Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety22#719/924
Economy91#88/925
Housing24#700/925
Health58#387/925
Healthcare62#349/923
Environment—
Education83#155/925
Infrastructure88#115/925
Community64#335/925
Leisure & amenities51#452/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Anchorage, AK metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Drought exposure · low0%
99/100Alaska 0%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Dentists · high111 /100k
98/100Alaska 106 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · high94.2%
97/100Alaska 91.9%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Median household income · high$100,505
97/100Alaska $96,336United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Mental health providers · high708 /100k
96/100Alaska 802 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · high$1,446
94/100Alaska $1,450United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Weaknesses

Distance to an Amtrak station · high1,321 mi
1/100Alaska 1,315 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · high46.5 /100k
2/100Alaska 40.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · low0.6 /10k
4/100Alaska 0.6 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · low0.8 /10k
6/100Alaska 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Flu vaccinations · low29.4%
7/100Alaska 29.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · high27.2 /100k
9/100Alaska 30.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
67.6% (2010 & 2021) → 85.6% (2022 & 2024)
+18 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Child care cost burdenWorsening
19.8% (2020 & 2021) → 35.3% (2023 & 2024)
+16 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
New homes permittedWorsening
3.0 /1k (2021) → 0.7 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−75%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
New business applicationsImproving
10.4 /1k (2020) → 16.9 /1k (2025)
+62%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
38.4% (2019) → 29.4% (2023)
−8.9 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
24.4% (Dec 2021) → 32.6% (Aug 2026)
+8.2 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Anchorage, AK metro area improved on 11 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 7 moved within the margin of error and 7 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved11

Uninsured−1.7 points13.6% → 11.9%
Unemployment−3.9 points8.1% → 4.2%
Traffic deaths−7.9%10.4 /100k → 9.6 /100k
New businesses+62%10.4 /1k → 16.9 /1k
Arts & recreation+8.7%5.9 /10k → 6.4 /10k

Declined5

Overdose deaths+73%26.9 /100k → 46.4 /100k
Pharmacies−20%0.8 /10k → 0.6 /10k
Restaurants−5.3%7.8 /10k → 7.3 /10k
Suicides+6.1%25.6 /100k → 27.2 /100k
Price / income+0.2×3.5× → 3.8×

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Anchorage, AK metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.9 /10k2020	6.4 /10k2025	+8.7%	Improved	50%
Average commute time	22.3 min2015-2019	22.7 min2020-2024	+0.4 min	Within the margin of error	50%
Average weekly wage	$1,2002020	$1,4462025	+21%	Improved	25%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.3%2015-2019	34.7%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Improved	41%
Broadband subscriptions	89.2%2015-2019	94.2%2020-2024	+5 points	Improved	8%
Child poverty rate	12.8%2015-2019	10.9%2020-2024	−2 points	Improved	46%
Distance to an airport	16 mi2020	16 mi2025	+1 mi	Little change	4%
Drug overdose deaths	26.9 /100k2020	46.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+73%	Declined	5%
Effective property tax rate	1.19%2015-2019	1.10%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	39%
Firearm deaths	24.6 /100k2020	25.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+4.2%	Little change	42%
Grocery stores	0.8 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	+1.4%	Little change	56%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.2 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+2.3%	Little change	49%
High school diploma or higher	93.7%2015-2019	94.1%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Home price to income ratio	3.5×2015-2019	3.8×2020-2024	+0.2×	Declined	78%
Homicide rate	7.0 /100k2020	6.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−3.9%	Little change	26%
Income adjusted for local prices	$59,1882019	$74,4502024	+26%	Improved	11%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4292015-2019	0.4302020-2024	+0.001	Within the margin of error	52%
Median household income	$83,0482015-2019	$100,5052020-2024	+21%	Improved	18%
New business applications	10.4 /1k2020	16.9 /1k2025	+62%	Improved	73%
Pharmacies	0.8 /10k2020	0.6 /10k2025	−20%	Declined	20%
Poverty rate	9.4%2015-2019	9.3%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Public libraries	0.3 /10k2019	0.3 /10k2024	−1.8%	Little change	49%
Public transit commuters	1.3%2015-2019	1.2%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	64%
Rent as share of income	28.6%2015-2019	28.9%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Rent-burdened households	46.4%2015-2019	47.5%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Restaurants and bars	7.8 /10k2020	7.3 /10k2025	−5.3%	Declined	25%
Suicide rate	25.6 /100k2020	27.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+6.1%	Declined	45%
Traffic deaths	10.4 /100k2015-2019	9.6 /100k2020-2024	−7.9%	Improved	75%
Unemployment rate	8.1%2020	4.2%2025	−3.9 points	Improved	76%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.6%2015-2019	11.9%2020-2024	−1.7 points	Improved	81%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Anchorage, AK metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Anchorage, AK metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Anchorage, AK metro area itself moved −1.2 points in standing on average over the same 28 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

401,964 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

148,466 households (±1,412)

Anchorage, AK metro area
United States share

Under $25k10%15,135
$25k–50k13%18,912
$50k–75k13%19,456

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

148,466 households (±1,412)

Anchorage, AK metro area
United States share

Own67%100,185
Rent33%48,281

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.6 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

197,863 workers (±2,022)

