Subarctic (dry summer)
Nikiski, Alaska
Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska · Population 4.7k · 128 ft elevation
Living in Nikiski
Nikiski has a subarctic (dry summer) climate: cool summers (July highs around 63°F) and bitterly cold winters (January lows around 7°F).
Precipitation is dry at about 18″ a year, and it is a snowy place (60″ a season).
Skies are gray (48% of possible sunshine). It never gets truly muggy.
Air quality is excellent: a median AQI of 8 and virtually no unhealthy-air days.
There is plenty to explore outdoors around Nikiski: about 58% of the land within 30 miles is public (parks, national forest and the like), and the terrain rises and falls about 400 ft around town.
Nikiski at a glance
- Population
- 4.7k
- Elevation
- 128 ft
- Average daily high
- 43°F0th percentile
- Average daily low
- 28°F0th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 18″12th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 60″92th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 2,223 hrs0th percentile
- Median AQI
- 80th percentile
- Median home value
- $309k59th percentile
- Median rent
- $970/mo31th percentile
- Median household income
- $63k34th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 0.56%13th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 0.0%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 1.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 6.1%
- Homes with broadband
- 86%24th percentile
- Average commute
- 30 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 35%32th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 45%
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 9357th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 8382th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 37%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 58%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 427 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 7°F | 0.9″ | 8.0″ | 88 hrs |
| Feb | 28°F | 12°F | 0.8″ | 6.8″ | 115 hrs |
| Mar | 33°F | 14°F | 0.6″ | 4.8″ | 205 hrs |
| Apr | 44°F | 28°F | 0.6″ | 3.7″ | 235 hrs |
| May | 54°F | 36°F | 0.8″ | 0.5″ | 294 hrs |
| Jun | 60°F | 44°F | 1.2″ | — | 305 hrs |
| Jul | 63°F | 49°F | 2.0″ | — | 283 hrs |
| Aug | 63°F | 47°F | 2.7″ | — | 241 hrs |
| Sep | 56°F | 40°F | 3.6″ | 0.2″ | 174 hrs |
| Oct | 43°F | 29°F | 2.6″ | 15.7″ | 128 hrs |
| Nov | 30°F | 16°F | 1.4″ | 10.7″ | 91 hrs |
| Dec | 25°F | 11°F | 1.1″ | 9.7″ | 64 hrs |
Near Nikiski
- Kenai, AK · 7.6k
- Soldotna, AK · 4.4k
- Kalifornsky, AK · 8.1k
- Sterling, AK · 6.8k
- Big Lake, AK · 3.3k
- Anchorage, AK · 289k
- Seward, AK · 2.7k
- Homer, AK · 5.8k
Largest places in Alaska
- Fairbanks, AK · 32k
- Juneau, AK · 32k
- Badger, AK · 19k
- Knik-Fairview, AK · 19k
- College, AK · 12k
- North Lakes, AK · 11k
- Tanaina, AK · 9.7k
- Wasilla, AK · 9.4k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology