Anchorage or Los Angeles: which is better?

US metro area: head-to-head comparison

Winner
Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
7
indicators ahead
Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
5
indicators ahead

Anchorage wins on more indicators: 7 of 12 against 5.

  • Money: Anchorage 3:1
  • Climate and risks: tie 4:4

All indicators weigh the same. This is a score based on data, not advice on where to live: different people have different circumstances.

Anchorage
Los Angeles

Money

Better: Anchorage (3 : 1)
Per capita income
higher is better
✗$78,485
20249% lower
✓$86,376
202410% higher
Typical rent
lower is better
✓$1,890
2026-09-3035% lower
✗$2,929
2026-09-3055% higher
Typical home value
lower is better
✓$424,607
2026-09-3055% lower
✗$950,020
2026-09-30124% higher
Price level
lower is better
✓105.4 100 = US average
20247% lower
✗113.6 100 = US average
20248% higher

Climate and risks

Tie (4 : 4)
Air: median AQI
lower is better
✓26 AQI
202468% lower
✗80 AQI
2024208% higher
Days with unhealthy air
lower is better
✓0 days per year
2024
✗134 days per year
2024
Hot days (max ≥ +30 °C)
lower is better
✓0 days per year
2016-2025100% lower
✗56 days per year
2016-202527950% higher
Frost days (min ≤ −10 °C)
lower is better
✗68 days per year
2016-2025
✓0 days per year
2016-2025
Severe frost (min ≤ −20 °C)
lower is better
✗11.3 days per year
2016-2025
✓0.0 days per year
2016-2025
Ice days (max ≤ 0 °C)
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
102 days per year
2016-2025
0 days per year
2016-2025
Heating degree days
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
5,312 °C·days per year
2016-2025
450 °C·days per year
2016-2025
Cooling degree days
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
9 °C·days per year
2016-2025
863 °C·days per year
2016-2025
Rainy days
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
90 days per year
2016-2025
26 days per year
2016-2025
Snowfall days
no data for one of the places
22 days per year
2016-2025
no data
Annual precipitation
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
523 mm per year
2016-2025
394 mm per year
2016-2025
Daylight on December 21
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
5.1 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
9.9 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
Daylight on June 21
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
19.9 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
14.4 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
Air humidity
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
74 %
2021-2025
72 %
2021-2025
Muggy days (dew point ≥ +20 °C)
lower is better
✓0 days per year
2021-2025
✗1 days per year
2021-2025
Distance to the sea
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
1 km
2006-2025
23 km
2006-2025
Earthquakes M4.5+ within 100 km
lower is better
✗3.00 per year
2006-2025567% higher
✓0.45 per year
2006-202585% lower
Strongest earthquake in the period
lower is better
✗7.1 magnitude
2006-202531% higher
✓5.4 magnitude
2006-202523% lower

Urban environment

no winner
Population
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
407,213 people
2024
12,927,614 people
2024

A winner is named only for indicators with a known “better / worse” direction. Population and other neutral indicators are shown without a winner. Outdated and missing values are not counted. Details for each place: Anchorage, Los Angeles.

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