Alaska’s Safest Cities of 2025

Rebecca Edwards
Cathy Habas
Mar 17, 2025
Icon Time To Read4 min read
Icon CheckEdited ByKit Smith
Icon CheckData Analysis ByDaniel Delgado

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11th annual Safest Cities report banner

Here are the 5 Safest Cities in Alaska for 2025

See crime rates for the safest cities.

After dropping into second place last year, Unalaska has once again claimed the title of Alaska’s safest city. But it's not just folks in Unalaska who have reason to celebrate. Overall, Alaskans expressed lower levels of worry about crime and safety than average Americans, and fewer Alaskans feel concerned about gun violence compared to the previous year, according to our State of Safety survey.

In this report

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NOTE: If your city is missing from our full report, it means that it was below the population threshold or didn’t submit a complete crime report to the FBI in 2023.

Do people feel safe in Alaska? Survey insights for 2025

Bar chart comparing how safe Alaska residents feel, with 40% feeling safe versus the 48% national average.

Bar chart comparing how safe Alaska residents feel, with 40% feeling safe versus the 48% national average. Image: SafeWise

We didn't have enough data to accurately calculate statewide crime rates this year, but we can look at the results of our 11th annual State of Safety survey to spot some crime trends throughout Alaska.

Alaskans experience more property crimes than the national average (AK 36%, US 27%), but fewer violent crimes (AK 13%, US 14%). Package theft experience and gun violence experience fell year over year. Alaskans' declining experiences with crime align with their lower levels of concern when compared to the national averages.

Find safety and security resources in Alaska.

Property crime in Alaska: Fear vs. reality

Results from our State of Safety survey reflect an increase this year: 36% of Alaskan respondents said they had experienced a property crime in the 8 months prior to the survey, up from 32% the previous year.

  • Alaska has the fifth-highest number of people who reported a personal experience with property crime in the US.
  • 39% of Alaskans are highly concerned about safety on a daily basis, down from 43% in last year's report, making Alaska the sixth least-concerned state.
  • 38% of Alaska residents reported experiencing package theft in our latest survey, which is 1 percentage point higher than the national average but 3 points lower than the previous year.
  • 44% of Alaskans increased their security measures in the 8 months prior to the survey, up from 24% the year before and 7 points higher than the rest of the US.
  • The most popular forms of property protection among Alaskans are firearms (48%), security cameras (46%), and guard dogs (36%).
"My fuel oil was stolen multiple times throughout the winter."
—Alaska resident*

Cyber crime in Alaska

Our 2025 State of Safety survey introduced a new set of questions about cyber security concerns and experiences. Here's what Alaskans shared:

  • 64% feel concerned about cyber crimes, which is lower than the national average of 69%.
  • 40% of Alaskans reported experiencing a cyber crime, which is the fifth-highest percentage in the nation.
  • More Alaskans use a cyber identity theft protection service than residents of any other state (AK 18%, US 11%).
  • More than 1 in 4 (28%) Alaskans use a credit monitoring service, giving the state the highest usage rate in the country alongside Florida, Rhode Island, Mississippi, and Nevada.

What security measures do Alaskans use most?

Top security measures used in Alaska: firearms, security cameras, and guard dogs, compared to national trends.

Top security measures used in Alaska: firearms, security cameras, and guard dogs, compared to national trends. Image: SafeWise

What crimes are Alaska residents concerned about most?

Bar chart of top crime concerns in Alaska, showing violent crime, property crime, gun violence, and package theft rates.

Bar chart of top crime concerns in Alaska, showing violent crime, property crime, gun violence, and package theft rates. Image: SafeWise

"My biggest concern is the use of drugs in the area. It's causing thefts to increase."
—Alaska resident*

Violent crime in Alaska: Fear vs. reality

Alaskans worry less than the average American about violent crime (41% AK, 59% US), but their concern has increased year-over-year. Contrarily, a smaller percentage of Alaskans experienced violent crime in the 8 months prior to the survey compared to Americans nationwide.

