The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Anchorage For 2022


We used data and science to identify the neighborhoods in Anchorage that are the real pits.

RoadSnacks is reader-supported. When you click through real estate links on our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

Anchorage's neighborhoods conjure up too many stereotypes to count. You've got hipster areas, preppy places, neighborhoods where college kids thrive, and of course, ghettos.

It seems as if there's a neighborhood for everyone in Anchorage.

And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the country thanks in part to a strong economy and tons of entertainment, it's not all rainbows and sunshine in Anchorage. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.

So the question arises, which Anchorage neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?

Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Anchorage hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Anchorage area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Rabbit Creek ranks way above the rest.

We examined 35 of Anchorage's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Anchorage's reputation.

So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Anchorage for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Downtown looks to be the worst neighborhood in Anchorage.

Read on to see how we determined the places around Anchorage that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don't blame the messenger.

Once you're done, you can look at the bottom of the story for a complete chart of every neighborhood we looked at from worst to best. Looking for places to avoid outside of the city? You can also check out the worst suburbs of Anchorage.

For more Alaska reading, check out:

Worst Neighborhoods In Anchorage

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Anchorage For 2022

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,237
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $145,475 (4th worst)
Median Income: $32,614 (worst)
More on Downtown:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 6,816
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $101,400 (worst)
Median Income: $43,297 (3rd worst)
More on Mountain View:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,302
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $118,533 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $64,040 (8th worst)
More on Government Hill:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 4,956
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $106,717 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $52,431 (4th worst)
More on Midtown:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 12,159
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $184,018 (6th worst)
Median Income: $58,055 (5th worst)
More on Spenard:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 7,098
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $202,678 (9th worst)
Median Income: $42,652 (2nd worst)
More on Fairview:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 11,666
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $176,725 (5th worst)
Median Income: $60,693 (6th worst)
More on Russian Jack Park:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 4,188
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $283,600 (19th worst)
Median Income: $86,403 (17th worst)
More on Chugiak:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 7,085
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $220,029 (12th worst)
Median Income: $61,774 (7th worst)
More on Airport Heights:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 3,429
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $189,225 (7th worst)
Median Income: $68,038 (9th worst)
More on North Star:  Data

Methodology: How we determined the worst Anchorage neighborhoods in 2022

To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what places have the least amount of those things. We threw the following criteria into this analysis in order to get the best, most complete results possible. We used this set of criteria for each neighborhood in Anchorage:

  • High unemployment (Less jobs)
  • Low median income (Less pay)
  • Low population density (No things to do)
  • Low home values (No one's willing to pay to live here)
  • High crime (Estimated)

Then, we ranked each neighborhood in Anchorage, Alaska for each of these criteria from worst to best.

Next, we averaged the individual rankings for each criteria into a "Worst Score".

The neighborhood with the lowest "Worst Score" ranks as the worst neighborhood of Anchorage.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Anchorage to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 35 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased. Hold on to your pants.

Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Anchorage

Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Anchorage with Downtown landing at the bottom of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Anchorage aren't all bad. Rabbit Creek takes the cake as the best place to live in Anchorage.

We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.

For more Alaska reading, check out:

Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In Anchorage For 2022?

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Downtown 1,237 $145,475 $32,614
2 Mountain View 6,816 $101,400 $43,297
3 Government Hill 1,302 $118,533 $64,040
4 Midtown 4,956 $106,717 $52,431
5 Spenard 12,159 $184,018 $58,055
6 Fairview 7,098 $202,678 $42,652
7 Russian Jack Park 11,666 $176,725 $60,693
8 Chugiak 4,188 $283,600 $86,403
9 Airport Heights 7,085 $220,029 $61,774
10 North Star 3,429 $189,225 $68,038
11 University Area 10,502 $238,100 $72,377
12 Northeast 28,773 $200,405 $70,687
13 Campbell Park 8,227 $214,820 $71,930
14 Taku-Campbell 12,150 $225,567 $75,878
15 Basher 110 $278,100 $84,141
16 Turnagain Arm 655 $202,967 $102,270
17 Sand Lake 21,231 $288,472 $89,416
18 Eagle River 10,884 $304,400 $111,606
19 Eagle River Valley 11,556 $343,671 $109,729
20 Abbott Loop 25,854 $281,607 $94,572
21 Girdwood 596 $278,000 $110,579
22 Old Seward-Oceanview 6,528 $311,820 $106,662
23 Scenic Foothills 9,671 $263,100 $96,812
24 Bayshore-Klatt 9,804 $289,150 $99,532
25 Turnagain 9,659 $315,785 $85,383
26 South Fork 217 $409,100 $126,786
27 Tudor Area 1,705 $317,700 $97,616
28 Birchwood 1,956 $323,100 $130,254
29 Mid-Hillside 5,076 $452,975 $151,898
30 Huffman-O'malley 10,534 $408,729 $146,064
31 South Addition 3,991 $417,471 $85,614
32 Bear Valley 188 $463,600 $120,764
33 Rogers Park 3,695 $338,400 $97,529
34 Hillside East 163 $571,200 $154,079
35 Rabbit Creek 6,716 $521,933 $144,752

Editor's Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don't freak out we updated this article for 2022. This is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Anchorage.

About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.