It’s that time of year again, HomeSnacks has ranked the best places for families in Alaska; and this year, Alaska’s most family friendly places really brought their A-game. But, before we let you in on Alaska’s top ten best places for families, we should tell you a little bit about how we determined the state’s most family friendly places for 2026.
First, we consulted the US Census on places in The Last Frontier with more than 1,000 residents. We looked at several factors including crime, education, family friendly activities, and the percent of households that currently have children. We then entered it into our snackability formula and ended up with 21 family friendly Alaska places that any family would be lucky to call home. Are we at all surprised that some of Alaska’s best places to raise a family are also Alaska’s safest? Not at all. In true Alaskan fashion, the most family friendly places had to be pretty strong in safety, education, job security, and overall infrastructure: not just anyone can live in Alaska, and the same goes for families.
And speaking of education, we know that Alaska seems like it’s located in the middle-of-nowhere USA, but it does have some pretty top notch universities and colleges, like Anchorage’s University of Alaska and Alaska Pacific University. Both schools offer competitive degrees in sustainable living with an emphasis on ocean and river farming, engineering, and forestry. And educating the future of Alaska is a good thing, because Alaska has a lot to offer.
More importantly, if you’re looking for safe, family friendly cities and neighborhoods, amazing schools, large green spaces, and just overall good family friendly fun, keep reading.
$85,481 median income · 37.0% households with kids
Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2014 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 2,528. It was named after William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. In 1867, he fought for the U.S. purchase of Alaska which he finally negotiated to acquire from Russia.
Mile 0 of the historic Iditarod Trail is at Seward. In the early 1900s the trail was blazed in order to transport people and goods to and from the port of Seward to interior Alaska.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$99,271 median income · 31.2% households with kids
Valdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to the 2010 US Census, the population of the city is 3,976. The city was named in 1790 after the Spanish Navy Minister Antonio Valds y Fernndez Bazn. A former Gold Rush town, it is located at the head of a fjord on the eastern side of Prince William Sound. The port did not flourish until after the road link to Fairbanks was constructed in 1899. It suffered huge damage during the 1964 Alaska earthquake, and is located near the site of the disastrous 1989 Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill. Today it is one of the most important ports in Alaska, a commercial fishing port as well as a freight terminal.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$89,028 median income · 22.6% households with kids
$101,727 median income · 28.3% households with kids
Located in
Sitka City and Borough, Alaska
The City and Borough of Sitka, formerly Novo-Arkhangelsk, or New Archangel under Russian rule, is a unified city-borough located on Baranof Island and the southern half of Chichagof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean, in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,881. In terms of land area, it is the largest city-borough in the U.S., with a land area of 2,870.3 square miles and a total area of 4,811.4 square miles ; however, it is the smallest of Alaska’s boroughs. Urban Sitka, the part that is usually thought of as the “city” of Sitka, is on the west side of Baranof Island.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$85,132 median income · 17.4% households with kids
Cordova is a small town located near the mouth of the Copper River in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, United States, at the head of Orca Inlet on the east side of Prince William Sound. The population was 2,239 at the 2010 census. Cordova was named Puerto Cordova by Spanish explorer Salvador Fidalgo in 1790. No roads connect Cordova to other Alaskan towns, so a plane or ferry is required to travel there. In the Exxon Valdez oil spill of March 1989, an oil tanker ran aground northwest of Cordova, heavily damaging ecology and fishing.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$90,292 median income · 38.9% households with kids
Located in
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska
Kodiak is one of seven communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline. The population was 6,130 as of the 2010 census. 2014 estimates put the population at 6,304.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$101,200 median income · 38.1% households with kids
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$72,201 median income · 30.3% households with kids
Located in
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska
Palmer is a city in and the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Anchorage Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 5,937.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$63,750 median income · 21.7% households with kids
The City and Borough of Wrangell is a borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,369. Incorporated as a Unified Home Rule Borough on May 30, 2008, Wrangell was previously a city in the Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area.
