Diversion Tunnel · National Register of Historic Places
Seward’s story
123 years in pictures
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1903Seward is settled
SewardAK
A town of 2,794, settled in 1903. Healthier than 86% of U.S. towns.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown · Public domain
Population
2,794
+0.9% since 2010
Typical home
$402K
+11.5% in a year
Household income
$85K
median
Median age
37.7
years
Land area
22 sq mi
What makes Seward stand out
The 3 things Seward does most differently from other towns.
100 U.S. towns● Seward
Health
Healthier than 86%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than AK on 10 measures, worse on 5.
B+School Grade
Schools
Better than 69%
of AK districts
School Grade B+.
Outdoors
#15 most conserved land in AK
11 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
23% of the town is conserved land.
Seward’s report card
Now in Seward
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Seward is #1 of 26 in AK for “Fastest-rising home prices”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Seward’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →43°
Mostly Cloudy
H 0° · L 38°
Local news
All →- Houston vs North Pole - Girls Varsity Basketball 01/08/2027 | Live & On Demandnfhsnetwork.com · Sep 28
- Iditarod National Historic Trail Southern TrekArcGIS StoryMaps · Sep 22
- Varsity Girls Volleyball Multi-team Event - 08/28/2026 | Watch Live & On Demandnfhsnetwork.com · Aug 28
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Seward. Another town gets a different order.
Health
Healthier than 86% of U.S. towns
Seward beats the Alaska average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
AHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Alaska
10 better17 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Seward | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 7.2% | 9.4% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.9% | 6.1% |
| More binge drinkers | 21.1% | 17.6% |
Providence Seward Hospital
2.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
96th
percentile among AK towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Very high risk, with avalanches at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 96% of U.S. communities.
96risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesTsunamisEarthquakes
1
paid flood claims since 2012
10
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Schools
Seward’s public schools outperform 69% of Alaska districts
The public schools Seward’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 69% of Alaska’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| William H. Seward Elementary School | PK–5 | 205 | B |
| Seward Middle School | 6–8 | 104 | B+ |
| Seward High School | 9–12 | 173 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduationAll 3 schools →
Outdoors
23% of Seward is conserved land
11 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves.
#18for trails in AK
23%
conserved · 3,192 of 13,863 acres
11 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
#15
most conserved land in AK
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Two Lakes Park | 1 mi | 26 |
| 2. Waterfront Park | 0.1 mi | 35 |
| 3. Waterfront Park Playground | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Housing
A typical Seward home is worth about $402K
The typical Seward home is worth about $402,000, up 11.5% in a year, close to the Alaska typical home.
$402KZillow home value
Typical home value
Seward$402K
Alaska$399K
+11.5%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Seward has chilly, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 62°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 90 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
90″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–33°
Spring32–45°
Summer49–61°
Fall35–46°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 36% of U.S. towns
Seward reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 64% report less.
C+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Seward2.1
Alaska7.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Seward8.9
Alaska19.3
U.S.15.5
36th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
36th
percentile among AK towns
6
violent crimes reported in 2025
26
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Landmarks
10 places in Seward on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Seward
City in Alaska, United States
Seward (Alutiiq: Qutalleq; Dena'ina: Tl'ubugh) is an incorporated home rule city in Alaska, United States. Located on Resurrection Bay, a fjord of the Gulf of Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula, Seward is situated on Alaska's southern coast, approximately 120 miles (190 km) by road from Alaska's largest city, Anchorage. With a population of 2,717 people as of the 2020 census, Seward is the fourth-largest city in the Kenai Peninsula Borough, behind Kenai, Homer, and the borough seat of Soldotna. The city is named for former United States Secretary of State William H. Seward, who orchestrated the United States' purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867 while serving in this position as pa…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1903
- Population
- 2,717
- Area
- 22 sq mi
- Elevation
- 0 ft
- ZIP code
- 99664
Seward’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Seward.
Bear CreekSeward
More about Seward
Still missing for Seward:archive photosupcoming events