1st Advantage MortgageKetchikan Gateway Borough households have a median income of $92,885 and median rent of $1,505 a month (ACS 2020 to 2024). Whatever your own numbers, compare written offers on APR, fees and total cost, and verify the lender is licensed in Alaska before sharing details.
On this page
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough at a glance
- Employment and commuting in Ketchikan Gateway Borough
- What Ketchikan Gateway Borough households earn
- What it costs to live in Ketchikan Gateway Borough
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough next to its neighbors
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough towns compared
- Room for a loan payment in Ketchikan Gateway Borough
- Reading the Ketchikan Gateway Borough data as a borrower
- People and households in Ketchikan Gateway Borough
- Who licenses lenders for Ketchikan Gateway Borough residents
- Checklist for Ketchikan Gateway Borough applicants
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Ketchikan Gateway Borough at a glance
With an estimated 13,768 residents (ACS 2020 to 2024), Ketchikan Gateway Borough ranks 7th of 30 in Alaska for population. It covers 4,857 square miles of land, or about 3 people per square mile. No metropolitan area includes Ketchikan Gateway Borough in the 2023 federal delineation, so its numbers stand on their own rather than as part of a metro. Ketchikan is the biggest of its 3 Census places, at roughly 8,078 people (59% of the county total).
Employment and commuting in Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Education and health care employs 25% of working residents, the largest share; arts, lodging and food service is next with 11%. Arts, lodging and food service stands out: 11% of workers here, versus 8% statewide. Averaged over the five survey years, 3.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking. Long commutes are the exception here: 3% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. 10.5% of households have no vehicle.
| Industry (employed residents 16+) | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | Gap to Alaska |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.6% | +0.1 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 11.4% | +3.1 pts |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 11.3% | +2.1 pts |
| Retail trade | 10.6% | +0.7 pts |
| Public administration | 9.0% | -2.9 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 5.6% | -3.0 pts |
Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Ketchikan Gateway Borough should have bank statements and tax returns ready.
What Ketchikan Gateway Borough households earn
Ketchikan Gateway Borough households have a median income of $92,885 (ACS 2020 to 2024), which ranks 8th of 30 in Alaska.
| Band | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | Compared with Alaska |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 17.7% | +1.5 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 35.8% | -1.5 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 34.4% | +2.5 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 12.1% | -2.6 pts |
About 18% of households earn under $35,000, while 46% clear $100,000. Census counts 8.7% of Ketchikan Gateway Borough residents in poverty, against 10.1% across Alaska. For a borrower in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, the county median is only context: a lender looks at the income you can document, so pay stubs, benefit letters or tax returns matter more than any average.
What it costs to live in Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Renters in Ketchikan Gateway Borough pay a median of $1,505 a month, 6% above the Alaska figure of $1,419. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 49% of renter households here. With a median value of $393,300, a typical Ketchikan Gateway Borough house costs 4.2 times what the median household earns in a year. 69% of Ketchikan Gateway Borough households own their home and 31% rent.
| Housing | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | Alaska statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,505/mo | $1,419/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $393,300 | $352,900 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 69% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 49% | 45% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 33% | 29% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 3.1% | 3.9% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 14% | 18% | n/a |
Ketchikan Gateway Borough next to its neighbors
Distances run center to center, from Wrangell City and Borough at 62 miles out to Hoonah-Angoon Census Area at 272. Sitka City and Borough leads the group on income ($101,727), Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area trails ($61,156), and Ketchikan Gateway Borough out-earns 4 of the six.
| County | Miles | Median household income | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketchikan Gateway Borough | - | $92,885 | $1,505/mo | 69% |
| Wrangell City and Borough, AK | 62 mi | $63,750 | $993/mo | 59% |
| Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, AK | 82 mi | $61,156 | $964/mo | 71% |
| Petersburg Borough, AK | 136 mi | $75,125 | $950/mo | 66% |
| Sitka City and Borough, AK | 203 mi | $101,727 | $1,341/mo | 62% |
| Juneau City and Borough, AK | 233 mi | $101,661 | $1,444/mo | 64% |
| Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK | 272 mi | $61,406 | $1,014/mo | 72% |
Ketchikan Gateway Borough towns compared
3 Census places fall mainly inside Ketchikan Gateway Borough; the 3 biggest are below. They account for 8,402 residents, leaving about 39% of the county in unincorporated, unnamed areas. No Ketchikan Gateway Borough place has a separate guide yet; this county page serves all 3.
| Name | Kind | Pop. | Income | Rent | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketchikan | city | 8,078 | $85,275 | $1,417 | 23 mi |
| Saxman | city | 324 | $51,250 | $867 | 21 mi |
| Loring | CDP | 0 | n/a | n/a | 23 mi |
A CDP is a named community without its own municipal government.
Room for a loan payment in Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Ketchikan Gateway Borough at the medians, through a lender's eyes (what DTI means):
- $92,885 a year is $7,740 of gross monthly income
- Housing at the median rent of $1,505 uses 19%
- At 36%, room after rent is $1,282 a month
Lenders set their own limits and look beyond the ratio. The DTI calculator uses your figures instead of Ketchikan Gateway Borough's.
Reading the Ketchikan Gateway Borough data as a borrower
What the Ketchikan Gateway Borough figures suggest, and what to check first:
- Consolidation math. With 46% at six figures, card consolidation is common; it pays only if total cost falls (guide).
- Tight rental budgets. With 49% of Ketchikan Gateway Borough renters cost-burdened, test a new payment against a lean month.
- Requirements. Lenders weigh credit history, documented income and existing debt (what to gather).
People and households in Ketchikan Gateway Borough
27% of Ketchikan Gateway Borough adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. 9.2% of residents have no health coverage.
| Residents | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | Alaska | Middle U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.0 | 35.8 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 27.4% | 31.7% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 4.3% | 6.4% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 9.2% | 11.0% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 10.5% | 9.0% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 6.0% | 9.7% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 8.7% | 10.1% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 3.1% | 5.9% | 4.4% |
| Minutes to work | Ketchikan Gateway Borough workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 58.7% |
| 15 to 29 min | 32.6% |
| 30 to 44 min | 5.5% |
| 45 to 59 min | 0.4% |
| 60+ min | 2.7% |
Who licenses lenders for Ketchikan Gateway Borough residents
Licensing happens at the state level, so a lender working with Ketchikan Gateway Borough borrowers answers to the Alaska Division of Banking and Securities. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. More on Alaska: Alaska personal loans.
Checklist for Ketchikan Gateway Borough applicants
Before you apply, wherever you live in Ketchikan Gateway Borough:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Line up offers side by side: APR, fees in dollars, total cost.
- Confirm the lender is licensed in Alaska.
- Confirm the first due date before setting up autopay.
Related local guides
The Alaska guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
What does a typical Ketchikan Gateway Borough household make?
About $92,885 a year at the median (ACS 2020-24).
What do renters pay in Ketchikan Gateway Borough?
$1,505 a month at the median, about 19% of median household income.
What are the biggest places in Ketchikan Gateway Borough?
By population: Ketchikan, Saxman, Loring. The county has 3 Census places in all.
Does living in Ketchikan Gateway Borough change what I qualify for?
Not in our fit check, which uses only the amount, credit range, income and payments you enter, the same for a Ketchikan Gateway Borough resident as anyone. Lenders decide under fair-lending law.
Where can someone in Ketchikan Gateway Borough check a lender's license?
With the Alaska Division of Banking and Securities. If a lender is unlicensed or asks for a fee before funding, walk away.