on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Cordova.
City in Alaska, United States
Cordova ( kor-DOH-və, KOR-də-və) is a port city in Chugach Census Area, Alaska, United States. It lies near the mouth of the Copper River, at the head of Orca Inlet on the east side of Prince William Sound. The population was 2,609 at the 2020 census, up from 2,239 in 2010. No roads connect Cordova to any other Alaskan communities (besides Eyak), so a plane or ferry is required to travel there.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.3 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Alaska town.
That is 4.3 years of the area's median household income ($90,509 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
3 notable people were born here, including Marie Smith Jones and Cody McKenzie.
