Anchorage, AK Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Anchorage, AK

Is Anchorage safe to live in?

By the numbers, Anchorage looks notably safe: across 28 analyzed neighborhoods, 86% earn a combined A or B safety grade, and not a single neighborhood falls into the F category. More than half of all neighborhoods — 53.6%, or 15 out of 28 — score an A, while another 32.1% (9 neighborhoods) score a B. Only two neighborhoods (7.1%) land in the D range, and two more (7.1%) sit at a C. The city-wide safety rating is B (Safe), and the overall crime grade is a C when factoring in Anchorage's urban context. For most residents, particularly those in the southern hillside communities like Mid-Hillside (A+), Huffman-O'Malley (A+), and Rabbit Creek (A+), daily life is statistically very safe. Choosing a neighborhood carefully makes a significant difference.

What is the crime rate in Anchorage, AK?

Anchorage earns an overall crime grade of C on a citywide basis, though that headline number masks a highly uneven distribution across its 28 neighborhoods. At the safer end, 15 neighborhoods (53.6%) grade out at an A, and 9 more (32.1%) grade at a B — meaning 86% of Anchorage neighborhoods are statistically low-crime. At the other end, areas like Midtown (D+) and Fairview (D+) pull the citywide average down. Mountain View (C) and Downtown (C+) sit in the middle tier. The contrast is stark: the safest neighborhoods — such as Glen Alps (A+) and Bear Valley (A+) — serve populations with median incomes above $145,000, while higher-crime corridors tend to overlap with lower-income and higher-density commercial zones. Understanding this spread is more useful than any single citywide figure.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Anchorage?

Six Anchorage neighborhoods achieve the top grade of A+: Mid-Hillside (median income $183,717), Huffman-O'Malley ($185,176), Rabbit Creek ($190,401), Hillside East ($169,688), Glen Alps ($145,258), and Bear Valley ($151,991). These are predominantly hillside communities south of the urban core, characterized by low population density and high household incomes. Just below them, Basher (A) and Old Seward / Oceanview (A) also earn top-tier grades, with Old Seward serving a larger population of 6,131 at a median income of $100,518 — making it one of the most accessible safe neighborhoods by income. Scenic Foothills (A-) and South Addition (A-) round out the top ten. Combined, these ten neighborhoods represent a broad range of population sizes and price points for prospective residents prioritizing safety.

Which Anchorage neighborhoods have higher crime?

Two neighborhoods currently grade at D+ — Midtown and Fairview — placing them in the higher-crime tier out of all 28 neighborhoods analyzed. Mountain View grades at C, and Downtown comes in at C+, both sitting notably below the city's median safety level. Spenard, at a B-, is worth watching — it borders higher-crime zones and grades lower than the citywide B average. Importantly, no Anchorage neighborhood earns an F, which means even the most challenging areas are not in the extreme-crime category seen in some U.S. cities. Still, the gap between a D+ in Midtown and an A+ in Rabbit Creek is substantial, and residents and visitors should factor neighborhood-level grades — not just citywide averages — into their decisions.

Is Anchorage a good place to live in 2026?

Anchorage offers a compelling quality-of-life profile backed by solid economic data. The median household income of $84,813 sits well above the national median, and the poverty rate of 8.8% is relatively contained for a city of this size. The median home value of $318,473 and median rent of $1,310 reflect a housing market that, while not cheap, remains more accessible than many West Coast metros. The unemployment rate of 5.2% points to a functioning labor market, though it runs slightly above the national average. On the safety side, 86% of neighborhoods grade A or B, and 53.6% of all neighborhoods earn an A — a strong showing. The city's population density of just 66 people per square mile means that even within city limits, many residents enjoy a spacious, low-density environment. For families and professionals who prioritize outdoor access alongside urban amenities, neighborhoods like Scenic Foothills (A-) and Old Seward / Oceanview (A) offer strong value on both the safety and livability fronts.

How does Anchorage's safety compare across its neighborhoods?

The spread across Anchorage's 28 neighborhoods is wide. At the top, 15 neighborhoods (53.6%) earn an A grade — including six at the A+ level. Another 9 neighborhoods (32.1%) earn a B, with Spenard (B-) at the lower edge of that tier. Moving down, 2 neighborhoods (7.1%) sit at C — Mountain View and Downtown — and 2 more (7.1%) land at D+, specifically Midtown and Fairview. The D+ neighborhoods are the only ones in the bottom quartile, and crucially, zero neighborhoods grade F. This distribution means Anchorage's safety story is largely positive but concentrated: the safest areas cluster in the hillside and southern residential zones, while the highest-crime areas are confined to a few commercial and transitional corridors closer to the urban center. Residents who choose neighborhoods graded A or B — which together account for 86% of the city — are statistically living in low-crime environments.