Jobs, pay and daily life in Ketchikan, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Ketchikan is a city in Alaska with 8,078 residents. The median household earns $85,275 a year and the median rent is $1,417 a month, which is 19.9% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Ketchikan compares. Among the 30 largest places in Alaska, Ketchikan is #13 by population, #5 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #22 for household income (#1 = highest), #22 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, is #14 of 30 counties for average pay ($62,614).
Ketchikan has 8,078 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.1% of the population of Alaska. It covers 4 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,109 people per square mile. The median age is 37.4, 4% older than the state median (37.4 against 35.8).
The median gross rent is $1,417 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,417 against $1,419). Over a year that is 19.9% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $352,400, which is 4.1 times the median household income ($85,275). 61.4% of households own their home, 8% below the state average (61.4% against 66.8%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Ketchikan Gateway Borough was 3.0%. 66.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Ketchikan Gateway Borough; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 66.4% drive alone, 0.6% use public transit, 10.1% walk, 5.5% work from home. 1.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 79% below the state average (1.8% against 8.4%).
24.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 23% below the state share (24.5% against 31.7%). 11.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 53% above the state share (11.8% against 7.7%). The poverty rate is 11.2%, 11% above the state rate (11.2% against 10.1%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 57°F (14.0°C), and the coolest is Feb at 31°F (-0.3°C). About 2,754 mm (108 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Oct is the wettest month (325 mm) and May the driest (147 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Sitka city and (190 miles, rent 5% lower); Juneau city and (229 miles, similar rent); Bellingham (600 miles, rent 11% higher); Anacortes (610 miles, rent 20% higher). Rent differences are against Ketchikan; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Alaska (324) →State guide: AlaskaCountry guideKetchikan Gateway BoroughAlaska rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 324 federal postings open in Alaska (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 14.4% |
| Retail trade | 12.6% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 9.4% |
| Public administration | 8.4% |
| Manufacturing | 6.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 4.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.8% |
| Other services | 4.4% |
| Construction | 3.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 3.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
| Information | 0.7% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Ketchikan lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 13,768 | $1,237 million | $89,882 | 7,277 | 623 | $62,614 | +1.8% | 3.0% | 7,830 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 967 | 18.6% | $41,035 | 1.33 |
| Health care and social assistance | 940 | 18.1% | $71,309 | 0.90 |
| Accommodation and food services | 788 | 15.2% | $37,861 | 1.19 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 787 | 15.2% | $71,505 | 2.55 |
| Manufacturing | 406 | 7.8% | $70,456 | 0.68 |
| Construction | 291 | 5.6% | $85,452 | 0.76 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 239 | 4.6% | $37,165 | 1.95 |
| Finance and insurance | 203 | 3.9% | $66,743 | 0.69 |
| Real estate and rental | 120 | 2.3% | $66,593 | 1.06 |
| Administrative and waste services | 117 | 2.3% | $41,420 | 0.27 |
| Professional and technical services | 108 | 2.1% | $53,020 | 0.21 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 106 | 2.0% | $38,175 | 0.48 |
| Information | 59 | 1.1% | $35,495 | 0.43 |
| Management of companies | 42 | 0.8% | $150,696 | 0.34 |
| Educational services | 14 | 0.3% | $38,452 | 0.09 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 66.4% |
| Public transit | 0.6% |
| Walk | 10.1% |
| Work from home | 5.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 1.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $85,275 |
| Income per person | $45,655 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,417 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.9% |
| Median home value | $352,400 |
| Homeowners | 61.4% |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 95.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 24.5% |
| Born abroad | 11.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 66.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.1 | 32 | 302 |
| Feb | -0.3 | 31 | 186 |
| Mar | 1.2 | 34 | 208 |
| Apr | 4.8 | 41 | 184 |
| May | 9.0 | 48 | 147 |
| Jun | 11.8 | 53 | 147 |
| Jul | 13.8 | 57 | 168 |
| Aug | 14.0 | 57 | 219 |
| Sep | 11.1 | 52 | 279 |
| Oct | 6.7 | 44 | 325 |
| Nov | 2.2 | 36 | 301 |
| Dec | -0.1 | 32 | 288 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sitka city and | AK | 190 mi | 8,368 | $101,727 | $1,341 |
| Juneau city and | AK | 229 mi | 31,794 | $101,661 | $1,444 |
| Bellingham | WA | 600 mi | 93,438 | $66,755 | $1,577 |
| Anacortes | WA | 610 mi | 17,966 | $91,951 | $1,702 |
| Port Angeles | WA | 611 mi | 20,118 | $62,606 | $1,170 |
| Oak Harbor | WA | 621 mi | 24,362 | $76,084 | $1,645 |
| Mount Vernon | WA | 623 mi | 35,377 | $75,777 | $1,405 |
| Arlington | WA | 641 mi | 21,095 | $88,231 | $1,905 |
| Marysville | WA | 646 mi | 73,002 | $103,974 | $1,997 |
| Everett | WA | 652 mi | 111,845 | $83,512 | $1,740 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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vs
8,078 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,417 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.9% of the median household income.
$85,275 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.0% (BLS county, Ketchikan Gateway Borough (latest month 2026M09)).
Alaska. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.