FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Overall it grades A−, 2nd among Alaska's 41 graded towns. Its public schools beat 92% of Alaska towns on state tests and graduation and crime is low: it reports less per resident than 85% of U.S. towns. Unalaska’s average trip to work is 6 minutes, below both the Alaska town median (21 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). The biggest park or preserve is Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, at 19,360 acres. Only 1 of Alaska’s 68 towns score higher on history.

StrongestASchools ASafety A⁻HealthWeakestD⁻Hazard risk

What makes Unalaska stand out

Where Unalaska beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

Unalaska City School District

School	Grades	Students
Eagle's View Elementary School	PK–5	163
Unalaska Jr/Sr High School	6–12	174

SchoolsA

#2 of the 41 Alaska towns we grade for schools

NCES · EDFacts.

Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD⁻

Earthquakes and tsunamis at the top

FEMA National Risk Index.

Church of the Holy Ascension · National Register of Historic Places

Unalaska’s story

252 years in pictures

Church of the Holy Ascension is one of 3 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1774, is the earliest of any Alaska town we grade.

Census counts: 406 in 1880, a low of 173 in 1950, 4,254 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1816 and a map from 1990 on.

3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1774Unalaska is settled

Explore the history →

How Unalaska grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Unalaska is from typical.

How grading works

Its grades run from A for schools (better than 92% of comparable towns) to D− for hazard risk (better than 1%), so the A− overall blends very different results.

Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listD⁻Open →SchoolsAOpen →SafetyAOpen →HealthA⁻Open →Cost of livingTypical home $462K, 3.4 years of the county’s $136K median household incomeC⁺Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.9 of 20; 3.9% of households have no car; 36.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Jobs & income9.6% below the poverty lineB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors15% conserved landB⁻Open →History3 places on the National RegisterB⁺Open →Civic life4.1 library visits per resident; 2.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateSnowy winters, 59° summer afternoons, 82″ of snow–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 40.4; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Unalaska: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Unalaska, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerCity of UnalaskaEIAHIFLD · EIA

WaterUnalaska Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet2 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Unalaska’s trash rules yet

SchoolsUnalaska City School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Alaska you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 30 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereAbsentee and Petition OfficeState of Alaska; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025

ZIP codes99685, 9969299685 84% · 99692 16%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Unalaska.

Unalaska has schools in the top 5% of Alaska, fares better on crime within Alaska than nationally and gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns.

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D⁻

In Unalaska, the FEMA risk score runs higher than in the typical Alaska or U.S. town

Of the 40 Alaska towns we compare, none has a higher FEMA risk score than Unalaska.

99risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

EarthquakesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Full pageUnalaska’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters4 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get readyReady for earthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

SchoolsA

Unalaska’s grade for schools is an A

Its A ranks #2 of the 41 Alaska towns we grade for schools.

Its public schools are run by the Unalaska City School District. Its two schools are below.

92%of AK districts it outscoresASchool Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Eagle's View Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5	Grades PK–5	163	A⁻
Unalaska Jr/Sr High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12	Grades 6–12	174	A⁻

Full pageUnalaska’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsUnalaska City School District Every school2 schools · Unalaska Jr/Sr High School Questions“Are Unalaska’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation

SafetyA

Unalaska stands out in Alaska and nationally, with property crime lower than most

At 7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 100% of Alaska’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 5 reported in 2025, 1.1 per 1,000 residents.

Unalaska’s property crime rate is 0.9 per 1,000 residents. Only 1 of the 18 Alaska towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Unalaska.

85%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade

	Unalaska	Alaska towns	U.S. towns
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	0.9 per 1,000 residents	9.3	9.9
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	1.1 per 1,000 residents	3.5	1.6

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Unalaska1.1

Alaska7.4

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Unalaska0.9

Alaska19.3

U.S.15.5

85th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

99th

percentile among AK towns

violent crimes reported in 2025

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageUnalaska’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type1.1 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsSteady since 2023 Questions“Is Unalaska, AK safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

HealthA⁻

Unalaska is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns

Its widest gap with Alaska is cancer: 3.7% of its 3,768 adults have had cancer, against 7% statewide. Against the 4,341 U.S. towns with household incomes like Unalaska’s, it is less healthy than 67%: its national edge comes with its incomes.