  • The safest cities in Alaska have a collective violent crime rate of 2.2 per 1,000 people.
  • 13% of Alaskans told us they had a personal experience with violent crime in the 8 months before the survey—a 62% decline year-over-year.
  • 1 in 4 (25%) Alaskans use a pocket knife for personal protection, firearms are the second-most popular option at 24%, and pepper spray comes in third at 18%.
  • 40% of Alaskans feel safe in their state, up from 38% the previous reporting year but lower than the national average of 48%.
"I live in a 'safe' area yet I hear gunshots at night. As a trans individual in a red state I am constantly worried about anger or mistreatment due to how I present myself, what bathroom I use."
—Alaska resident*

Attitudes about gun violence in Alaska

  • In our latest State of Safety survey, 33% of Alaskans told us that they worried about gun violence, down from 35% the year prior.  
  • 12% of Alaskans experienced a gun violence incident in the 8 months prior to the survey—the same as the previous reporting year and slightly above the national average (11%).
  • 1 mass shooting event occurred in Alaska in 2024, up from zero the previous two reporting years.
  • Firearms are the most common form of property protection (48%) in Alaska.
"I'm worried about politicians taking away or restricting my ability to defend myself and my family or friends. I have firearms for my safety and I'm a law abiding citizen."
—Alaska resident*

*Quotes collected from our latest State of Safety survey 

A closer look at the safest cities in Alaska

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

  • 13 Alaskan cities met the criteria to be considered for ranking.
  • Unalaska and Sitka swapped places this year, with Unalaska moving up 1 place to first and Sitka sliding down one place to second place.
  • Unalaska had both the lowest violent crime rate (1.7) and the lowest property crime rate (3.1).
  • 2 cities saw year-over-year decreases in both property crime and violent crime: Palmer and Kenai
  • Homer reported property crime rates for the second year in a row.
  • 75 total violent crimes were reported by the 5 safest cities, with 1 homicide and 3 robberies reported.
  • Every city on our list reported fewer than 85 total property crimes.

The 5 safest cities in Alaska

Map of the safest cities in Alaska for 2025, listing top 5 ranked cities based on SafeWise crime data.

Map of the safest cities in Alaska for 2025, listing top 5 ranked cities based on SafeWise crime data. Image: SafeWise

map image of unalaska,ak
#1
Unalaska
(
+1
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    4151
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2025, 2024, 2023
    1.7, 1.3, 3.3
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2025, 2024, 2023
    3.1, 5.1, 6.2
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
map image of Sitka, AK
#2
Sitka
(
-1
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    8353
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2025, 2024, 2023
    2.3, 1.0, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2025, 2024, 2023
    8.9, 4.3, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
map image of Homer, AK
#3
Homer
(
+2
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    6,047
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2025, 2024, 2023
    2.2, 3.9, 3.7
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2025, 2024, 2023
    10.9, 12.7, 13.0
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
map image of Palmer, AK
#4
Palmer
(
+4
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    6,497
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2025, 2024, 2023
    2.2, 4.4, 1.6
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2025, 2024, 2023
    12.9, 16.0, 10.8
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Kenai, Alaska
#5
Kenai
(
+4
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    7,765
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2025, 2024, 2023
    2.8, 3.4, 4.3
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2025, 2024, 2023
    9.4, 20.4, 16.9
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime

How we determined the safest cities

Learn how we identified the safest cities on our methodology page.

How to make a safe home anywhere

Over 6 in 10 Americans surveyed don't have a home security system, despite over 50% of all burglaries being residential. Unfortunately, a majority of people who have a security system added it after they had a break-in. One of the best ways to stop a burglary before it happens—and get immediate help if a break-in is detected—is to add a monitored home security system.

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Find out which companies we recommend for every budget and lifestyle in our roundup of the best security systems—and learn the basics of how to choose a security system

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Find the safest cities in each state

Click on the state below to check out the safest cities for each state.

Find all endnotes and sources in our full methodology.

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed March 17, 2025.

  • 2023 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
    • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
  • 2023 NIBRS Estimation Tables

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed March 17, 2025.

Gun Violence Archive, "Mass Shootings." Accessed March 17, 2025.

Rebecca Edwards
Written by
Rebecca is the Managing Editor and lead safety expert at SafeWise.com, where she's been researching, testing, and writing about home and personal security for over 12 years. Her safety smarts come from both real life and professional experience—as a single parent trying out safety and security gadgets to protect her family and a former college director responsible for safety plans and strategies to keep buildings, grounds, and hundreds of students and faculty safe every day. With 30 years of experience as a journalist and blogger, she's become a go-to source for trustworthy, practical advice on everything from the best home security systems and smart gadgets to keeping kids safe online, preventing package theft, and understanding crime trends nationwide. PBS NewsHour, The Today Show, NPR, Vice, TechCrunch, The Washington Post, HGTV, Marketplace, On the House, and more have featured Rebecca's expert insights and recommendations. Whether it's protecting your home, your loved ones, or your peace of mind, Rebecca makes safety simple, doable, and real.

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