Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Settled in 1946, this town now has 249 residents.
Whittier’s typical journey to work is 8 minutes, where Alaska’s towns sit at 21 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a higher share of residents below the poverty line than Whittier. 51% of the land in Whittier is conserved, where Alaska’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest park or preserve is Nellie Juan-College Fiord Wilderness Study Area, at 222 acres. Whittier has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 627 in 1950, a low of 130 in 1970, 272 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1954 and 3 maps from 1951 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Whittier, 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 Whittier.
6.1 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Whittier’s concentration of trails stands at 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nellie Juan-College Fiord Wilderness Study Area | — | 222 |
| 2. City Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Day Use Area | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Public schools: the Chugach School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whittier Community SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 49 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Of the losses FEMA expects in Whittier, 60% come from avalanches and 21% from earthquakes. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage locally than in 83% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Adults 35 to 64 are 26% of residents (37% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 34% of residents (25% statewide). Whittier is shrinking: down 10% since 2020, to 249 residents (2025 estimate). Its median age stands at 31.8 years. 33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Alaska.
| Whittier | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.8 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 13% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 28% | 29% |
59% women, 41% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.4 points. Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women.
| Whittier | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.5% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.3% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 24.8% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.7% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.4% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.9% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.2% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.1% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.2% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.3% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.3% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.2% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
In Whittier, the typical July afternoon high is 63°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Whittier: 14% of adults report frequent mental distress. Among 42 Alaska towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Whittier.
| Whittier | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 21% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 68% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Whittier | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.6% | 13.5% |
| Fewer adults with depression | 17.1% | 20.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.1% | 5.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Just over two in five households live in a home they own in Whittier. Only one of the 42 Alaska towns we compare has a lower median rent than Whittier.
| Whittier | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 41% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $961 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 Whittier; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Whittier residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
50.9% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
City in the Unorganized Borough, Alaska
Whittier is a city at the head of the Passage Canal in the Chugach Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of Alaska, about 58 miles (93 km) southeast of Anchorage. The city is located within the Chugach Census Area, established in 2019 when the former Valdez–Cordova Census Area was dissolved. The city's population was 272 at the 2020 census, having increased from 220 in 2010. Almost all of its residents live in the Begich Towers Condominium, earning it the nickname of a "town under one roof". Whittier has an extremely wet climate, receiving an average of 197 inches (5,000 mm) of precipitation per year. It is a port for the Alaska Marine Highway.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Whittier has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.