Anchorage, AK metro area
United States share

Drive alone70%138,880
Carpool12%22,815
Public transit1.2%2,305

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Anchorage, AK employ 36,460 people. 9 pay a median above the US median and 1 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Anchorage, AK by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Registered Nurses4,990 jobs	4,990	$115,290US $97,550	+18%	1.3×
Retail Salespersons4,710 jobs	4,710	$37,520US $35,410	+6%	1.06×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides4,440 jobs	4,440	$39,140US $35,800	+9%	0.91×
Stockers and Order Fillers4,070 jobs	4,070	$40,310US $37,330	+8%	1.26×
Fast Food and Counter Workers3,600 jobs	3,600	$33,280US $31,200	+7%	0.82×
General and Operations Managers3,290 jobs	3,290	$120,030US $105,770	+13%	0.82×
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers3,070 jobs	3,070	$68,620US $69,500	−1%	1.88×
Cashiers2,890 jobs	2,890	$36,350US $32,880	+11%	0.82×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners2,780 jobs	2,780	$40,510US $36,840	+10%	1.1×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand2,620 jobs	2,620	$44,510US $40,240	+11%	0.78×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Anchorage, AK.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Anchorage, AK has 11,621 employer establishments, 289 for every 10,000 residents (1.16× the US rate of 248), with 165,403 paid employees at an average annual pay of $72,832. The Census Bureau also counts 32,488 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 11,621; 32,488 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 289; US 248
Paid employees: 165,403
Average annual pay: $72,832; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Anchorage, AK by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	1,139	28.3	1.36×More than typical	12,877	$85,668	1,458
Specialty trade contractors	904	22.5	1.45×More than typical	5,658	$92,270	1,572
Restaurants and other eating places	748	18.6	1.01×About typical	12,301	$29,050	145
Lessors of real estate	518	12.9	1.05×About typical	2,160	$53,950	3,367
Construction of buildings	495	12.3	1.63×More than typical	4,105	$102,472	807
Offices of other health practitioners	402	10	1.65×More than typical	2,081	$62,439	866
Offices of physicians	341	8.5	1.31×More than typical	3,679	$118,863	346
Services to buildings and dwellings	341	8.5	1.26×More than typical	3,290	$49,670	1,415
Building equipment contractors	302	7.5	1.25×About typical	2,728	$86,560	181
Full-service restaurants	278	6.9	0.90×About typical	5,900	$33,575	55
Limited-service restaurants	276	6.9	0.86×About typical	4,635	$25,399	60
Architectural, engineering and related services	268	6.7	1.91×More than typical	4,538	$104,667	291

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 401,959 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.9B on contracts performed in Anchorage, AK metro area: $4,689 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $1.9B; −13% vs FY2025
Per resident: $4,689; US $1,994
Sole-source: 28%; US 30%
Single offer: 7.7%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$443.9M23%
Department of Veterans Affairs$302.1M16%
Defense Logistics Agency$181.9M9.6%
Department of the Air Force$168.9M8.9%
Department of the Navy$97M5.1%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$88.7M4.7%
Department of State$69.9M3.7%
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement$68.6M3.6%

Top recipients

TRIWEST HEALTHCARE ALLIANCE CORP$288.5M15%
ASRC BUILDERS-CADDELL, LLC$130M6.8%
PETRO STAR INC.$106.6M5.6%
UNIT COMPANY$101.4M5.3%
PARAGON PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LLC$68.2M3.6%

Spending by fiscal year

966MFY2017
1BFY2018
1.3BFY2019
968.1MFY2020
1.2BFY2021
1.8BFY2022
2.2BFY2023
2.2B

Top industries (NAICS)

Insurance agencies, brokerages, and related activities · 5242$288.4M15%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$267.5M14%
Investigation and security services · 5616$176.7M9.3%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$166.4M8.7%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$135.4M7.1%

Part of this section could not be loaded in time.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $2.7B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Anchorage, AK metro area: $6,745 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $2.7B; +1.1% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,745; US $12,955
Loan face value: $393.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1.2B44%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$482.6M18%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$115.6M4.2%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$106.3M3.9%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$96.6M3.5%
20.823 · Port Infrastructure Development Program$61.9M2.3%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$59.5M2.2%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$50.3M1.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC FACILITIES$249.2M9.1%
JUNEAU, AK
ANCHORAGE, MUNICIPALITY OF (INC)$49.1M1.8%
ANCHORAGE, AK
COOK INLET TRIBAL COUNCIL, INC.$42.5M1.6%
ANCHORAGE, AK
UNICOM, INC.$35M1.3%
ANCHORAGE, AK
COOK INLET HOUSING AUTHORITY

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$1.5B54%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$535.5M20%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$182.3M6.7%
Department of Transportation
Rural Utilities Service$72.9M2.7%
Department of Agriculture
Federal Aviation Administration$69.5M

Assistance by fiscal year

2.6BFY2021
2.2BFY2022
2.5BFY2023
2.6BFY2024
2.7BFY2025
2.7BFY2026

County aggregates

74%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Anchorage, AK

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

AnchoragePrincipal city288,976

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Alaska

Areas based in Alaska, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M11260

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Anchorage, AK metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Anchorage, AK

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Alaska

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved11

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

What was bought