Anchorage Municipality, Alaska

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.6 | 286,075 people · 2nd most distressed in Alaska
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Anchorage Municipality, AK falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.6 — 1740th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Alaska, it ranks 2nd of 30 counties. It scores higher than all 2 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Anchorage Municipality's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 77.0 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 77.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 63
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 95
Homeownership Rate 87
Consumer Credit Distress 48.1
Debt in Collections 47
Medical Debt 74
Auto Loan Delinquency 42
Credit Card Delinquency 40
Uninsured Rate 65
Subprime Credit Population 38
Economic Vitality 47.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 60
Rent-to-Income Ratio 48
Business Formation Rate 12
House Price Change (YoY) 47
Structural Poverty 20.3
Unemployment Rate 58
Poverty Rate 12
Income vs. State Median 18
Child Poverty Rate 10
Disability Rate 18
Transfer Income Dependency 14
Legal Distress 6.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 7

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Anchorage Municipality
Anchorage Municipality, AK 47.6 Normal —
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK 42.9 Normal -4.8
Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK 38.6 Normal -9.0

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Anchorage Municipality
Onondaga County, NY 47.6 Normal +0.0
Ramsey County, MN 47.6 Normal +0.0
Spokane County, WA 47.7 Normal +0.1
Cherokee County, GA 47.3 Normal -0.3
Ocean County, NJ 47.3 Normal -0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Anchorage Municipality as a CSV file.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Anchorage Municipality, Alaska?

    Anchorage Municipality has a County Distress Index score of 47.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,740th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in Alaska out of 30 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Anchorage Municipality?

    The primary driver of distress in Anchorage Municipality is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 77.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Anchorage Municipality compare to neighboring counties?

    Anchorage Municipality (47.6) can be compared to its 2 neighboring counties: Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK (42.9); Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK (38.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Normal zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Anchorage Municipality's score of 47.6 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

  • What data sources power Anchorage Municipality's CDI score?

    Anchorage Municipality's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Anchorage Municipality?

    Anchorage Municipality, Alaska has a population of approximately 286,075 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.