Tundra
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage Borough, Alaska · Population 289k · 4,075 ft elevation
Living in Anchorage
Anchorage has a tundra climate: cool summers (July highs around 53°F) and bitterly cold winters (January lows around 8°F).
Precipitation is moderate at about 26″ a year, and it is buried in snow every winter (162″ a season).
Skies are gray (45% of possible sunshine). It never gets truly muggy.
Air quality is excellent: a median AQI of 26, with about 1 unhealthy-air day in the latest year.
Anchorage is an outdoor hub: about 55% of the land within 30 miles is public (parks, national forest and the like), and the terrain rises and falls about 5,100 ft around town.
Anchorage at a glance
- Population
- 289k
- Elevation
- 4,075 ft
- Average daily high
- 34°F0th percentile
- Average daily low
- 23°F0th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 26″17th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 162″100th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 2,104 hrs0th percentile
- Median AQI
- 263th percentile
- Median home value
- $376k69th percentile
- Median rent
- $1,453/mo65th percentile
- Median household income
- $98k72th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 1.29%65th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 0.0%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 1.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.6%
- Homes with broadband
- 94%69th percentile
- Walkability index
- 6.619th percentile
- Average commute
- 19 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 28%22th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 37%
- Violent crime rate
- 1,027 per 100k98th percentile
- Property crime rate
- 3,335 per 100k
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 9773th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 9998th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 87%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 55%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 5,052 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20°F | 8°F | 1.6″ | 19.5″ | 79 hrs |
| Feb | 21°F | 10°F | 1.7″ | 21.5″ | 101 hrs |
| Mar | 23°F | 10°F | 1.8″ | 27.5″ | 198 hrs |
| Apr | 32°F | 20°F | 1.2″ | 11.7″ | 250 hrs |
| May | 43°F | 30°F | 0.8″ | 3.3″ | 281 hrs |
| Jun | 51°F | 37°F | 1.2″ | — | 284 hrs |
| Jul | 53°F | 41°F | 2.3″ | — | 267 hrs |
| Aug | 51°F | 40°F | 3.5″ | — | 230 hrs |
| Sep | 43°F | 32°F | 4.3″ | 2.5″ | 167 hrs |
| Oct | 32°F | 22°F | 2.6″ | 14.4″ | 107 hrs |
| Nov | 23°F | 12°F | 2.1″ | 23.9″ | 76 hrs |
| Dec | 21°F | 10°F | 2.6″ | 37.6″ | 64 hrs |
Near Anchorage
- Knik-Fairview, AK · 19k
- Butte, AK · 3.9k
- Gateway, AK · 6.7k
- South Lakes, AK · 6.1k
- Wasilla, AK · 9.4k
- Palmer, AK · 6.1k
- North Lakes, AK · 11k
- Farm Loop, AK · 2.9k
Largest places in Alaska
- Fairbanks, AK · 32k
- Juneau, AK · 32k
- Badger, AK · 19k
- College, AK · 12k
- Tanaina, AK · 9.7k
- Meadow Lakes, AK · 9k
- Sitka, AK · 8.4k
- Ketchikan, AK · 8.2k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology