Grizzly bears, crazy hunters, and ice are just a few of the dangerous things that Alaskans have to deal with regularly. Unfortunately, the people in the most dangerous places in Alaska also have to deal with crime.
Because Alaska ranks as the 9th most dangerous state in the country, we thought it would be a good idea to produce a list of the most dangerous places in Alaska for 2026. That way, you’ll be well-informed before making life-changing decisions about where to live in Alaska.
We analyzed 22 Alaska cities for important factors like violent and property crime per capita for every place with over 2,000 residents.
Not sold on Alaska? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
1,015 violent crimes /100k · 2,766 property crimes /100k · #2 most violent in Alaska
Located in
Anchorage Municipality, Alaska
As one of the largest cities in Alaska featured on our list of the most dangerous places, Anchorage has a population of more than 286,958, which puts it in 1st in terms of size. It is first in terms of dangerous cities in the state.
Specifically, Anchorage is known for its high levels of violent crimes, aggravated assaults, and property crimes. In 2024, there were 2,912 violent crimes, 1,944 aggravated assaults, and 7,937 property crimes reports in the city. Anchorage also ranks fourth highest for the number of burglaries it reported in the same year.
Anchorage is known for its stunning glaciers and wildlife, as well as its residential community of artists and musicians.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
1,656 violent crimes /100k · 2,245 property crimes /100k · #1 most violent in Alaska
Located in
Bethel Census Area, Alaska
This is Alaska. Your definition of “city” needs recalibration. Yes, Bethel only has 6,280 people. Yes, it sits near the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, in one of the great untamed wildernesses in the country. Yet, with all this, Bethel still counts as the biggest city in western Alaska.
Guess that’s where the big-city crime rate comes from. This lawless streak lands Bethel at number 2 on the list of most dangerous spots in Alaska.
Let’s just look at one example. For its size, Bethel suffers a scary number of sexual assaults, with 31 rapes last year. That’s the number 1 worst rate in the state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
698 violent crimes /100k · 3,463 property crimes /100k · #4 most violent in Alaska
Located in
Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska
While Fairbanks, Alaska might rank 2nd in population, it ranks highest in total crime for 2026. Its thriving downtown community with lots of entertainment cannot make up for the fact that Fairbanks ranks highest in Alaska for property crime.
Unlike other more remote cities in Alaska, Fairbanks receives a large amount of tourism throughout the year. It is one of the best places to watch the northern lights during the Aurora season and has the summer sun 24 hours a day throughout the summer. It is also home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, which houses a large number of college students. These factors contribute to the large amount of property crime the area experiences given its year round population.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
449 violent crimes /100k · 2,422 property crimes /100k · #7 most violent in Alaska
Located in
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska
Located on the northern part of Cook Inlet, Wasilla is one of the largest cities in the state of Alaska. It ranks 5th in population with 10,240 residents. It is easily one of the more dangerous cities in Alaska.
Specifically, Wasilla has a problem with property crimes and burglaries. It ranks highest for burglaries and third highest in property crimes in 2024. It might not be the best place to move your family to.
Unrelated to its status as a dangerous city, Wasilla is the headquartered for the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. It is also known for being the home of Sarah Palin.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
538 violent crimes /100k · 2,069 property crimes /100k · #6 most violent in Alaska
Located in
Juneau City and Borough, Alaska
Juneau, the state capital, is also one of the most dangers in Alaska based on the most recently release of FBI crime data. Unfortunately, this is not the first time this city has appeared on our list — it has made it every year since we started ranking cities in 2015.
While it’s very hard to exit or enter the city, the people that do live there seem to steal and cheat each other a little more than you’d like in the Last Frontier state. Burglary is the main problem as the city ranks third highest for burglaries this year.
And while Juneau is relatively dangerous for the state, you should worry more about being safe on the gorgeous glacier adventures you can experience around the city.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
360 violent crimes /100k · 2,037 property crimes /100k · #8 most violent in Alaska
Located in
Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska
Ketchikan, Alaska is sometimes referred to the Salmon Capital of the World. With 8,050 residents, it is one of the more populous cities in the state. While Ketchikan might be relatively safe from violent crimes, the same cannot be written about its rates of property crimes.
Ketchikan ranks sixth highest for property crimes and sixth highest in overall crime. There is a 2,398/100k rate for per capita crime in the city, as measured in 2024. This means that you are relatively likely to experience a property crime if you live here, compared to living in other communities in Alaska.
It is located on the west coast of Revillagigedo Island. It is historically a large fishing community.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
829 violent crimes /100k · 718 property crimes /100k · #3 most violent in Alaska
Are you into dog sledding? Like, really into dog sledding? Like, bore your friends at every party discussing the intricacies of harnesses and brushbow maintenance?
Well, then Nome might be the place for you. The town represents the finish line for the iconic Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which begins in Anchorage, more than 900 miles away.
However, if you come for the Iditarod, better stay alert. Nome can get rowdy. The town reported 30 violent crimes last year in a town of just 3,621 people. At that rate, you’re more likely to get bitten by a Nome resident than by one of the sled dogs. In fact, the city ranks number 3 in Alaska in terms of the per-capita pace of violent crimes.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
281 violent crimes /100k · 1,807 property crimes /100k · #10 most violent in Alaska
The North Pole has a bit of a reputation for being the reputed home of Santa Claus. However, North Pole, Alaska actually does not have much to do with the mythical place or the city in the center of the Arctic Circle. Rather, it is a town of 2,490 people living in central Alaska.
North Pole, Alaska is more dangerous for your stuff than it is for your physical body. For 2026, it ranks 20th highest for burglary and eighth highest for property crimes.
