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Place dossier plate
SheetAK-GALENA-AK · Galena, AK 565 pop · income 68th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Galena
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Galena on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Napakiak · lowest
26,563
Napakiak · lowest
26,563 median HH income
30.8% of the leader · rank #1
Galena · this city
86,250
Galena · this city
86,250 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #2
Stout · highest
86,250
Stout · highest
86,250 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #3
Anderson · near
86,250
Anderson · near
86,250 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #4
Burdette · near
86,250
Burdette · near
86,250 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #5
Lisbon · near
86,250
Lisbon · near
86,250 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #6
Rockbridge · near
86,250
Rockbridge · near
86,250 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Galena on ACS population and median household income
. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 565.
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Galena places in the 68th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
68th
percentile, household income
8th
percentile, home value
70th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Galena, AK
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 565 residents in Galena, a small town within Alaska. The typical household in Galena brings in $86,250 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.2%. Galena's housing stock carries a median value of $96,300, and the median resident age is 36.1 years. 31.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 72.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 26.0°F with 13.9 inches of precipitation per year and 77.2 inches of snowfall.
Alaska tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Alaska scores 102.4 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,467 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Alaska's average monthly utility costs around $271 (state average). Workers in Galena report an average commute of 11.3 minutes, with 60.3% driving alone and 2.9% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 35.2 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Galena's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from climate and hazard context to housing and income to schools and households to population change to comparison shortlist to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Galena, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Climate and hazard context
What physical conditions frame life in Galena?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 26.0°F, with 13.9 inches of precipitation and 77.2 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Alaska is 35.2 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
How far does income reach against housing in Galena?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 1.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 10.2%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 3 public schools within the city match. 31.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Which cities make useful reference points for Galena?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.
Within Alaska, the closest population matches are Napaskiak (563 residents, $42,813 income); Aniak (571 residents, $66,875 income); Two Rivers (571 residents). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Scotia, CA (565 residents); Norwood, CO (565 residents); Oretta, LA (565 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Galena growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -16 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -3.4% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
2020 estimate
466
2025 estimate
450
Period change
-3.4%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Galena?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 60.3%. The reported mean trip to work is 11.3 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
60.3%
Work from home
2.9%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 307 workers age 16+.
Above median income · poverty 10.2% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
102.4 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Alaska average
D
City profile score · Galena, AK
49/100
4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Household income B-
$86,250
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share C+
31.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate F
10.2%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Cost of living F
102.4 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
Galena profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 66/100 (B-) · $86,250
Bachelor's+ share: 60/100 (C+) · 31.0%
Poverty rate: 39/100 (F) · 10.2%
Cost of living: 29/100 (F) · 102.4 index
How does Galena compare to other US cities?
Here's how Galena stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income68% higher than other cities
Home value8% pricier than other cities
Median rent70% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Galena against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Alaska only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Alaska-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Galena near the bottom of Alaska's cities
Among the 228 Alaska cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Galena ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Galena only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#55 of 215
74th percentile in Alaska
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 228
0th percentile in Alaska
Median Home Value
#160 of 200
20th percentile in Alaska
Poverty Rate
#107 of 225
52nd percentile in Alaska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#43 of 228
81st percentile in Alaska
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Alaska only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
68th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Galena's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$96,300Among the most affordablemore affordable than 92% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Galena's home-value-to-income ratio: 1.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#70 of 15,516
More affordable than 100% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#70 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 1.1×, Galena sits in the affordable band:
national rank #70 of 15,516 and #70 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$86,250Galena, AK median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Galena, AK median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Galena, AK.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)31.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)10.2%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)72.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
565
Median Income
$86,250
Median Home Value
$96,300
Median Age
36.1
Poverty Rate
10.2%
Labor force participation
72.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
31.0%
Climate
Avg Temperature
26.0°F
Annual Precipitation
13.9"
Annual Snowfall
77.2"
Schools
Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Galena's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
466 residents
2021
465 residents
2022
461 residents
2023
460 residents
2024
456 residents
2025
450 residents
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
11.3 minutes
Drive Alone
60.3%
Carpool
16.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
13.4%
Work from Home
2.9%
Other
6.5%
Based on 307 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Alaska statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $271
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Alaska at $271 (electricity about $131 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Alaska statewide averages, not a meter reading for Galena. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Alaska's BEA cost-of-living index is 102.4 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Galena is $1,467/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Alaska statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 35.2 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Alaska statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Galena sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Galena compares to similar-size Alaska cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.