What better place to settle down after tackling the last frontier of work than the Last Frontier state? If you like endless summer nights, Alaska is the best state to retire in.
Alaska is about as far away from the ever-popular retiree state of Florida as you can get. But it still has good places to retire.
The wildlife on display in Alaska is unbeatable between bears, moose, caribou, and countless other creatures. With over 100 state parks, Denali National Park, Glacier Bay, you’ll never be left wondering what to do with your free time.
We limited our analysis to cities with 2,000 people to find the best places to retire in Alaska. Then we compared data from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights. We ranked each of the 20 cities by metrics like safety, affordability, access to activities and airports, and median age.
If living among the cold beauty of glaciers and fjords while chowing down on some reindeer sausage and wild berry cobbler sounds like an excellent way to spend your retirement, read on.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Where is the best place to retire in Alaska? According to the data, Wrangell is the best Alaskan city for retirement in 2024.
The cities on this list are concentrated in south-central and southeast Alaska, close (in Alaskan terms) to the major cities of Anchorage and Juneau. About half this list is cities located on the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage. If being too far north freaks you out, consider Ketchikan, the southernmost city in the state. Or if being near the epic Kenai Fjords for easy access to eye-popping boat tours sounds exciting, retiring in Seward might be your best bet.
Whether retirement is right around the corner or still a far-off daydream, consider these Alaskan cities the best places in the state to retire. Unsurprisingly, there was a good amount of overlap between cities on this list and our lists of best places and best places for families in Alaska.
Why did Wrangell take the top spot? And where are Fairbanks and Juneau?
For more Alaska state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Alaska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alaska
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Alaska
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Alaska For 2024
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Population: 5,623
Median Income: $69,757
Median Home Price: $369,327
Median Rent: $1,180
Distance to Closest Airport: 117 miles
More on Homer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 8,168
Median Income: $73,512
Median Home Price: $380,964
Median Rent: $1,214
Distance to Closest Airport: 1 miles
More on Ketchikan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 6,091
Median Income: $68,929
Median Home Price: $384,706
Median Rent: $1,101
Distance to Closest Airport: 41 miles
More on Palmer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 8,462
Median Income: $95,261
Median Home Price: $499,205
Median Rent: $1,309
Distance to Closest Airport: 85 miles
More on Sitka: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 5,584
Median Income: $76,765
Median Home Price: $419,391
Median Rent: $1,348
Distance to Closest Airport: 248 miles
More on Kodiak: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Last Frontier for 2024
To create our ranking of the best places in Alaska to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Last Frontier — 333 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 2,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 20 places from across the state.
For these 20, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 20, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Wrangell, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2024. This list reflects our tenth time ranking the best places to retire in Alaska.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Alaska Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Alaska goes to Wrangell.
The best places to retire in Alaska are Wrangell, Seward, Soldotna, Homer, Ketchikan, Cordova, Palmer, Sitka, Kodiak, and Valdez.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Nome
- Bethel
- Kotzebue
For more Alaska reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Alaska
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrangell | 2,134 | $61,000 | $277,682 | $966 |
| 2 | Seward | 2,768 | $77,850 | $340,623 | $1,125 |
| 3 | Soldotna | 4,394 | $67,365 | $325,383 | $1,013 |
| 4 | Homer | 5,623 | $69,757 | $369,327 | $1,180 |
| 5 | Ketchikan | 8,168 | $73,512 | $380,964 | $1,214 |
| 6 | Cordova | 2,507 | $79,526 | $342,401 | $1,375 |
| 7 | Palmer | 6,091 | $68,929 | $384,706 | $1,101 |
| 8 | Sitka | 8,462 | $95,261 | $499,205 | $1,309 |
| 9 | Kodiak | 5,584 | $76,765 | $419,391 | $1,348 |
| 10 | Valdez | 3,935 | $89,255 | $291,208 | $1,408 |
