City profile · Alaska · Census ACS 2023

Ketchikan, AK

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Ketchikan - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

8,151
Residents
$76,835
Median income
$340,300
Median home
$1,625
Median rent (state)

Ketchikan - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Ketchikan lands in the 58th percentile for household income and the 24th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

58th
percentile, household income
71st
percentile, home value
64th
percentile, median rent
24th
percentile, safety
📝 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: Ketchikan, AK

8,151 people live in Ketchikan, Alaska - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $76,835 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.8%. Ketchikan's housing stock carries a median value of $340,300, and the median resident age is 36.9 years. Educational attainment runs 24.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 62.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2397.5 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 46.0°F with 149.5 inches of precipitation per year.

Alaska tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Alaska at 102.4 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,625 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Alaska's average monthly utility costs around $271 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 1.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

8,151 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Alaska

Median Household Income

$76,835 /yr

Poverty 7.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

102.4 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Alaska average

How does Ketchikan compare to other US cities?

Where Ketchikan sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 58% higher than other cities
Home value 71% pricier than other cities
Median rent 64% pricier than other cities
Safety 24% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Alaska and the picture shifts: Ketchikan ranks #16 of 20 Alaska cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Ketchikan against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Alaska only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Alaska-relative analysis

Median Home Value places Ketchikan toward the top of Alaska's cities

Among the 200 Alaska cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Ketchikan ranks #27 - the 87th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Ketchikan only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#74 of 215
66th percentile in Alaska
Median Gross Rent
#93 of 228
56th percentile in Alaska
Median Home Value
#27 of 200
87th percentile in Alaska
Poverty Rate
#135 of 225
40th percentile in Alaska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#75 of 228
67th percentile in Alaska

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.

58thIncome percentile
24thSafety percentile

58th percentile nationally for median household income · 24th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Ketchikan's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Ketchikan's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 38 Avg. percentile National median
Ketchikan's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Ketchikan's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$340,300 29th percentile more affordable than 29% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Ketchikan $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Ketchikan, AK Ketchikan, AK's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Ketchikan, AK-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Ketchikan, AK median $76,835/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Ketchikan, AK's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Ketchikan, AK. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 24.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 62.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
8,151
Median Income
$76,835
Median Home Value
$340,300
Median Age
36.9
Poverty Rate
7.8%
Labor force participation
62.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2397.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
360.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2037.3
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
46.0°F
Annual Precipitation
149.5"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
9
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
7,900 residents8,000 residents8,100 residents8,200 residents 202020212022202320242025 8,160 residents 7,939 residents ▼ -2.7%
Ketchikan's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
66.8%
Carpool
14.0%
Public Transit
2.5%
Walk
10.2%
Work from Home
3.4%
Other
3.1%

Based on 4,123 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Alaska - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$131
avg/month
Natural Gas
$95
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$271
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Alaska state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Alaska state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Ketchikan sits in

Cost of Living Index
102.4
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,625/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
1.7 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Alaska

Kalifornsky
8,136 people
Sitka city and
8,393 people
Kenai
7,562 people
Meadow Lakes
8,994 people
Wasilla
9,435 people
Sterling
6,776 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Ketchikan's 8,151 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Brentwood, MO
8,151 people
Tiverton, RI
8,151 people
Berkeley, MO
8,149 people
Johnstown, NY
8,153 people
Camp Hill, PA
8,149 people
Southwood Acres, CT
8,154 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Ketchikan's $76,835 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Horton Bay, MI
$76,833 median income
Gholson, TX
$76,833 median income
Edwardsville, KS
$76,847 median income
Elverson, PA
$76,823 median income
Abernathy, TX
$76,850 median income
Stockton, CA
$76,851 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Ketchikan, AK Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Ketchikan, AK - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 53.2% 14.4% 15.9% 14.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.9% White 53.2% Black or African American 0.7% Asian 14.4% American Indian 15.9% Native Hawaiian 0.3% Some other race 1.3% Two or more races 14.2% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Ketchikan compares to nearby Alaska cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Ketchikan (this city) 8,151 $76,835
Kalifornsky 8,136 $91,081
Sitka city and 8,393 $101,207
Kenai 7,562 $74,907
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AK FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Ketchikan, AK?

What is the population of Ketchikan, AK? +

8,151 people live in Ketchikan, AK according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Ketchikan, AK? +

In Ketchikan, the typical household earns $76,835 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Ketchikan? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Ketchikan; the closest available measure is the Alaska state average, a cost of living index of 102.4 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Alaska vary by metro area.

Is Ketchikan, AK safe? +

Ketchikan has a total crime rate of 2397.5 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Ketchikan, AK? +

A typical home in Ketchikan is worth $340,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Ketchikan? +

Ketchikan has an average annual temperature of 46.0°F, 149.5 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.