These Are The 10 Most Successful Cities In Alaska

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What is success? Is it the amount of money you have in your bank account, at any given point? Is it that feeling you get after delivering a killer presentation, or even a pretty decent bar joke?

Or is it something biggerâsomething wholly unnamable, undefinable, immeasurable, and totally subjective?

Probably so.

But here at Zippia, we like things that we can neatly measure and then expound upon. So yes, with the Power of Math, we have determined the unarguable, totally objective 10 most successful cities in Alaska. And here they are:

If you are trying to argue already with our unarguable list, keep reading. Thereâs a method to this madness.

For more AK reading, check out:

How We Determined The Most Successful Cities In Alaska

The first thing that comes to most capitalist minds in terms of success isâmoney. After all, rich people must be successful, right?

Meh. Maybe. But we think thereâs a bit more that goes into it than that. So we looked at this set of criteria from the 2010-2014 American Community Survey:

1. Juneau

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 32,200Median Income: $84,750
Poverty Level: 6.2%
Unemployment Rate: 5.6%

2. Anchorage

Population: 298,178Median Income: $78,121
Poverty Level: 7.3%
Unemployment Rate: 6.9%

3. Sitka

Population: 8,957Median Income: $69,635
Poverty Level: 8.1%
Unemployment Rate: 4.6%

4. Kodiak

Population: 6,280Median Income: $62,292
Poverty Level: 10.6%
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%

5. Bethel

Population: 6,295Median Income: $78,190
Poverty Level: 11.3%
Unemployment Rate: 7.8%

6. Homer

Population: 5,229Median Income: $54,778
Poverty Level: 9.5%
Unemployment Rate: 7.1%

7. Palmer

Population: 6,250Median Income: $60,365
Poverty Level: 9.4%
Unemployment Rate: 10.3%

8. Wasilla

Population: 8,406Median Income: $62,622
Poverty Level: 10.2%
Unemployment Rate: 10.6%

9. Kenai

Population: 7,348Median Income: $62,088
Poverty Level: 11.9%
Unemployment Rate: 10.5%

10. Ketchikan

Population: 8,173Median Income: $52,765
Poverty Level: 15.2%
Unemployment Rate: 10.3%

Measuring Success

If youâre still looking at this post thinking, âSurely, such superficial methods canât possibly measure a city, or rather, the individuals that make up that cityâs success!â well, youâre probably right.

But we like to measure things, and when it comes to success, we feel pretty successful in our approach. Congrats to Juneau and our winners. And for those who didnât make the cut, well, better luck next year.

Detailed List Of The Most Successful Cities In Alaska

Rank	City	Median Income	Poverty Rate	Unemployment Rate
1	Juneau	$84,750	6.2%	5.6%
2	Anchorage	$78,121	7.3%	6.9%
3	Sitka	$69,635	8.1%	4.6%
4	Kodiak	$62,292	10.6%	3.0%
5	Bethel	$78,190	11.3%	7.8%
6	Homer	$54,778	9.5%	7.1%
7	Palmer	$60,365	9.4%	10.3%
8	Wasilla	$62,622	10.2%	10.6%
9	Kenai	$62,088	11.9%	10.5%
10	Ketchikan	$52,765	15.2%	10.3%
11	Fairbanks	$55,778	11.9%	11.5%

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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