It is located just outside of Fairbanks, Alaska, another one of the cities recognized in this year’s list of the most dangerous cities in Alaska.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
256 violent crimes /100k · 1,902 property crimes /100k · #12 most violent in Alaska
When the U.S. bought Alaska back in 1867, they called it “Seward’s folly,” a dig at Secretary of State William Seward, who paid $7.2 million for the massive territory. Well, here’s a city named after him. The main folly here? Leaving your car parked in a darkened alley at night.
In terms of violence, Seward is relatively tame. But better check your car alarm before you head to town. The city reported 2 car thefts last year, in an area with 2,734 residents. That gives it the number 9 highest pace of auto theft in the Last Frontier.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
265 violent crimes /100k · 1,002 property crimes /100k · #11 most violent in Alaska
Located in
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska
Kodiak is one of the most recognizable cities in Alaska. It is a very popular tourist spot for watching native wildlife and attractions, such as the Pacific Spaceport Complex. There is also a very active commercial fishing industry in the area, bringing many business visitors into the area each year.
Kodiak ranks tenth on our 2026 list of the most dangerous cities in Alaska. Kodiak ranks 11th highest in burglaries for the state.
If you can overlook your burglary risk, many residents consider Kodiak a beautiful place to live with stunning views, hiking trails, and hunting spots. The city gets a lot of rain relative to other parts of Alaska.
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.
On the map
Where crime hits hardest in Alaska
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most dangerous cities in Alaska for 2026?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in Alaska. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in Alaska, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the 2024 data, specifically the 2024 Crime In The United States Report for Alaska.
So what criteria did we use? Have a look:
- Violent Crimes Per Capita
- Property Crimes Per Capita
In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered Alaska cities over 2,000 in population. That left us with 22 cities in Alaska.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 22 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.
Next, we averaged the two rankings into one “Dangerous Index”.
Finally, we ranked every city on the “Dangerous Index” with the lowest index being the most dangerous in Alaska — Anchorage. Any ties went to the smaller city.
This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our eleventh time ranking the most dangerous places to live in Alaska and is updated for 2026.
The full plate
Crime By City In Alaska
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Dangerous Index | Population | Total Crimes Per 100K | Violent Crimes Per 100K | Property Crimes Per 100K | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchorage | 2.00 | 286,958 | 3,781 | 1,015 | 2,766 | 27 |
| 2 | Bethel | 2.50 | 6,280 | 3,901 | 1,656 | 2,245 | 0 |
| 3 | Fairbanks | 2.50 | 31,676 | 4,161 | 698 | 3,463 | 2 |
| 4 | Wasilla | 5.00 | 10,240 | 2,871 | 449 | 2,422 | 1 |
| 5 | Juneau | 5.50 | 31,612 | 2,607 | 538 | 2,069 | 1 |
| 6 | Ketchikan | 7.00 | 8,050 | 2,398 | 360 | 2,037 | 0 |
| 7 | Nome | 8.50 | 3,621 | 1,547 | 829 | 718 | 0 |
| 8 | North Pole | 9.00 | 2,490 | 2,088 | 281 | 1,807 | 0 |
| 9 | Seward | 9.50 | 2,734 | 2,158 | 256 | 1,902 | 0 |
| 10 | Kodiak | 11.00 | 5,289 | 1,267 | 265 | 1,002 | 0 |
| 11 | North Slope Borough | 11.00 | 10,564 | 1,108 | 596 | 511 | 3 |
| 12 | Homer | 12.00 | 6,212 | 1,465 | 209 | 1,256 | 1 |
| 13 | Kenai | 13.50 | 7,851 | 1,095 | 229 | 866 | 0 |
| 14 | Palmer | 15.00 | 6,533 | 1,102 | 153 | 949 | 3 |
| 15 | Dillingham | 15.25 | 2,088 | 335 | 335 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Soldotna | 15.50 | 4,654 | 1,225 | 86 | 1,139 | 0 |
| 17 | Petersburg | 16.00 | 3,465 | 808 | 202 | 606 | 0 |
| 18 | Sitka | 16.00 | 8,306 | 831 | 181 | 650 | 0 |
| 19 | Cordova | 17.25 | 2,171 | 230 | 230 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Valdez | 18.50 | 3,859 | 466 | 130 | 337 | 0 |
| 21 | Unalaska | 19.50 | 4,204 | 214 | 119 | 95 | 0 |
| 22 | Wrangell | 21.00 | 2,062 | 97 | 48 | 48 | 0 |
Source: FBI UCR 2024. 22 cities with more than 2,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Locking It All Up In Alaska
So what is the most dangerous city in Alaska? After analyzing 22 cities in Alaska, Anchorage takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Alaska based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2024.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Anchorage ranks as the most dangerous city in Alaska for 2026.
The most dangerous cities in Alaska are Anchorage, Bethel, Fairbanks, Wasilla, Juneau, Ketchikan, Nome, North Pole, Seward, and Kodiak.
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Anchorage and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up. Wondering how Anchorage stacks up against a bigger name? See Anchorage, AK vs. Fairbanks, AK side by side.
Questions and answers
Most Dangerous Places To Live In Alaska FAQs
Is Alaska a dangerous state?
Yes, Alaska is a dangerous state as it ranks as the #6 most dangerous state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in Alaska ranks most dangerous in the United States — 126.57% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Last Frontier ranks 13th most dangerous in the United States — 15.66% worse than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
Is Anchorage, AK a dangerous city?
Yes, Anchorage is a dangerous city. Anchorage ranks as the #99 most dangerous out of 328 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Anchorage might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, Rabbit Creek is the safest in Anchorage, while Mountain View is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Anchorage ranks 26th highest in America — 107.89% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 139th highest in the United States — 1.29% worse than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 and that no city in America is ‘dangerous’. Despite the uptick in murders, it’s nothing like you’d see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.
