99517 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
99517
99504
Opportunity
84 · Top 4%
vs79 · Top 9%
Growth
37 · Bottom 29%
vs37 · Bottom 29%
Climate
48 · Bottom 1%
vs47 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 18%
vs23 · Bottom 18%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 32%
vs84 · Top 43%
Access
90 · Bottom 41%
vs89 · Bottom 36%
Economic stability
63 · Top 45%
vs70 · Top 31%
Measured values
| Metric | 99517 | 99504 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,486 | 42,093 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $103,880 | $86,710 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $59,420 | $42,046 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,084/sq mi | 1,143/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $402,100 | $314,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,364 | $1,573 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.1% | 66.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.1% | 1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.9% | 31.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.7% | 7.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 282 | 282 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -13.8% | -13.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 68°F | 68°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 10°F | 8°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.0" | 14.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.1 min | 20.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.7 | 34.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.39 | 19.20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 43.2% | 72.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
99517
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
99504
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 99517 — Anchorage, AK · 99504 — Anchorage, AK · How this is calculated: methodology