The 10 Worst Places To Live In Alaska For 2023

The 10 Worst Places To Live In Alaska For 2023

Wasilla has a population of 9,098. That may seem relatively low, but for the Last Frontier, it represents a virtual metropolis. That figure ranks 3rd in the state. Unfortunately, Wasilla has another distinction: it’s known as the number 1 worst place to live in Alaska.

The town (which once had Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin as its mayor) has major economic problems. The unemployment rate sits at 9.5%, the 4th highest pace in Alaska. Even the available jobs don’t pay very well. The median income is $62,292.

This weak economic base leads to other problems. The crime rate in Wasilla is more than 150% above the U.S. standard. Meanwhile, the community supports a spotty education system.

Dillingham is off by itself, along the gulf at the top of the Aleutian Islands. While it might be pretty, science doesn’t measure beauty, remember?

1 in 10 people in Dillingham is without work, and the cost of health care is really high way out here. Which means, you’d better hope you can pay for a health emergency.

Crime is the 10th highest in the state here. Is that a surprise? You have a 1 in 96 chance of having your life threatened every year you spend in Dillingham city limits. That’s off the charts high. Meaning if you weren’t attacked here, odds are you know someone who was.

Or, you knew who dunnit.

Most of Alaska’s major cities lie along the coast. Fairbanks is an exception. It sits in the middle of the country, placing it within a setting of unmatched natural beauty. But, this being the Last Frontier, life has its challenges. In fact, Fairbanks is known as the number 3 worst location in Alaska to live.

Like much of the state, expenses are high in Fairbanks. Located far from any other population center, the cost of living runs about 30% above the national average. That makes it tough on the 33,018 inhabitants of the area, who have to make due on median incomes of $66,572. The unemployment rate sits at 8.1%.

Crime is also a problem in Fairbanks. The city’s crime rate is double the U.S. norm.

Kenai, Alaska, sits along the coast of the Cook Inlet, in the southern part of the state. It’s a tough place to make a living, with low wages and a high unemployment rate. These economic troubles make it the number 4 worst spot to live in the Last Frontier.

The population of 7,452 residents ekes out a living with a median income of $70,732. That’s the 9th lowest level in Alaska. The people earning that meager amount can count themselves lucky, though. Many of their neighbors don’t have jobs at all, with the unemployment rate standing at 10.3%.

The crime rate in Kenai sits more than 200% above the national average. Meanwhile, the cost of living in the area is about 10% above the U.S. standard. The median home value is $233,400.

When you’re looking at science and data, the city of Seward is the worst place you can live in the state of Alaska. Let’s see why.

First off, people in Seward earn the 10th lowest incomes in the state. At $75,050, that actually sounds like quite a bit for most other states, but in Alaska, it’s really low, especially when you consider the adjusted cost of living up there. 10.1% of the population in Seward lives below the poverty line, and 6.1% of the population is unemployed.

Crime is above average as well.

When you’re looking at health care, Seward has the 3rd lowest number of doctors per capita.

Seward is south of Anchorage in an isolated valley on the Gulf Coast.

Palmer is located in the southern-central part of Alaska, about 45 minutes outside of Anchorage, the state’s largest population center. Unfortunately, this proximity to a city hasn’t saved the community from being identified as the number 6 least attractive spot in the state to put down roots.

Jobs are the main issue for the 5,978 inhabitants of Palmer. The area ranks as number 3 on the list of highest unemployment rates in Alaska. The figure comes in at 9.7%.

Schools in the area are good and the overall cost of living is under control…at least for Alaska. However, the high jobless rate leads to significant poverty. That in turn, fuels a high crime rate. Palmer suffers the number 14 highest violent crime rate in the state.

In an almost literal sense, Nome is a city of gold. It was originally founded as part of the gold rush that took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (back then, it was the most thriving city in the region). However, those golden days are largely in the past. In the 21st century, Nome counts as the number 7 worst place to live in Alaska.

Located on the Pacific coast toward the northern part of the state, this community of 3,685 people is very isolated. The town has local roads, but no major highway to link it with the other parts of the state.

As you might guess, this solitude tends to stifle the economy. The unemployment rate is the highest in Alaska, coming in at 10.7%. The median income sits at $91,375. The crime rate sits about 65% above the national average.

Wrangell, Alaska, provides the main population center on Wrangell Island, part of a chain located in the southernmost part of the state. This leaves the community rather isolated, limiting economic opportunity there. The result? The number 8 least enticing spot to live in the state.

Wrangell has some things going for it. The crime rate is below the national average and it supports a solid school system. However, making a living on the island is tough. The community of 2,162 residents endures a median income of $54,891. This ranks 1st in the state as a whole.
Meanwhile, the median home value sits at $230,800.

Not everything in Bethel is grim. Each year, the 6,273 residents of the town can enjoy the Kuskokwim 300 dogsled race or show up for the Yup’ik dance festival. But life in the community definitely has its grim elements, as Bethel ranks as the number 9 worst spot to live in Alaska.

First off, it’s tough to find a job around town. The unemployment rate sits at 9.4%, the 5th worst level in the state. As a result, the poverty rate hovers at 13.4%.

Schools in Bethel are bad, with scores as low as 1/10 on Great Schools. Also, for such a small town, the community suffers a high crime rate.

It seems as if the peninsula south of Anchorage is, generally, the worst place to live in Alaska. Homer, located along the Gulf coast, resembles the cities above. Residents here earn the 5th lowest incomes, and the unemployment rate is also 8.4%.

Crime is far above average here. You have a 1 in 54.8 chance of being the victim of a property crime every year you spend within Homer city limits. That’s a lot of stolen chainsaws and fishing gear.

Additionally, you have a 1 in 325 chance of being the victim of a violent crime. Meaning raped, attacked or killed.

As a side note, Alaska is one of the most dangerous states in the nation.