Anchorage, Alaska

Municipality in Anchorage Municipality · population 291,247 (2020 Census)

Median home: $395,900
Household income: $103,284
Jan low / Jul high: 6° / 67°
Snow a year: 80 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 0
Median age: 35.2

Anchorage is a municipality of 291,247 people in Anchorage Municipality, Alaska. The median home is worth $395,900, above the typical Alaska town ($289,500). It ranks more walkable than 99% of Alaska towns, more vibrant than 98% of Alaska towns, better transit than 97% of Alaska towns.

Anchorage in our rankings:

#2 in 50 Places in America With the Fewest Tornadoes Since 1950

How Anchorage ranks

Percentile among Alaska towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Alaska towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Anchorage is worth $395,900, above the typical Alaska town ($289,500). Homes cost about 3.8 times the median household income of $103,284, which is more affordable than 34% of Alaska towns. Median rent is $1,489 a month. 63.9% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Alaska towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Anchorage	Typical Alaska town
Median home value	$395,900	$289,500
Median rent	$1,489	$1,146
Median household income	$103,284	$78,155
Home value ÷ income	3.8×	3.3×
Homeownership	63.9%	72.6%
Median year built	1982	1989
Seasonal / vacation homes	1.5%	—

Who lives in Anchorage

People	Anchorage	Typical Alaska town
Median age	35.2	37.2
Age 65 and over	12.9%	13.2%
Under 18	23.5%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	38.7%	22.4%
Below the poverty line	8.9%	11.9%
Veterans	11.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	10.9%	—
Work from home	10.9%	7.4%
Average commute	18.8 min	12.5 min
Homes with broadband	94.5%	88.6%

Weather in Anchorage

July highs average 67.4°F and January lows 6.4°F. About 22.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 79.7 inches of snow (typical Alaska town: 64.0 in). Expect about 0 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 204 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Eagle Rvr Nature Ctr station (4.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Anchorage since 1950.

Severe weather in Anchorage Municipality since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Anchorage Municipality, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Anchorage Municipality has been included in 7 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, biological, earthquake.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
April 9, 2020	Biological	DR-4533: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3446: Covid-19
January 31, 2019	Earthquake	DR-4413: Earthquake
November 30, 2018	Earthquake	EM-3410: Earthquake
April 26, 2003	Severe Storm	DR-1461: Severe Winter Storm, Including High Winds And Freezing Temperatures

Jobs and pay in Anchorage Municipality

Anchorage Municipality had 147,256 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $74,666 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Anchorage itself the ACS puts it at 4.6%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Anchorage

7 public schools with 4,067 students, about 18.5 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Bartlett High School	PK-12	1,416	20.2
Nicholas J. Begich Middle School	6-8	874	19.0
Muldoon Elementary	PK-6	436	17.4
Scenic Park Elementary	PK-6	393	17.1
Susitna Elementary	PK-6	385	16.7
Creekside Park Elementary	PK-6	384	17.5
Anchorage STrEaM Academy (charter)	6-8	179	16.3

Towns near Anchorage

Knik-Fairview, AK
25.6 mi · 19,297 people · home $340,200
Butte, AK
26.7 mi · 3,589 people · home $374,600
Gateway, AK
27.2 mi · 5,748 people · home $446,200
South Lakes, AK
28.6 mi · 5,229 people · home $377,500
Wasilla, AK
28.7 mi · 9,054 people · home $358,400
Palmer, AK
29.8 mi · 5,888 people · home $294,900

Anchorage questions

Is Anchorage, Alaska a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Anchorage scores better for retirees than 36% of Alaska towns and quieter than 3%. 12.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.2).

How much does a house cost in Anchorage?

The median owner-occupied home in Anchorage is valued at $395,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $103,284, so homes cost about 3.8 times income. Median rent is $1,489 a month.

What is the weather like in Anchorage?

July highs average 67.4°F and January lows 6.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 22.6 inches of precipitation a year and 79.7 inches of snow.

Does Anchorage get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Anchorage in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Anchorage's Census boundary (GEOID 0203000). Comparisons use the median of Alaska towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.