Ranked from official statistics; every city opens its own guide.
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 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 30 largest places in Alaska, Steele Creek has the lowest unemployment rate (0.5%), followed by Farmers Loop and Butte. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 30 places in Alaska that we cover, the median is 5.7% and the average 5.7%; the figure runs from 0.5% (Steele Creek) to 9.1% (Utqiag?vik). That is a spread of 18.9 times between the two ends. The state figure is 5.8%; 14 of the 30 places are above it and 16 at or below.
The first five are Steele Creek, Farmers Loop, Butte, Gateway, Juneau city and. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: unemployment from the ACS is a survey estimate with a margin of error, and small places can swing widely. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | Unemployment (ACS) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steele Creek (unincorporated) | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 0.5% | 5,928 | $121,364 | $1,223 |
| 2 | Farmers Loop (unincorporated) | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 2.8% | 4,954 | $109,950 | $1,406 |
| 3 | Butte (unincorporated) | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 3.6% | 4,085 | $101,042 | $1,610 |
| 4 | Gateway (unincorporated) | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 3.8% | 6,845 | $137,772 | $1,741 |
| 5 | Juneau city and | Juneau City and Borough | 4.0% | 31,794 | $101,661 | $1,444 |
| 6 | Ketchikan | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 4.0% | 8,078 | $85,275 | $1,417 |
| 7 | Unalaska | Aleutians West Census Area | 4.3% | 4,556 | $131,964 | $2,034 |
| 8 | Knik-Fairview (unincorporated) | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 4.3% | 19,972 | $96,437 | $1,588 |
| 9 | College (unincorporated) | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 4.4% | 11,924 | $83,895 | $1,454 |
| 10 | Fishhook (unincorporated) | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 4.5% | 5,819 | $111,375 | $1,837 |
| 11 | Anchorage | Anchorage Municipality | 4.6% | 288,976 | $103,284 | $1,489 |
| 12 | Tanaina (unincorporated) | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 4.9% | 9,646 | $105,536 | $1,398 |
| 13 | Sterling (unincorporated) | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 5.0% | 6,323 | $102,415 | $1,248 |
| 14 | South Lakes (unincorporated) | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 5.2% | 6,180 | $98,141 | $1,178 |
| 15 | Kalifornsky (unincorporated) | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 5.2% | 8,663 | $93,508 | $1,394 |
| 16 | Fairbanks | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 5.7% | 32,083 | $73,534 | $1,496 |
| 17 | Soldotna | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 5.9% | 4,485 | $56,280 | $1,020 |
| 18 | Nikiski (unincorporated) | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 6.1% | 4,773 | $65,863 | $996 |
| 19 | Sitka city and | Sitka City and Borough | 6.8% | 8,368 | $101,727 | $1,341 |
| 20 | Meadow Lakes (unincorporated) | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 6.8% | 8,689 | $81,699 | $1,377 |
| 21 | Palmer | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 6.9% | 6,268 | $72,201 | $1,125 |
| 22 | Badger (unincorporated) | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 7.1% | 18,677 | $97,183 | $1,629 |
| 23 | North Lakes (unincorporated) | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 7.2% | 10,223 | $101,679 | $1,441 |
| 24 | Chena Ridge (unincorporated) | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 7.3% | 5,881 | $133,775 | $1,110 |
| 25 | Kenai | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 7.4% | 7,641 | $87,083 | $1,138 |
| 26 | Wasilla | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 8.2% | 9,720 | $67,234 | $1,153 |
| 27 | Bethel | Bethel Census Area | 8.2% | 6,312 | $117,255 | $1,678 |
| 28 | Kodiak | Kodiak Island Borough | 8.3% | 5,447 | $90,292 | $1,571 |
| 29 | Homer | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 8.7% | 5,877 | $74,449 | $1,238 |
| 30 | Utqiag?vik | North Slope Borough | 9.1% | 4,778 | $115,313 | $1,360 |
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Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.
Steele Creek, with 0.5% (among the 30 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 30 largest places in Alaska by population.