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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.
The Worst Neighborhoods In Anchorage For 2022
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:
The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Anchorage For 2022
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Downtown | 1,237 |
| 2 | Mountain View | 6,816 |
| 3 | Government Hill | 1,302 |
| 4 | Midtown | 4,956 |
| 5 | Spenard | 12,159 |
| 6 | Fairview | 7,098 |
| 7 | Russian Jack Park | 11,666 |
| 8 | Chugiak | 4,188 |
| 9 | Airport Heights | 7,085 |
| 10 | North Star | 3,429 |
| 11 | University Area | 10,502 |
| 12 | Northeast | 28,773 |
| 13 | Campbell Park | 8,227 |
| 14 | Taku-Campbell | 12,150 |
| 15 | Basher | 110 |
| 16 | Turnagain Arm | 655 |
| 17 | Sand Lake | 21,231 |
| 18 | Eagle River | 10,884 |
| 19 | Eagle River Valley | 11,556 |
| 20 | Abbott Loop | 25,854 |
| 21 | Girdwood | 596 |
| 22 | Old Seward-Oceanview | 6,528 |
| 23 | Scenic Foothills | 9,671 |
| 24 | Bayshore-Klatt | 9,804 |
| 25 | Turnagain | 9,659 |
| 26 | South Fork | 217 |
| 27 | Tudor Area | 1,705 |
| 28 | Birchwood | 1,956 |
| 29 | Mid-Hillside | 5,076 |
| 30 | Huffman-O'malley | 10,534 |
| 31 | South Addition | 3,991 |
| 32 | Bear Valley | 188 |
| 33 | Rogers Park | 3,695 |
| 34 | Hillside East | 163 |
| 35 | Rabbit Creek | 6,716 |
