Anchorage, AK — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Alaska·Anchorage

Anchorage Municipality · Anchorage · population 289,600

Big-city amenities
Anchorage, AK
Image: Wikipedia · Anchorage, Alaska
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
65
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Anchorage stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.0% in the last year.

Median home $414,014
1-year +4.0%
5-yr CAGR +4.0%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$414k$286k$334k$382k$431k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
20/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
84/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,698/mo$1,166$1,483$1,800202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent122137100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 20.3
Lean rent

At a 20.3 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Anchorage. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
70 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
59 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
43 · w16%
Rent YoY
72 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
46 · w10%
Long thesis

Anchorage has held up across the cycle: home values at $414,014 with +4.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Anchorage's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Anchorage

Anchorage is a city in Anchorage Municipality, Alaska, with an estimated population of 289,600. The median home value in Anchorage is $414,014 as of 2026-04, up 4.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.0% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Anchorage average $1,698 per month, up 4.0% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 65 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Quiet strength: +4.0% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Anchorage (Wikipedia)

Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Matanuska-Susitna Borough, had a population of 398,328 in 2020, accounting for more than half the state's population. At 1,706 sq mi (4,420 km2) of land area, the city is the fourth-largest by area in the U.S.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorSuzanne LaFrance
Area1946.69 sq mi
Elevation102 ft
Settled1914
MottoBig Wild Life
Densityauto/sq mi
Named forThe anchorage at the mouth of Ship Creek governing_body = An

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Anchorage Municipality right now.

NWS active alerts (AK)Alaska Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Anchorage Municipality routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Anchorage

30 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Basher$959,181+6.1%
2Hillside East$818,732+6.6%
3Rabbit Creek$798,948+3.5%
4Girdwood$719,105+22.1%
5Mid-Hillside$699,899+6.2%
6Huffman-O'Malley$624,987+4.8%
7Bear Valley$622,363+2.8%
8Turnagain Arm$561,120+1.0%
9Bayshore-Klatt$502,108+4.6%
10Government Hill$488,598+8.2%
11Rogers Park$487,628+5.0%
12South Addition$486,927+6.8%
13Old Seward-Oceanview$453,659+5.6%
14Sand Lake$447,285+3.3%
15Tudor Area$437,507+3.3%
16Turnagain$431,616+4.7%
17Abbott Loop$408,840+6.7%
18University Area$379,047+4.7%
19Scenic Foothills$377,236+4.4%
20Airport Heights$353,377+6.0%
21Campbell Park$347,348+5.9%
22Northeast$342,802+2.6%
23North Star$339,266+5.5%
24Taku-Campbell$337,272+5.0%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Anchorage

Juneau, AK63 · RisingKenai, AK69 · RisingFairbanks, AK56 · StableKodiak, AK65 · Rising

Run the numbers for Anchorage

ToolCan I afford Anchorage?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Anchorage rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Anchorage to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolAnchorage cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
25° / 10°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
67° / 50°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
125
~34% of year
Annual precip
22″ rain
75″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Moderate
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Anchorage listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Anchorage area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
80%
Very humid climate
Median household income
$86,400
Alaska state median
Top industries (state-level)
Oil & GasTourismGovernment

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Anchorage

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