Best Counties in Alaska — 2026 Rankings
30 of 30 counties scored across 12 dimensions
30
30 scored
51/100
composite score
70.2/100
29.5—70.2
lowest to highest
State Overview
Understanding County Scores in Alaska
Alaska Outperforms the National Livability Median
Alaska maintains a state average composite score of 51.1, placing it slightly above the national median of 50.0. This score reflects a comprehensive assessment of all 30 of its counties and census areas.
High Incomes and Favorable Tax Policies
The state's primary strength is its Income Score of 75.5, which indicates high earning potential for residents compared to the rest of the country. Alaska also boasts a solid Risk Score of 64.8 and a Tax Score of 59.3, benefiting from the absence of a state income tax.
Cost of Living and Health Access Hurdles
Affordability remains a significant barrier with a Cost Score of 34.8, reflecting the high price of goods and housing in the North. Furthermore, a Health Score of 40.5 suggests challenges in medical access and outcomes that drag down the overall composite average.
Southeast Alaska Dominates the Rankings
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area leads the state with a composite score of 70.2, bolstered by a near-perfect Tax Score of 92.8. Prince of Wales-Hyder (65.5) and Haines Borough (63.0) also rank highly, offering better affordability than the state's urban hubs.
A High-Earning Haven for Financial Independents
Alaska is ideal for high-income earners who can leverage the state's 75.5 Income Score to offset the high cost of living. While urban centers like Anchorage score low at 29.5, the state's smaller census areas provide a unique value proposition for those seeking low taxes and natural resilience.
All County Rankings in Alaska
Search, sort, and filter all 30 ranked counties
Showing 1–25 of 30 counties
| Rank | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | 70.2 | 92.8 | 63.6 | 46.5 | 97.5 | 45.6 | 52.2 | 85.7 | N/A | 52.3 | 53.8 | ||
| 2 | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | 65.5 | 88.8 | 64.8 | 36.1 | 92.8 | 21.2 | 53.5 | 99.1 | N/A | 56.1 | 53.6 | ||
| 3 | Haines Borough | 63 | 53.1 | 39.7 | 73 | 82 | 69.5 | 73.3 | 95.7 | 10.4 | 50.8 | 61.5 | ||
| 4 | Skagway Municipality | 62.1 | 96.6 | 23.5 | 82.3 | 83.7 | 45.4 | 52 | 99.6 | N/A | 52.3 | 62.7 | ||
| 5 | Copper River Census Area | 61.1 | 100 | 52.6 | 77.5 | N/A | 43.8 | 48.1 | 60.1 | N/A | 49.5 | 53.7 | ||
| 6 | Aleutians East Borough | 60.8 | N/A | 43.9 | 73.2 | 97.5 | 23.9 | 75.6 | 78.7 | 3.4 | 50.8 | 73.6 | ||
| 7 | Chugach Census Area | 59.2 | 44.1 | 16.9 | 91.3 | 83.2 | 50.3 | 92.7 | 80.4 | N/A | 51.3 | 53.8 | ||
| 8 | Wrangell City and Borough | 58.7 | 72 | 38.3 | 52.3 | N/A | 47.2 | 75.5 | 100 | N/A | 56.3 | 69.1 | ||
| 9 | Sitka City and Borough | 57.3 | 88.6 | 8.7 | 95.7 | N/A | 62.2 | 73.6 | 76.2 | 33.3 | 54.8 | 53.8 | ||
| 10 | Aleutians West Census Area | 56.2 | 62.2 | 2 | 96.9 | 79.8 | 57.4 | 91.3 | 32.7 | 16.8 | 50.3 | 70.9 | ||
| 11 | Petersburg Borough | 55.7 | 64.6 | 18.9 | 80.1 | 45.7 | 57 | 92.3 | 84.6 | N/A | 53.5 | 53.8 | ||
| 12 | Kusilvak Census Area | 55.2 | 99.1 | 77 | 11.4 | N/A | 7.2 | 49.6 | 42.1 | N/A | 49.9 | 72.1 | ||
| 13 | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 52.4 | 67 | 23.6 | 81.3 | 69.1 | 57.9 | 59.7 | 7 | 11.6 | 50 | 72.9 | ||
