What’s the best part of Anchorage? It could be where everyone knows their neighbor. Or it could be where home prices are the highest, meaning it’s where everyone wants to live.
Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Anchorage are the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Whether you live in the sticks or in an apartment building downtown, you want a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood offers different perks and benefits.
Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits — less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Anchorage neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?
If you’re thinking of moving to Alaska and Anchorage is on the top of your list, check out the best neighborhoods for 2026.
$122,938 median income · $475,150 median home value
$209,150 median income · $642,200 median home value
$115,263 median income · $523,000 median home value
$140,575 median income · $642,200 median home value
$138,832 median income · $391,000 median home value
$156,703 median income · $532,600 median home value
$114,682 median income · $532,600 median home value
$109,344 median income · $436,200 median home value
$122,159 median income · $320,867 median home value
$105,429 median income · $406,100 median home value
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
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Anchorage, AK neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Anchorage, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 35 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Anchorage.” We’re lookin’ at you, South Addition.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Anchorage, Alaska has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Anchorage.
The full plate
Table: Best Anchorage neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Addition | 4,016 | $475,150 | $122,938 |
| 2 | Hillside East | 146 | $642,200 | $209,150 |
| 3 | Girdwood | 519 | $523,000 | $115,263 |
| 4 | Basher | 168 | $642,200 | $140,575 |
| 5 | Huffman-O’malley | 10,122 | $391,000 | $138,832 |
| 6 | Rabbit Creek | 6,101 | $532,600 | $156,703 |
| 7 | Bear Valley | 200 | $532,600 | $114,682 |
| 8 | Birchwood | 87 | $436,200 | $109,344 |
| 9 | Old Seward-Oceanview | 6,100 | $320,867 | $122,159 |
| 10 | Chugiak | 2,826 | $406,100 | $105,429 |
| 11 | South Fork | 227 | $423,500 | $153,194 |
| 12 | Portage Valley | 266 | $428,600 | $87,214 |
| 13 | Turnagain Arm | 193 | $428,600 | $87,214 |
| 14 | Rogers Park | 4,117 | $303,950 | $96,686 |
| 15 | Eagle River | 26,608 | $363,758 | $105,078 |
| 16 | North Star | 3,691 | $336,380 | $78,542 |
| 17 | Scenic Foothills | 8,810 | $259,075 | $93,003 |
| 18 | Bayshore-Klatt | 9,225 | $319,600 | $108,222 |
| 19 | Sand Lake | 21,940 | $342,862 | $104,127 |
| 20 | Turnagain | 9,367 | $323,310 | $103,454 |
| 21 | Tudor Area | 1,446 | $300,300 | $85,888 |
| 22 | Eagle River Valley | 11,556 | $343,671 | $109,729 |
| 23 | Abbott Loop | 24,649 | $273,600 | $95,068 |
| 24 | Taku-Campbell | 12,918 | $257,020 | $81,579 |
| 25 | University Area | 10,255 | $301,157 | $74,236 |
| 26 | Northeast | 29,207 | $242,288 | $79,226 |
| 27 | Campbell Park | 8,117 | $311,000 | $81,927 |
| 28 | Spenard | 11,168 | $238,620 | $67,594 |
| 29 | Russian Jack Park | 12,502 | $235,414 | $69,792 |
| 30 | Government Hill | 1,754 | $318,900 | $70,387 |
| 31 | Airport Heights | 6,648 | $235,557 | $65,031 |
| 32 | Fairview | 5,724 | $272,000 | $53,634 |
| 33 | Downtown | 1,304 | $293,067 | $62,589 |
| 34 | Mountain View | 8,350 | $188,120 | $43,934 |
| 35 | Midtown | 3,641 | $222,733 | $51,280 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 35 Anchorage neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Anchorage
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Anchorage where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Anchorage are South Addition, Hillside East, Girdwood, Basher, Huffman-O’malley, Rabbit Creek, Bear Valley, Birchwood, Old Seward-Oceanview, and Chugiak.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Anchorage aren’t all good. Midtown takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Anchorage.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on Alaska? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Anchorage FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Anchorage?
South Addition is the best neighborhood in Anchorage for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Hillside East and Girdwood are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Anchorage?
The best neighborhoods in Anchorage are South Addition, Hillside East, Girdwood, Basher, Huffman-O’malley, Rabbit Creek, Bear Valley, Birchwood, Old Seward-Oceanview, and Chugiak. We ranked all 35 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is South Addition?
The median household income in South Addition is $122,938 and the median home costs $475,150. The best blocks in Anchorage rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Anchorage neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, South Addition, takes the top spot.
Which Anchorage neighborhood ranked last?
Midtown came in last of the 35 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Anchorage the numbers put it there.
