Anchorage, Alaska
Just steps from downtown Anchorage lies Ship Creek, a favorite spot for fishing and bird-watching. Courtesy of the City of Anchorage
- StateAlaska
- CountyAnchorage
- Population288,573
Alaska’s largest city provides residents with a mix of urban amenities, outdoor adventure, and stunning wildlife. While this chillier spot may be challenging for some in the depths of winter, its cooler climate means locals can view the natural spectacle of the northern lights half the year as well as countless blue and white glaciers dotting the landscape.
Hikers or rapids rafters can take a short drive to Chugach State Park, one of the largest state parks in the nation, while the less ambitious may ride the Alyeska Tramway 2,000 feet up Mount Alyeska. Anchorage is also home to 135 miles of bike paths that cut through the city and along the coast, with the 11-mile oceanside portion, known as the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, being the best loved. Aviation enthusiasts will fit in well here, too. Anchorage has more pilots and planes per capita than any other place in the country, helping to make its floatplane base the busiest in the world.
The city offers plenty of cultural experiences as well. Both Anchorage Museum, the state’s largest, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center host frequent events, talks, and classes focusing on the history of Alaska and its Indigenous people. The dozen-plus breweries in the city make it a bit of a hidden gem for beer lovers, too.
Anchorage’s over 288,500 residents earn a fairly high median household income of $94,322 a year, thanks to a number of major employers calling the area home, including the Ted Stevens International Airport, which handles the fourth-largest amount of cargo traffic in the world; oil and gas giants Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. and ConocoPhillips; and extensive health care systems such as Providence Alaska Medical Center and Southcentral Foundation. Proximity to such medical centers also means locals have access to a large number of doctors rated above average by Healthgrades. The city scores well above the national average on Sharecare’s Community Well-Being Index, which looks at 600 factors that impact residents’ health outcomes.—KR
Hikers or rapids rafters can take a short drive to Chugach State Park, one of the largest state parks in the nation, while the less ambitious may ride the Alyeska Tramway 2,000 feet up Mount Alyeska. Anchorage is also home to 135 miles of bike paths that cut through the city and along the coast, with the 11-mile oceanside portion, known as the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, being the best loved. Aviation enthusiasts will fit in well here, too. Anchorage has more pilots and planes per capita than any other place in the country, helping to make its floatplane base the busiest in the world.
The city offers plenty of cultural experiences as well. Both Anchorage Museum, the state’s largest, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center host frequent events, talks, and classes focusing on the history of Alaska and its Indigenous people. The dozen-plus breweries in the city make it a bit of a hidden gem for beer lovers, too.
Anchorage’s over 288,500 residents earn a fairly high median household income of $94,322 a year, thanks to a number of major employers calling the area home, including the Ted Stevens International Airport, which handles the fourth-largest amount of cargo traffic in the world; oil and gas giants Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. and ConocoPhillips; and extensive health care systems such as Providence Alaska Medical Center and Southcentral Foundation. Proximity to such medical centers also means locals have access to a large number of doctors rated above average by Healthgrades. The city scores well above the national average on Sharecare’s Community Well-Being Index, which looks at 600 factors that impact residents’ health outcomes.—KR
Town Information
| Median sale price for single family residences (2022) | $374,655 |
| Median household income | $94,322 |
| Racial and ethnic makeup of current residents | Asian: 9.92%, Black: 5.14%, Hispanic: 9.7% |
| Racial and ethnic makeup of U.S. | Asian: 6.1%, Black: 13.6%, Hispanic: 18.9% |
| High school district graduation rate (averages of districts were applied when necessary) | 83.92% |
| Percent of schools serving students in the area that rank "above average" (averages of districts were applied when necessary) | 27% |
| Number of hospitals within 25 miles recommended by over 50% of patients | 3 |
| Sharecare Community Well-Being Index Score (out of 100) | 67 |
Sources: ATTOM, U.S. Census Bureau, GreatSchools, Healthgrades, Caring.com, Sharecare