AKAlaska rankings

Most affordable towns in Alaska

Ranked by how many years of a typical AK household income ($92,788) it takes to buy each town's median home. Lower is easier to buy in. 40 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Alaska · Most affordable

Kotzebue ranks #5 of 40

3.1 yrs of a typical AK income buys a typical home · Visit Kotzebue →

1 Ester 2.8 yrs $255,400 median home 2 Fairbanks 2.9 yrs $268,400 median home 3 Farmers Loop 3.0 yrs $279,800 median home

#TownYears of incomeHome valueMedian income

1 Ester2,752 people 2.8 yrs $255,400 $53,272

2 Fairbanks32,083 people 2.9 yrs $268,400 $73,534

3 Farmers Loop4,954 people 3.0 yrs $279,800 $109,950

4 Kenai7,641 people 3.1 yrs $283,900 $87,083

5 Kotzebue2,984 people 3.1 yrs $288,400 $110,357

6 Goldstream3,294 people 3.1 yrs $289,600 $103,589

Palmer6,268 people 3.2 yrs $294,900 $72,201

8 College11,924 people 3.2 yrs $297,500 $83,895

9 Big Lake3,585 people 3.2 yrs $298,700 $81,406

10 Soldotna4,485 people 3.3 yrs $306,000 $56,280

11 Petersburg3,227 people 3.3 yrs $308,400 $71,369

12 Badger18,677 people 3.3 yrs $310,600 $97,183

13 Utqiaġvik4,778 people 3.4 yrs $311,400 $115,313

14 Nikiski4,773 people 3.4 yrs $312,600 $65,863

15 Valdez3,847 people 3.4 yrs $313,000 $99,271

16 Meadow Lakes8,689 people 3.5 yrs $323,100 $81,699

17 Tanaina9,646 people 3.5 yrs $328,500 $105,536

18 Kalifornsky8,663 people 3.6 yrs $336,800 $93,508

Seward2,794 people 3.6 yrs $338,100 $85,481

Knik-Fairview19,972 people 3.7 yrs $340,200 $96,437

21 Kodiak5,447 people 3.7 yrs $347,100 $90,292

22 Steele Creek5,928 people 3.8 yrs $348,400 $121,364

23 Ketchikan8,078 people 3.8 yrs $352,400 $85,275

24 Sterling6,323 people 3.8 yrs $353,400 $102,415

25 Nome3,653 people 3.8 yrs $356,900 $113,646

26 North Lakes10,223 people 3.9 yrs $357,600 $101,679

27 Wasilla9,720 people 3.9 yrs $358,400 $67,234

28 Bethel6,312 people 3.9 yrs $360,200 $117,255

29 Butte4,085 people 4.0 yrs $374,600 $101,042

30 South Lakes6,180 people 4.1 yrs $377,500 $98,141

Homer5,877 people 4.2 yrs $388,400 $74,449

32 Chena Ridge5,881 people 4.3 yrs $395,500 $133,775

33 Anchorage288,976 people 4.3 yrs $395,900 $103,284

34 Fishhook5,819 people 4.5 yrs $416,300 $111,375

35 Farm Loop2,894 people 4.6 yrs $431,300 $119,375

36 Gateway6,845 people 4.8 yrs $446,200 $137,772

37 Juneau city and31,794 people 4.8 yrs $449,300 $101,661

38 Sitka city and8,368 people 4.9 yrs $450,300 $101,727

39 Unalaska4,556 people 5.0 yrs $462,400 $131,964

40 Mill Bay3,654 people 5.0 yrs $463,200 $88,580

How this ranking works

We divide each town’s median home value by the AK median household income ($92,788). The result is how many years of a typical paycheck it takes to buy a typical home there. Lower is more affordable. Across Alaska as a whole it’s 3.8 years.

Why not each town’s own income? That would rank wealthy towns with half-million-dollar homes as “affordable” only because their residents earn so much. One shared income answers the question people actually ask: where could a typical family afford to live?

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY All of the U.S.