The primary industry of the city is fishing, and it is a tourist destination. The former large wood processing factory in Wrangell closed down some time ago.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$131,964 median income · 31.9% households with kids
Unalaska is the largest city of the Aleutian Islands. The city is in the Aleutians West Census Area, a regional component of the Unorganized Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Unalaska is located on Unalaska Island and neighboring Amaknak Island in the Aleutian Islands off mainland Alaska. The population was 4,376 at the 2010 census, which is 79% of the entire Aleutians West Census Area. Unalaska is the second largest city in the Unorganized Borough, behind Bethel.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Alaska’s statewide median.
Alaska statewide median: $92,788
Alaska statewide median: $387,636
On the map
Where Alaska’s most family-friendly cities are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in Alaska anyways?
To give you the places in Alaska that are best for families, we must look at a handful of metrics. We want to measure the criteria people want in a family-friendly city utilizing Saturday Night Science.
After researching U.S. Census data produced for the state of Alaska, we looked at the data for every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)
We then gave each city a “Family Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with over 1,000 people. For Alaska, that meant a total of 21 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for families in Alaska.
The full plate
Best Places For Families In Alaska
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | % Households w/ Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seward | 2,794 | $85,481 | $381,100 | 37.0% |
| 2 | Valdez | 3,847 | $99,271 | $336,643 | 31.2% |
| 3 | Skagway | 1,174 | $89,028 | $468,480 | 22.6% |
| 4 | Sitka | 8,368 | $101,727 | $492,286 | 28.3% |
| 5 | Cordova | 2,453 | $85,132 | $364,254 | 17.4% |
| 6 | Kodiak | 5,447 | $90,292 | $437,300 | 38.9% |
| 7 | Dillingham | 2,109 | $101,200 | $338,206 | 38.1% |
| 8 | Palmer | 6,268 | $72,201 | $429,396 | 30.3% |
| 9 | Wrangell | 2,088 | $63,750 | $304,373 | 21.7% |
| 10 | Unalaska | 4,556 | $131,964 | $507,914 | 31.9% |
| 11 | Soldotna | 4,485 | $56,280 | $356,405 | 29.4% |
| 12 | Kenai | 7,641 | $87,083 | $319,496 | 34.8% |
| 13 | Homer | 5,877 | $74,449 | $415,050 | 21.4% |
| 14 | Craig | 1,131 | $67,778 | $317,995 | 25.9% |
| 15 | Juneau | 31,794 | $101,661 | $470,456 | 22.5% |
| 16 | Nome | 3,653 | $113,646 | $392,029 | 39.2% |
| 17 | North Pole | 2,370 | $92,273 | $324,190 | 43.0% |
| 18 | Ketchikan | 8,078 | $85,275 | $397,251 | 26.2% |
| 19 | Bethel | 6,312 | $117,255 | $395,654 | 38.7% |
| 20 | Fairbanks | 32,083 | $73,534 | $296,929 | 31.3% |
| 21 | Wasilla | 9,720 | $67,234 | $416,650 | 28.1% |
Source: U.S. Census data via Saturday Night Science. 21 Alaska cities with more than 1,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In Alaska
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Alaska ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
The best places for families in Alaska are Seward, Valdez, Skagway, Sitka, Cordova, Kodiak, Dillingham, Palmer, Wrangell, and Unalaska. Not sold on Alaska? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Places For Families In Alaska FAQs
What is the best place to raise a family in Alaska?
Seward is the best place to raise a family in Alaska for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Valdez and Skagway round out the top three.
What are the best places for families in Alaska?
The best Alaska places to raise a family are Seward, Valdez, Skagway, Sitka, Cordova, Kodiak, Dillingham, Palmer, Wrangell, and Unalaska. We ranked all 21 cities with more than 1,000 residents.
How do you rank family-friendly cities?
Family-friendliness blends low crime, good schools, proximity to a major city, the share of households with kids, and nearby amenities. The city that balances all of it best in Alaska is Seward.
Is Seward affordable for families?
The median home in Seward costs $381,100 against a median household income of $85,481. Statewide, the median home runs $387,636, so check the gap before you pack the minivan.
What is the toughest place to raise a family in Alaska?
Wasilla lands at the bottom of the family ranking for Alaska. Families make it work everywhere, but the crime, school, and income numbers stack against it there.
