Alaska is pretty wild: there are grizzly bears, frostbite is a regular possibility, and there are giant ice fjords. That being said, there’s not a whole lot of people in Alaska and there are so many small towns that things can get a little boring. With population sizes less than 1,000, things are bound to get a bit
.blah.
Like Susitna North, for instance. In our latest analysis, we found that this city was the most boring city in all of Alaska. But don’t feel bad if you’re a resident of Susitna North. There are plenty of other boring, lackluster places in Alaska as well.
Here they are. Try not to jump out of your seat with excitement.
- Susitna North
- Tok
- Wrangell
- Sterling
- Anchor Point
- Willow
- Cordova City
- Fritz Creek
- Healy
- Cohoe
Before you get all upset if your city’s name is on the list, rest assured that we didn’t use personal opinion when it comes to what classifies a city or town as “boring” or “exciting”. We crunched actual numbers to figure out which towns are statistically more boring.
How We Created This Ranking
In order to find the most mind-numbing and down-right exhausting places to live in Alaska, we used the U.S. Census data to gather up all of the places in the state with populations of less than 1,000. Then, we used the Census to research each place in each of the following categories:
- % of Population Over 35 (Higher is more boring)
- % of Married Household (Higher is more boring)
- Median Age (higher is more boring)
- % of Households With Kids (higher is more boring)
- % of Households with People Over 65 (higher is more boring)
- Percentage of young residents ages 18 to 34 (lower is more boring)
- Population density (lower is more boring)
Next, we ranked each place according to the seven criteria above. The lower the number, the more boring the place.
We averaged these rankings into an overall score, where again, the lowest score was the most boring, least fun, or mind-numbing. And, the winner is: Susitna North!
But, like all U.S. states, there are good and bad, fun and boring, places everywhere you go. So read on for a look at the most boring places in AK or hop down to the end of the page and check out the top ten least boring places in AK.
Here we go!
1. Susitna North
Population Over 35: 71%, Highest in Alaska
Population Density: 6th Lowest
Median Age: 50
Married Households: 60%
When 71% of the population is over 35–the highest percentage in Alaska– chances are things aren’t going to get wild in your town on a Saturday night. In fact, the median age in Susitna North is 50, which is the 2nd highest in the state.
As you can imagine, the nightlife isn’t exactly bumping when most people here are about to enter grandparenthood. Plus, the population density is the 6th lowest in Alaska, meaning there aren’t a whole lot of people around to spend your time with.
2. Tok
Population over 35: 62%
Median age: 47.6
Married Households: 56%
Households over 65: 35%
If you’re living in Tok, chances are you’re not looking to live the single life: 56.4% of the households in Tok are married, meaning you’re not going to find Mr. or Mrs. Right for you here.
Plus, the median age is almost 48 and Tok has the 5th highest percentage of households with old people in the state.
3. Wrangell
Population Over 35: 71%
Population Density: Lowest population density in Alaska
Median Age: 53.3
Households over 65: 45.34%, 2nd Highest In Alaska
Break out your AARP cards and dentures, because Wrangell Is boring enough to be a nursing home. 70.6% of the population is over 35, which is the second highest percentage in AK. Plus, the median age is 53.5 which is the highest in Alaska. And the percentage of households with old people? 45.34%, which is the 2nd highest in the state.
If that wasn’t boring enough, Wrangell has the lowest population density in Alaska, meaning the chances of you seeing wildlife are higher than seeing your next door neighbor (especially since your “next door” neighbor probably lives 3 miles away from you.)
4. Sterling
Population Over 35: 65%
Median Age: 46.3
Married Households: 65%
Households over 65: 37%
The people in Sterling are slightly younger than in Wrangell, making it just a tad bit more exciting.
Unfortunately, quite a lot of households here are married (in fact, Sterling has the 5th highest percentage of married households in all of Alaska). So, while the people may be younger, they’re all taken. And, the percentage of households with elderly people is the 8th highest in Alaska.
The median age is the 6th highest in Alaska.
5. Anchor Point
Population Over 35: 65%
Median Age: 46.1
Married Households: 61%
Households over 65: 33%
In Anchor Point, most people are married and settled. The population over 35 is the 5th highest in the state (only slightly lower than Sterling), and the married households are 11th highest in the state. And even if, by chance, someone is not married, they’re probably a tad bit too old to be hanging out with the young, hip crowds: the median age in Anchor Point is the 7th highest in Alaska.
6. Willow
Population Over 35: 67%
Population density: 3rd lowest In The State
Median Age: 45
Households over 65: 36%
What really makes Willow so boring is how so few people live there. It has the 3rd lowest population density in Alaska, meaning there’s really not too many new friends and to make. Most people you see are people you’ve known forever so there won’t be many new, exciting faces.
That being said, at least the people here are slightly younger here than in Anchor Point. Plus, not nearly as many households are married.
7. Cordova
Population Over 35: 58%
Median Age: 41.8
Married Households: 54%
Households Over 65: 39%
If you’ve ever been to Cordova, then you know it’s not necessarily the most hip town in Alaska, unless, that is, your grandparents are extremely hip? Cordova has the 6th highest percentage of households with old people.
On the up side, there are significantly less households with married couples and the population density is relatively average, as is the percentage of households with kids. That being said, the only people who are single are probably old enough to be your grandmother.
8. Fritz Creek
Population Over 35: 64%
Median Age: 42.4
Married Households: 63%
Population Density: 14th Lowest in the state
If you can believe it, Fritz Creek actually has a higher percentage of people over 35 than Cordova. It’s definitely not the most happening place in Alaska, especially considering it has the 14th lowest population density in Alaska and the 8th highest percentage of married people in the state.
Basically, if you’re living in Fritz Creek you’re either married with a family or single without a friend in sight. Literally.
9. Healy
Population Over 35: 57%
Population density: 2nd Lowest in the state
Married Households: 67%
Households over 65: 36%
While Healy might be slightly more exciting than Fritz Creek, especially considering how much younger the people are here (the median age is 39.8, significantly lower than others on this list), this town still has the 2nd lowest population density in all of Alaska and the 3rd highest percentage of married households.
At least the (albeit small) population around you isn’t filled with people old enough to be your grandparents, right?
10. Cohoe
Population Over 35: 64%
Median Age 49.4
% of Married Households: 55%
Population Density: 10th lowest in the state
While there are certainly less married households in Cohoe than in some other towns on this list, the population density is still the 10th lowest in the state, and the population over 35 is actually the 7th highest in the state.
But don’t let that get you down. Less married people just means there are more (single?) people here to meet and hopefully go on more adventures with.
But Hold Your Horses! Alaska Can Be Fun Too…
As we mentioned in the beginning, there are certainly areas of the state that are, without a doubt, more exciting than others. There are plenty of fun places here too, like these ten least boring cities in Alaska:
- College
- Fairbanks
- Chevak
- North Pole
- Palmer
- Barrow
- Bethel
- Hooper
- Badger
- Ketchikan
Of course, if your ideal life is spending time in a small fishing villages or isolated forests where you can settle down and have children, then maybe these “most boring places” in Alaska are, in fact, your perfect match. To each his own, right?
