City · Alaska
Valdez, Alaska
Valdez, city, in Chugach Census Area, Alaska. Valdez had 3,681 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 7.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,985 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,847 (±29). GEOID 0282200.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,681
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,985 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,847 ±29
Median household income
$99,271
±$17,603 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$313,000
±$48,229 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$1,481
±$424 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Valdez and what county is it in?
Valdez is a city in Chugach Census Area, Alaska. It covers 212.9 square miles of land, 19 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Valdez, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,681 people lived in Valdez on July 1, 2025, down 7.4% since 2020, while Alaska grew 0.5%. The 2020 Census counted 3,985 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,847 (±29).
| Measure | Valdez | Chugach Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,847 ±29 | 6,862 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,672 ±147 | 2,861 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.26 ±0.20 | 2.25 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,043 ±154 | 3,922 | +270 |
Valdez's population since 2000
From 4,036 in 2000 to 3,681 in 2025: down 8.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Valdez as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Valdez?
The median resident of Valdez is 38.4 years old; 21.8% are under 18 and 9.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 74.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 11.9%. 2.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Valdez | Chugach Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.4 ±2.9 | 37.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 21.8% ±3.7 pts | 20.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 9.9% ±2.5 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Male | 56.4% ±2.7 pts | 53.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.4% ±1.9 pts | 4.8% | −3.4 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 74.4% ±5.0 pts | 70.4% | −11.4 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.6% ±2.1 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 5.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 4.3% ±1.9 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.5 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 11.9% ±4.7 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.5 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.9% ±1.8 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 8.6% ±3.7 pts | 13.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.9% ±2.6 pts | 8.6% | – |
| With a disability | 16.9% ±4.5 pts | 14.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 12.1% ±3.8 pts | 11.4% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.4% ±2.2 pts | 96.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 31.9% ±8.2 pts | 31.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 14.4% ±5.4 pts | 12.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.1% ±5.0 pts | 86.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 10.7% ±4.3 pts | 8.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Valdez earn?
Half of Valdez's 1,672 households earn less than $99,271 a year (±$17,603), against $90,509 in Chugach Census Area and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $104,714 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 5.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Valdez | Chugach Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $99,271 ±$17,603 | $90,509 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $121,747 ±$13,851 | $112,444 | – |
| Per capita income | $51,648 ±$5,816 | $47,365 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 5.8% ±3.1 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 6.7% ±5.3 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.6% ±3.8 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 99.2% ±1.2 pts | 97.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 98.3% ±1.9 pts | 96.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Valdez?
Owners occupy 65.3% of Valdez's occupied homes and renters 34.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $313,000 by its owner (±$48,229). The median renter pays $1,481 a month including utilities, and 22.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Valdez | Chugach Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $313,000 ±$48,229 | $346,200 | +$105,505 |
| Median gross rent | $1,481 ±$424 | $1,369 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 22.0% ±9.4 pts | 22.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,227 ±$182 | $2,216 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 65.3% ±5.9 pts | 63.8% | −14.5 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 34.7% ±5.9 pts | 36.2% | – |
| Housing units | 2,043 ±154 | 3,922 | +270 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.3% ±3.6 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.2% ±1.9 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 50.7% ±5.2 pts | 53.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 27.0% ±5.3 pts | 17.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.8% ±0.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.2% ±2.5 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.7% ±2.4 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.5% ±2.5 pts | 6.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Valdez building?
Builders took permits for 5 new housing units in Valdez in 2025 (5 in single-family houses), 1.4 per 1,000 residents against 1.2 across Alaska.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Valdez work and get to work?
75.3% of Valdez's workers drive alone and 3.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 10.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 10.1%.
| Measure | Valdez | Chugach Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 72.8% ±4.6 pts | 70.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 10.1% ±4.2 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 75.3% ±5.9 pts | 65.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.0% ±4.0 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 10.5% ±5.3 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.5% ±2.2 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 10.5 min ±1.5 | 9.2 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Valdez?
No census tract lies mostly in Valdez; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 3Chugach Census Area | 4,373 | $96,875 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Valdez) · Census block assignment files
How does Valdez compare with other places in Alaska?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Valdez is the 5,731st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 15th-most populous of 149 in Alaska.
Valdez ranks 22nd of 69 places in Alaska with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 15th | 149 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 24th | 26 |
| Residents per square mile | 60th | 71 |
| Median household income | 22nd | 69 |
| Per capita income | 11th | 71 |
| Median home value | 35th | 66 |
| Median gross rent | 17th | 62 |
| Poverty rate | 51st | 57 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24th | 69 |
| Median age | 40th | 71 |
| Owner-occupied share | 46th | 68 |
| Work from home | 48th | 50 |
| Travel time to work | 53rd | 69 |
Valdez's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Valdez with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Valdez?
10 of the 57 figures for Valdez on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Valdez are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Valdez.