Do you live in one of the most miserable places in Alaska?
Only a third of Alaskans say they are truly happy. That’s too bad, considering that folks in Alaska don’t really have it too bad in the grand scheme of things.
But, we were curious – which Alaska cities might be the most miserable? We’re about to find out, using Saturday Night Science and data.
After analyzing the 21 largest cities, we sadly present the most miserable cities in the Last Frontier.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Miserable Places In Alaska
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably don’t live in one of these cities.
Oh, and by the way, Cordova is the happiest place in Alaska.
For more Alaska reading, check out:
The 10 Most Miserable Places In Alaska For 2023
/10
Population: 5,978
Poverty Level: 11.9%
Median Home Price $224,500
Married Households 11.0%
Households With Kids 36.79%
More on Palmer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
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Population: 33,018
Poverty Level: 9.1%
Median Home Price $223,600
Married Households 8.0%
Households With Kids 34.92%
More on Fairbanks: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
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Population: 9,098
Poverty Level: 15.2%
Median Home Price $272,600
Married Households 9.0%
Households With Kids 30.82%
More on Wasilla: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
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Population: 5,682
Poverty Level: 9.0%
Median Home Price $264,500
Married Households 6.0%
Households With Kids 42.92%
More on Kodiak: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
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Population: 7,452
Poverty Level: 14.1%
Median Home Price $233,400
Married Households 12.0%
Households With Kids 27.23%
More on Kenai: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
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Methodology: How We Measured The Most Miserable Cities In The Last Frontier
To rank the unhappiest places in Alaska, we had to determine what criteria make people happy. It isn’t a stretch to assume that happy people earn great salaries, are relatively stress-free, and have a stable home life.
So we went to the Census’s American Community Survey 2017-2021 report for the happy criteria, flipped the list with Saturday Night Science, and it spit out the answer.
Like magic.
Here are the criteria we used to measure misery:
- Percentage of residents with a college degree
- Average commute times
- Unemployment rates
- Cost of living
- % of married couples
- % of families with kids
- Poverty rate
After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 21 places in Alaska with over 2,000 people.
We then ranked each place from one to 21 for each of the seven criteria, with a score of one being the most miserable (Any ties were given to the larger place).
Next, we averaged the seven rankings into a Miserable Index for each place with the lowest overall Miserable Index “earning” the title “Most Miserable City In Alaska.”
If you’d like to see the complete list of states, most miserable to happiest, scroll to the bottom of this post to see the unabridged chart.
We updated this article for 2023, and it’s our tenth time ranking the most miserable cities in Alaska.
There You Have It – The Least Happy Cities In Alaska
As we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in Alaska is usually a subjective matter.
But if you’re analyzing cities where people are not stable, where you’re stuck in traffic, and no one spent the time to go to college, then this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the happiest cities in Alaska, according to science:
- Cordova
- Juneau
- Sitka
For more Alaska reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Alaska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alaska
- Most Dangerous Cities In Alaska
- Richest Cities In Alaska
- Safest Places In Alaska
- Worst Places To Live In Alaska
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Alaska
Miserable Cities In Alaska For 2023
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Level | Median Home Value | % Married | % Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palmer, AK | 5,978 | 11.9% | $224,500 | 11.0% | 36.79% |
| 2 | Fairbanks, AK | 33,018 | 9.1% | $223,600 | 8.0% | 34.92% |
| 3 | Wasilla, AK | 9,098 | 15.2% | $272,600 | 9.0% | 30.82% |
| 4 | Kodiak, AK | 5,682 | 9.0% | $264,500 | 6.0% | 42.92% |
| 5 | North Pole, AK | 2,825 | 5.2% | $232,200 | 14.0% | 42.95% |
| 6 | Kenai, AK | 7,452 | 14.1% | $233,400 | 12.0% | 27.23% |
| 7 | Soldotna, AK | 4,370 | 19.0% | $219,300 | 9.0% | 27.82% |
| 8 | Valdez, AK | 3,966 | 4.4% | $202,600 | 14.0% | 35.28% |
| 9 | Dillingham, AK | 2,133 | 11.1% | $265,200 | 24.0% | 44.98% |
| 10 | Nome, AK | 3,685 | 7.3% | $291,300 | 20.0% | 45.54% |
| 11 | Unalaska, AK | 4,339 | 6.5% | $412,100 | 1.0% | 32.92% |
| 12 | Anchorage, AK | 292,545 | 9.1% | $327,500 | 10.0% | 33.8% |
| 13 | Ketchikan, AK | 8,150 | 12.2% | $270,200 | 12.0% | 30.46% |
| 14 | Wrangell, AK | 2,162 | 12.1% | $230,800 | 16.0% | 20.43% |
| 15 | Homer, AK | 5,531 | 12.9% | $309,500 | 7.0% | 22.11% |
| 16 | Bethel, AK | 6,273 | 13.4% | $309,900 | 19.0% | 36.75% |
| 17 | Seward, AK | 2,614 | 10.1% | $241,600 | 12.0% | 25.28% |
| 18 | Kotzebue, AK | 3,199 | 14.8% | $246,400 | 19.0% | 42.45% |
| 19 | Sitka, AK | 8,518 | 6.9% | $367,800 | 10.0% | 28.47% |
| 20 | Juneau, AK | 32,240 | 7.2% | $358,200 | 12.0% | 27.73% |
| 21 | Cordova, AK | 2,588 | 1.7% | $336,700 | 16.0% | 31.78% |
Farmers loop is just a road…not a city.
And where are the bigger cities on this list? Most of these are just roads, not actual communities, and have you ever considered just asking someone if they are happy? This “research” is ridiculous! Hope you didn’t get a grant from the government to study this!