Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,752, settled in 1965.
Ester grades C+ overall, 25th of 41 graded towns in Alaska, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 88% of the country. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 88% of U.S. communities, with wildfire at the top. Ester’s January low is -15°F, against 7°F in Alaska’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns. Only 6 of Alaska’s 68 towns score lower on walkability. The median household income is $53K, and 12% of residents live below the poverty line.
Where Ester beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Ester | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.5% | 14.3% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Ester is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 213 in 1910, a low of 74 in 1950, 2,416 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1914 and 4 maps from 1949 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ester is unincorporated, so Fairbanks North Star Borough and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Ester.
Ester is among the three healthiest towns in Alaska, has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and keeps more of its land conserved than most of Alaska.
Its 22,966 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 85% of Alaska towns.
133 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Ester’s trail density is 2.1 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
It ranks #2 of the 41 Alaska towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Alaska is food insecurity: 8.5% of its 1,978 adults worry about having enough food, against 14.3% statewide.
14% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Ester. Only 2 of the 41 Alaska towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Ester. 15% of adults report frequent mental distress in Ester.
| Ester | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 68% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.4% | 8.8% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | Ester | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.5% | 14.3% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.4% | 13.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The University Exp Stn weather station, 6 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 114 days, shorter than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average -15°, colder than in 100% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 71.9°.
Ester has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. The July high in Ester is 72°F. About 61 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 2.9 years of the Fairbanks metro’s $88K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in any other Alaska town; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living.
56% of Ester households own their home.
| Ester | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,208 a month | $1,412 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ester. Close and well known come first.
8 mi Park & preservePioneer Park5 mi Ski areaMoose Mountain Ski Resort98 runs · 1,311 ft vertical
6 mi MuseumUniversity of Alaska Museum of the North22 mi Ski areaSki Land (Mt Aurora)45 runs · 1,084 ft vertical
38 mi MuseumNenana Depot
6 mi GardenGeorgeson Botanical GardenPioneer Park: Enrico Blasutto, CC BY-SA 4.0 · University of Alaska Museum of the North: Maureen amerune, CC BY 2.0 · Nenana Depot: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Georgeson Botanical Garden: Abalg, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Ester
About 10 of every 100 Ester residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
Census-designated place in Alaska, United States
Ester is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Ester had a population of 2,416. Although there are only around 12 houses located inside of the village, the rest are in the surrounding area. The Ester Camp Historic District is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Ester was founded as a gold mining camp in the early 1900s, and the economy has focused on mining and services for miners. The Ester Volunteer Fire Department, John Trigg Ester Library, Ester Historic Society and Ester Post Office serve residents in Ester and s…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Ester.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C+; Chena Ridge (B−) is closest.
| Town | AK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ester | #25 | C+ | B− | — | B | A |
| Chena Ridge | #15 | B− | C+ | — | B | A |
| Goldstream | #7 | B | B+ | — | B | A |
| College | #13 | B | C | — | B | A− |
Ester, Chena Ridge, Goldstream and College report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Ester with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Ester grades C+ overall, better than 37% of U.S. towns and #25 of 41 in Alaska. It grades A for health and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
The typical home is worth about $255,000, 36% below the Alaska typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
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