Population 11,670 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ketchikan
Household size in Ketchikan
| Period | Ketchikan | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.36 | 2.79 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.88 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.48 | 2.91 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.35 | 2.72 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Ketchikan is a place of small households, averaging 2.35 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Only two of the 25 Alaska cities with 5,000+ people have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Ketchikan
| Period | Ketchikan | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.2 | 35.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.1 | 35.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.5 | 35.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.0 | 37.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
At 40.0, the median age in Ketchikan is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in Alaska overall, where the median age is 37.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.2, as it has nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Ketchikan
| Period | Ketchikan | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 14.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Ketchikan than nationally: 9.3%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 4.1 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Ketchikan
Renters in Ketchikan
| Period | Ketchikan | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.2% | 35.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 45.8% | 36.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.2% | 35.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.3% | 33.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −10.9 pts | −2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Ketchikan is about as common as it is nationally: 33.3% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 36.4% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the west. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 10.9 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Ketchikan
| Period | Ketchikan | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 15.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +1.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Ketchikan than nationally: 12.3%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Even so, the rate is lower than in Alaska overall (15.2%).
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Ketchikan
| Period | Ketchikan | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1982 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1984 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Ketchikan run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1972 against 1980. No other Alaska city with 5,000+ people has older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Ketchikan
| Period | Ketchikan | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $967 | $1,067 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,090 | $1,192 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,261 | $1,322 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,499 | $1,518 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$532 | +$451 | +$606 |
Rent in Ketchikan runs $1,499 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $532 a month since 2006–10, up 55%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.9% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Ketchikan
Bachelor's degrees in Ketchikan
| Period | Ketchikan | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.1% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.7% | 26.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.8% | 29.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.7% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +4.9 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Ketchikan than nationally: 26.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 3.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Ketchikan
| Period | Ketchikan | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.2% | 90.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.5% | 91.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 92.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.5% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Ketchikan: 95.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 3.3 points, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Ketchikan
| Period | Ketchikan | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 9.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 6.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.4 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ketchikan runs below the national rate: 3.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.4 points, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Ketchikan compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketchikan | 2.35 | 40.0 | 9.3% | 33.3% | 12.3% | 1972 | $1,499 | 26.7% | 95.5% | 3.5% |
| Saxman | 2.51 | 47.0 | 6.8% | 21.9% | 14.5% | 1985 | $1,638 | 28.1% | 96.2% | 2.3% |
| Mud Bay | 2.38 | 47.5 | 4.6% | 18.3% | 21.6% | 1991 | $2,018 | 35.9% | 97.1% | 1.0% |
| Metlakatla | 2.84 | 35.6 | 18.3% | 32.0% | 10.7% | 1981 | $795 | 6.6% | 87.9% | 7.1% |
| Kasaan | 2.32 | 37.8 | 13.4% | 41.5% | 28.1% | 1986 | $947 | 19.1% | 92.4% | 10.7% |
| Meyers Chuck | 1.90 | 65.4 | 10.3% | 21.0% | 48.9% | 1990 | $985 | 17.0% | 96.4% | 0.0% |
| Thorne Bay | 2.33 | 38.1 | 14.3% | 40.3% | 27.8% | 1987 | $919 | 17.9% | 92.6% | 10.8% |
| Hydaburg | 2.42 | 40.9 | 22.0% | 30.2% | 25.7% | 1993 | $669 | 7.0% | 94.0% | 11.4% |
| Klawock | 2.17 | 47.3 | 15.0% | 31.5% | 14.4% | 1989 | $1,005 | 12.4% | 88.4% | 5.5% |
| Craig | 2.04 | 47.3 | 9.0% | 28.2% | 17.5% | 1984 | $1,137 | 25.5% | 92.2% | 4.5% |
| Naukati Bay | 2.24 | 43.4 | 11.7% | 22.2% | 42.1% | 1989 | $1,063 | 13.6% | 94.8% | 11.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Camp Verde, AZ · Williamston, SC · Claiborne, LA · Cheval, FL · Cheraw, SC · Wills Point, TX · Charlton, MA · Chappaqua, NY · Windsor Locks, CT · Cedar Creek, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Ketchikan. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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