Unalaska beats the Alaska average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 14% of Unalaska adults have been diagnosed with depression. Only 1 of the 41 Alaska towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Unalaska.

75%healthier than U.S. townsA⁻Health Grade

	Unalaska	Alaska towns	U.S. towns
Depression (CDC PLACES)	14%	21%	23%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	63%	68%	79%
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)	37%	32%	33%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	14%	16%	17%

32 measures vs. Alaska

9 better17 too close to call6 worse

What stands out	Unalaska	AK
Fewer adults who have had cancer	3.7%	7%
Fewer adults with arthritis	15.2%	23.3%
More adults lacking emotional support	33.1%	25.4%

1 of 3

care shortages: primary care

60th

percentile among AK towns

Full pageUnalaska’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore adults sleeping under 7 hours Hospitals & doctors nearbyHospitals & doctors nearby How adults are doingMore adults lacking emotional support Every CDC estimateBetter than AK on 9 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Climate

In Unalaska, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers

The Dutch Harbor weather station records that 82 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 95% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 57.4°, cooler than in 100% of U.S. towns; January nights average 28.7°.

Unalaska has mild, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Unalaska is 57°F. Among 41 Alaska towns, just 2 have a higher January low than Unalaska.

82″snow a winter

	Unalaska	Alaska towns	U.S. towns
July high	57°F	66°F	85°F
January low	29°F	7°F	22°F

Typical low → high °F

Winter30–38°

Spring33–42°

Summer46–56°

Fall39–49°

Oct 18

typical first frost

May 6

typical last frost

Full pageUnalaska’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 57°, January lows 29°Rain & snow82″ of snow a winter · 60 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and nowThen and now

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

OutdoorsB⁻

14.9% of Unalaska is conserved land

24 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves.

#35for trails in AK

14.9%

conserved · 19,896 of 133,738 acres

24 mi

of trails · 0.1 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge	—	19,360
2. Sitka Spruce Park	0.2 mi	4
3. Expedition Park	0.1 mi	2

Full pageUnalaska’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map24 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk0.2 miles of trail · Sitka Spruce Park Conserved land14.9% conserved · 19,896 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Unalaska?”

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Unalaska

17pages on Unalaska

The big questions

SchoolsABeat 92% of AK districts · 2 schools SafetyA1.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA⁻Better than AK on 9 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingC⁺Work & commuteB⁻$132K median household income Natural hazardsD⁻FEMA risk higher than 99% of U.S. communities · earthquakes

Out and about

OutdoorsB⁻24 mi of trails · 15% conserved land PlacesLibraryC4.1 library visits per resident

The story

HistoryB⁺Settled 1774 · 3 on the National Register Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 21 residents Climate59° summer highs · 82″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 99685 Town SquareNeighbors

Landmarks

3 places in Unalaska on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Church of the Holy AscensionBuilt 1826 · National Historic Landmark

Sitka Spruce PlantationBuilt 1805 · National Historic Landmark

Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S. ArmyBuilt 1940 · National Historic Landmark

About Unalaska

Town in Alaska

Official town website ↗

The City of Unalaska (Aleut: Iluulux̂; Russian: Уналашка) is the main population center in the Aleutian Islands. The city is in the Aleutians West Census Area, a regional component of the Unorganized Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Unalaska is located on Unalaska Island and neighboring Amaknak Island in the Aleutian Islands off mainland Alaska. The population was 4,254 at the 2020 census, which is 81% of the entire Aleutians West Census Area. Unalaska is the second-largest city in the Unorganized Borough, behind Bethel. The Aleut (Unangan) people have lived on Unalaska Island for thousands of years. The Unangan, who were the first to inhabit the island of Unalaska, named it "Ounalashka…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1774
Area: 213 sq mi
Elevation: 13 ft
ZIP code: 99685
Area code: 907

Questions about Unalaska

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Unalaska, AK a good place to live?

By most measures, yes. Unalaska grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #2 of 41 in Alaska. It grades A− for health, A for safety and A for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.

Is Unalaska, AK expensive?

Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.

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