| 14 | Yakutat City and Borough | 51.5 | 56.5 | 45.8 | 84.5 | N/A | 23.7 | 51.8 | 97.1 | 86 | 51.8 | 53.8 | ||
| 15 | Northwest Arctic Borough | 50.1 | 100 | 38 | 85.2 | 56.4 | 6.8 | 50.6 | 45.4 | 0.3 | 49.6 | 51.2 | ||
| 16 | Juneau City and Borough | 49.5 | 42.8 | 6.2 | 95.4 | N/A | 72.8 | 61.7 | 88.5 | 62 | 52.3 | 53.8 | ||
| 17 | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 48.9 | 65 | 8.9 | 91.7 | 48.4 | 58.4 | 56.3 | 98.3 | 5.1 | 59.3 | 53.7 | ||
| 18 | North Slope Borough | 48.6 | 41.9 | 49 | 89.6 | 40.8 | 39.4 | 49.4 | 85.3 | 53.7 | 49.9 | 53.8 | ||
| 19 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | 47.9 | 61.8 | 41.9 | 76.1 | N/A | 39.8 | 49 | 43 | 12 | 49.4 | 51.7 | ||
| 20 | Kodiak Island Borough | 47.5 | 44 | 7 | 87.6 | 79.9 | 52.3 | 54.4 | 34.9 | 6.8 | 51.5 | 53.8 | ||
| 21 | Denali Borough | 47 | N/A | 49 | 91.6 | N/A | 73 | 4.2 | 71.7 | 8.3 | 49.7 | 51.9 | ||
| 22 | Dillingham Census Area | 46.8 | 6 | 48.1 | 76.2 | 97.5 | 7.6 | 50.6 | 64.3 | 6.2 | 50 | |||
| 23 | Lake and Peninsula Borough | 46.2 | N/A | 64 | 50.8 | N/A | 16.6 | N/A | 93.8 | 0.7 | 50 | 56 | ||
| 24 | Bethel Census Area | 45.9 | N/A | 48.9 | 67.9 | 67.7 | 8.3 | 48.4 | 55.7 | 1.2 | 49.9 | 55.6 | ||
| 25 | Bristol Bay Borough | 45.9 | 61.4 | 33.3 | 95.4 | 30.9 | 40 | 50.9 | 98.8 | 1.4 | 50 | 57.6 |
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area
Haines Borough
Skagway Municipality
Copper River Census Area
Aleutians East Borough
Chugach Census Area
Wrangell City and Borough
Sitka City and Borough
Aleutians West Census Area
Petersburg Borough
Kusilvak Census Area
Kenai Peninsula Borough
Yakutat City and Borough
Northwest Arctic Borough
Juneau City and Borough
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
North Slope Borough
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
Kodiak Island Borough
Denali Borough
Dillingham Census Area
Lake and Peninsula Borough
Bethel Census Area
Bristol Bay Borough
Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in Alaska
Common questions about county rankings and scores in Alaska.
What is the best county in Alaska?
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area is the top-ranked county in Alaska with a CountyScore of 70.2/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets.
How many counties are ranked in Alaska?
Alaska has 30 counties in total. Of those, 30 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.
What factors determine a county's score?
Each county is scored 0–100 across up to eight data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, and Water Quality. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever dimensions have data. Currently available dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.
What is the average county score in Alaska?
The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in Alaska is 51/100. The national average is 50/100, so Alaska counties score 1 points above the national average.
How does Alaska compare to other states?
Alaska's average county score of 51/100 is 1 points above the national average of 50/100. You can compare Alaska counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.
Explore County Data by Category
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in Alaska.
Best counties in other states
Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.