Best Places to Live in Alaska (2011)

This article, the forty-eighth in a 50-state series, ranks the best places to live in Alaska based on three criteria: (1) median household income (adjusted for cost of living); (2) educational attainment (% of residents 25 years and over who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher); and (3) property crime rates per 1,000 residents (burglary and automobile thefts). For purposes of these rankings, "places" are incorporated municipalities with populations greater than 1,000.

Among the ten best places to live in Alaska, four comprise the capital of Juneau and its exurbs, several are commerical fishing towns, one is on the North Slope, and one is the state's most populated city.

After reading "Best Places to Live in Alaska (2011)," return to this link to read "Largest Cities in Alaska (2011)." A collection of similar articles for the remaining 49 states can be found at these links: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

For the culmination of the 50-state series, read "Best Places to Live in America (2011)."

1. Best Places to Live in Alaska (2011) -- Dillingham, AK

Population: 2,348

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $76,387
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 35.6%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 9.8

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Juneau, AK: 874 miles E
Anchorage, AK: 354 miles ENE

2. Best Places to Live in Alaska (2011) -- Petersburg, AK

Population: 2,949

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $69,345
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 27.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.59

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Juneau, AK: 160 miles NNW
Fairbanks, AK: 867 miles NW

3. Best Places to Live in Alaska (2011) -- Juneau, AK

Population: 38,621

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $44,390
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 50.6%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 5.28

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Anchorage, AK: 848 miles WNW
Fairbanks, AK: 734 miles NW

4. Best Places to Live in Alaska (2011) -- Homer, AK

Population: 5,667

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $54,730
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 32.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.9

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Juneau, AK: 625 miles E
Anchorage, AK: 222 miles NNE

5. Best Places to Live in Alaska (2011) -- Anchorage, AK

Population: 286,174

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $70,642
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 32.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 8.76

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Juneau, AK: 848 miles SE
Fairbanks, AK: 734 miles NW

6. Best Places to Live in Alaska (2011) -- Barrow, AK

Population: 4,078

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $67,411
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 23.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.71

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Juneau, AK: 1101 miles SE
Fairbanks, AK: 504 miles SE

7. Best Places to Live in Alaska (2011) -- Skagway, AK

Population: 1,071

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $71,295
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 31.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 8.94

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Juneau, AK: 104 miles SSE
Anchorage, AK: 488 miles WNW

8. Best Places to Live in Alaska (2011) -- Nome, AK

Population: 3,604

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $70,664
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 25.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 7.06*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Juneau, AK: 1106 miles SE
Anchorage, AK: 561 miles ESE

9. Best Places to Live in Alaska (2011) -- Sitka, AK

Population: 8,811

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $58,895
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 26.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.5

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Juneau, AK: 95 miles NNE
Anchorage: AK: 558 miles NW

10. Best Places to Live in Alaska (2011) -- Bethel, AK

Population: 6,384

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $85,841
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 25.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 17.92

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Juneau, AK: 977 miles ESE
Anchorage, AK: 424 miles E

More Articles from J.C. Grant

"Average ACT Scores by State (2010)"
"Average SAT Scores by State (2010)"
"Largest U.S. Cities: Population Size (2011)"
"Most_Dangerous_Cities_in_America - Murder Rates"
"State Education Rankings: Graduation Rates for High School, College, and Grad/Professional School"
"State Education Rankings: SAT Scores"

Source(s):

"All Cities in Alaska," City-Data.com
"2009 ACS 1-year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"2007-2009 ACS 3-year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"2006-2008 ACS 3-year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"2005-2009 ACS 5-Year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"Uniform Crime Report," Federal Bureau of Investigation