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AKAlaska rankings

Safest towns in Alaska

Ranked by crime reported to police per 1,000 residents, averaged over 2023–2025, with violent crimes counted four times as heavily as property crimes. Lower is safer. 17 towns with 2,500+ residents whose police reported every year.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Unalaska 1 Unalaska 7.0 Violent 1.3 per 1,000 Valdez 2 Valdez 7.1 Violent 0.9 per 1,000 Petersburg 3 Petersburg 14.8 Violent 1.8 per 1,000
#TownWeighted crime rateViolentProperty
1 Unalaska Unalaska4,556 people 7.0 1.3 per 1,000 1.6 per 1,000
2 Valdez Valdez3,847 people 7.1 0.9 per 1,000 3.6 per 1,000
3 Petersburg Petersburg3,227 people 14.8 1.8 per 1,000 7.7 per 1,000
4 Sitka city and8,368 people 15.3 2.2 per 1,000 6.6 per 1,000
5 Palmer Palmer6,268 people 19.0 1.8 per 1,000 12.0 per 1,000
6 Soldotna4,485 people 20.1 1.7 per 1,000 13.1 per 1,000
7 Homer Homer5,877 people 20.2 2.1 per 1,000 12.0 per 1,000
8 Kenai7,641 people 20.9 2.9 per 1,000 9.5 per 1,000
9 Kodiak5,447 people 22.9 3.4 per 1,000 9.4 per 1,000
10 Seward Seward2,794 people 25.6 2.9 per 1,000 13.9 per 1,000
11 Ketchikan8,078 people 34.1 3.4 per 1,000 20.7 per 1,000
12 Juneau city and31,794 people 43.3 5.2 per 1,000 22.6 per 1,000
13 Wasilla Wasilla9,720 people 51.0 4.7 per 1,000 32.2 per 1,000
14 Nome3,653 people 53.2 11.5 per 1,000 7.1 per 1,000
15 Fairbanks Fairbanks32,083 people 63.3 7.1 per 1,000 34.9 per 1,000
16 Bethel Bethel6,312 people 63.5 12.6 per 1,000 13.0 per 1,000
17 Anchorage288,976 people 71.3 10.3 per 1,000 29.9 per 1,000

How this ranking works

For each town we add up the violent and property crimes its police reported to the FBI over 2023–2025 and divide by the population they served, giving a rate per 1,000 residents. Violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault) count four times as much as property crimes (burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson), because they weigh more on how safe a place feels. The lowest weighted rate ranks #1.

These are crimes reported to police, not convictions, and towns with a campus, highway, beach or shopping center also count incidents involving visitors. A town is ranked only if its police department reported a full year in every one of these years; towns patrolled by a county sheriff or state police don't have their own figures. There is no “most dangerous” list, on purpose.

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. Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, offenses known to law enforcement by city. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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