Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,007, settled in 1902.
Wrangell’s best subject grades are an A for safety and schools and an A+ for civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. Wrangell’s average trip to work is 9 minutes, below both Alaska’s towns (21 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town in Alaska scores higher than Wrangell on safety. Wrangell is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 70% of U.S. towns. 74% of the land in Wrangell is conserved, above both Alaska’s towns (15%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Tongass National Forest, at 1,637,864 acres with 186.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Wrangell has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Wrangell beats most towns.
2,369 counted in 2010 and 2,127 in 2020; an estimated 2,007 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 Wrangell is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1868.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wrangell, 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 Wrangell.
Across 5 parks and preserves: 192 miles of trail. Only 3 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a lower trail network density than Wrangell. Parks and preserves in the town: 5, covering 1,998,416 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tongass National Forest | 186.2 mi | 1,637,864 |
| 2. Stikine-LeConte Wilderness | 0.7 mi | 278,553 |
| 3. South Etolin Wilderness | — | 81,961 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its three schools are below. Public school enrollment in Wrangell: 264 students across 3 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evergreen ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 134 | A− |
| Wrangell High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 71 | C |
| Stikine Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 59 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 100% of U.S. communities. Households in Wrangell have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2023.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Wrangell reports less crime per resident than 90% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade. Of the 19 Alaska towns we compare, none has a lower violent offense rate than Wrangell. Police in Wrangell reported no property crime.
| Wrangell | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 9.1 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 3.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Wrangell home is worth about $317,000, up 10.5% in a year, 20% below the Alaska typical home. Wrangell: 59% of households are owner-occupiers.
| Wrangell | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 59% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $993 a month | $1,406 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The share of adults in Wrangell who smoke cigarettes: 18%. Against the Alaska average, Wrangell comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 10. Only 4 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Wrangell. In Wrangell, 16% of adults report frequent physical distress, and 39% have high blood pressure.
| Wrangell | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 68% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 32% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Wrangell | AK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 74.4% | 68% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 82.9% | 79.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.5% | 5.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Wrangell; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Wrangell residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
73.7% of the town is conserved land, across 5 parks and preserves.
4 places in Wrangell on the National Register of Historic Places.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
