Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Some subjects shine; others lag. Overall, Juneau earns a B: better than 56% of U.S. towns, and 14th of 41 in Alaska. Its strongest is hazard risk (A+). It is strong on walkability as well (A): it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 93% of U.S. towns. The catch is safety (D): its crime rate is higher than 86% of U.S. towns, with 148 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. At about $473K, a typical home costs 4.7 years of the Juneau area’s $102K median household income. Its National Register listings include St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church and Alaska Governor's Mansion. The town’s peak summer temperature is 63°F, below both the Alaska town median (66°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
Figures: FEMA National Risk Index · FBI crime data, 2025 · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · NOAA normals, 1991–2020.
Where Juneau beats most towns.
St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church
Its 24 National Register listings are more than in 96% of Alaska towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,253 in 1890, 32,255 in 2020. The archive holds 2 maps from 1949 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Juneau is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for hazard risk (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for safety (better than 14%), so the B overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Juneau, 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 Juneau.
Juneau carries less natural-hazard risk than most of Alaska (mostly avalanches), keeps more of its land conserved than most of Alaska and gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns.
Its 1,702,890 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 98% of Alaska towns.
There are 198 miles of trail across 9 parks and preserves. Tongass National Forest, at 1,706,531 acres with 132.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. The trail density in Juneau is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tongass National Forest | 132.9 mi | 1,706,531 |
| 2. Admiralty Island National Monument | 5.4 mi | 48,391 |
| 3. Point Bridget State Park | 4.8 mi | 2,607 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Public schools: the Juneau Borough School District. Of its 14 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason. The 6 public schools in Juneau teach 1,903 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Mountain Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 574 | – |
| Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at KaleLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,018 | B+ |
| Auke Bay ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 353 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 85% of Alaska towns, with expected losses of about $323 per resident a year; that rating is what its A+ for hazard risk is built on. 83 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 14 properties have flooded more than once.
Federal aid has come to Juneau households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. 52% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from avalanches, followed by earthquakes at 20%. The national flood insurance program has paid 83 claims in the town since 1986.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 1,053 to 737 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
For Juneau, the level of violent crime is 4.7 per 1,000 residents. Within Alaska, it does better than 35% of towns.
| Juneau | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.7 per 1,000 residents | 3.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 18.9 per 1,000 residents | 8.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Among adults in Juneau, 8.6% have diabetes. Juneau: just over two thirds of adults had a checkup this year.
| Juneau | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 68% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 21% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.6% | 8.8% | 12% |
| What stands out | Juneau | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10% | 13.5% |
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 17.3% | 21.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Juneau Intl Ap weather station, 14 miles away, records that 88 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 62.9°, cooler than in 100% of U.S. towns; January nights average 26.5°.
The January low for Juneau comes to 27°F.
| Juneau | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 63°F | 66°F | 85°F |
| January low | 27°F | 7°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Juneau’s typical rent is $1,444 a month. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 4.6% in value. A home in Juneau typically sold within 17 days of listing.
| Juneau | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 36% | 44% | 48% |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,444 a month | $1,402 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Just over two in five adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Juneau. Adults 35 to 64 are just over two in five residents (37% statewide). This Alaska town is shrinking: down 2% since 2020, to 31,609 residents (2025 estimate).
| Juneau | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 27% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 20% | 24% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 13% | 18% |
| Median age | 40 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
49.2% women, 50.8% men
About 103 men for every 100 women. Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women. Median age: women 40.5, men 39.5.
| Juneau | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.6% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.8% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.7% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.9% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.8% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.2% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.8% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.6% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.1% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.3% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.7% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.6% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Juneau. Close and well known come first.
in town MuseumAlaska State Centennial Museum
in town MuseumLast Chance Mining Museum
in town MuseumJuneau-Douglas City MuseumAlaska State Centennial Museum: James Brooks, CC BY 2.0 · Last Chance Mining Museum: Jsayre64, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Juneau-Douglas City Museum: NoeHill, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Juneau; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Juneau residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alaska.
82.3% of the town is conserved land, across 9 parks and preserves.
24 places in Juneau on the National Register of Historic Places.
21 notable people were born in Juneau.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Juneau grades B overall, better than 56% of U.S. towns and #14 of 41 in Alaska. It grades A− for health, D for safety and A− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Alaska, it does better than 35% of towns.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
21 notable people were born here, including Charles Melton and Lucia Berlin.
