Anchorage and Reno receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Anchorage
Reno
Opportunity
86 · Top 1%
vs77 · Top 12%
Growth
30 · Bottom 17%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Climate
47 · Bottom 1%
vs64 · Bottom 30%
Physical resilience
24 · Bottom 19%
vs23 · Bottom 18%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 7%
vs56 · Bottom 23%
Access
82 · Bottom 11%
vs97 · Bottom 49%
Economic stability
64 · Top 18%
vs58 · Top 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Anchorage | Reno | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 288,976 | 273,212 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $103,284 | $80,760 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $51,144 | $47,051 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 169/sq mi | 2,507/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $395,900 | $548,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,489 | $1,556 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.9% | 49.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.1% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.7% | 36.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.9% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 282 | 1,271 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 4.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -13.8% | -39.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 68°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 8°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 14.2" | 7.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 24 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.2 min | 22.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.2 | 37.1 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Anchorage
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Reno
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Anchorage, AK · Reno, NV · How this is calculated: methodology