Ketchikan 74 Excellent
Ketchikan Livability #11 ranked city in Alaska#4,654 ranked city in the USARanks better than 84% of areas
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Pros and Cons of Living in Ketchikan

PROS
  • Commute Commute

    High scores in the commute category could indicate that this area offers short commute times to work and readily available public transportation options.

  • Housing Housing

    The housing category in this area boasts higher than average scores, likely influenced by a positive home affordability ratio, robust appreciation rates or elevated home values.

  • Health & Safety Health & Safety

    Earning a high health and safety score depends on factors such as good air quality and the availability of essential health facilities like hospitals, clinics, doctors, and fire stations.

CONS
  • Amenities Amenities

    It appears that many amenities may not be conveniently situated within walking distance, potentially necessitating the use of a vehicle or public transit.

  • Cost Of Living Cost Of Living

    Residents of this area contend with a high cost of living, resulting in increased expenditures for everyday goods and services, housing, utilities and health care.

What's it like Living in Ketchikan?

Ketchikan, Alaska is a small-sized city with a population of 8,446 residents. Not a fan of sitting in traffic during your commute to work? Ketchikan offers shorter work commutes, with an average one-way commute time taking only 11 minutes, far lower than the national average of 26 minutes.

Living in Ketchikan can be a great experience for anyone moving to the city. Having said that, in the state of Alaska, there are many amazing places to live, so choose wisely! When searching for a new neighborhood, several factors play a vital role in determining its suitability. Safety should be a top priority, ensuring a secure environment with low crime rates. Proximity to your workplace or school helps minimize commuting time and allows for a better work-life balance. Availability of essential amenities such as parks, coffee shops, restaurants, grocery stores, and healthcare facilities contributes to convenience and well-being. Access to reliable public transportation options facilitates easy commuting and connectivity. Additionally, considering the sense of community and the overall atmosphere that resonates with your lifestyle and preferences fosters a harmonious living experience. Using the livability score which includes data from categories like amenities, cost of living, health & safety, employment, you can easily compare the best places to live in Ketchikan and also determine if there are any nearby cities that might be a better match for your lifestyle. You can also compare Ketchikan to Alaska and the national average.

Using data and statistics Ketchikan has received a livability score of 76 out of 100. This score is ranked in the 90th percentile when compared to all other cities. This is a phenomenal score, as Ketchikan ranks well in multiple categories! This city is also ranked in the top 10 percentile of all cities across the USA. For each of the livability categories, we see that Ketchikan ranks very well for crime (A), employment (B) and housing (A+). Unfortunately for Ketchikan, there are some categories for which it does not rank well, this includes: amenities (F) and cost of living (F).

A healthy real estate market serves as a key economic indicator. It could signify overall local economic strength, stability and reflects consumer confidence in the area. Based on multiple factors including: median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability, Ketchikan has received high marks in the housing category. Based on these calculations, the apartment rental and real estate market appears to be very healthy.

Assuming that Ketchikan meets all of your requirements like low crime rates, good schools and great local amenities, the next most important item to examine is the affordability of real estate in Ketchikan. Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Ketchikan are simply unattainable. The median home price for Ketchikan homes is $461,200, which is 0.2% lower than the Alaska average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Ketchikan, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 4.7, which is 14.6% higher than the Alaska average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Ketchikan

See all the best places to live around Ketchikan

How Do You Rate The Livability In Ketchikan?

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      Ketchikan transportation information

      Statistic Ketchikan Alaska National
      Average one way commute11min19min26min
      Workers who drive to work63.1%68.1%76.4%
      Workers who carpool17.8%12.5%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit4.3%1.5%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.1%1.0%0.6%
      Workers who walk10.4%7.9%2.8%
      Working from home2.1%4.6%4.6%
      Source: The Ketchikan, AK data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.