Anchorage AK
Alaska · Pop. 288,976
Anchorage, AK: median household income of $103,284, median rent of $1,489/mo, 4.6% unemployment. Our verdict: Solid Choice.
Score Breakdown
Key Metrics
Median Income
$103,284
per year
Median Rent
$1,489
per month
Median Home
$396k
home value
Unemployment
4.6%
of labor force
Poverty Rate
9.0%
below poverty line
Avg. Commute
19 min
one way
City Reality Check balanced
"Anchorage, AK Reality Check"
In Anchorage, the rent-to-income burden runs around 17% — refreshingly manageable by national standards. Median income sits at $103,284 and median rent is $1,489/month. 44% of renters spend 30%+ of income on housing — above the national average. Median home value: $395,900 — that's 3.8× the median income. 64% of households own their home — unusually high for a major US city. Residents put down roots here. Employment picture: 4.58% unemployment — a healthy job market. Poverty rate: 9.0%. Average commute: 19 minutes — mercifully short. Anchorage was founded in 1914 — that's 112 years of history baked into the streets. The city covers 1,944.1 sq miles at 149 people/sq mile — sprawling. Elevation: 102 ft — essentially flat — floods are a real conversation. Known as: "The City of Lights and Flowers". Anchorage has 7 sister cities — cosmopolitan on paper, at least. RoastMyCity overall score: 76/100 — Solid Choice.