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Moving to Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan pays new residents up to $2,000 through Move to Ketchikan (Choose Ketchikan). Here is what life costs in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, home of Ketchikan, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $2,000Paid to move hereMove to Ketchikan (Choose Ketchikan)
  • $393,300Typical home value1Ketchikan Gateway Borough
  • $1,505Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 13,549Population-2.9% since 2020

By Sol Lakein.Checked November 4, 2026.How we compare costs

Get paid to move to Ketchikan

Tap a program for who qualifies, how it pays, whether it is open and the official link.

Every program in Alaska

Something to know about Ketchikan

Did you know?

With five species of wild Pacific salmon, Ketchikan bills itself as the Salmon Capital of the World, and it holds the world's largest collection of standing totem poles.

Source: Alaska Marine Highway System (Alaska DOT&PF), read November 2026

A fact about Ketchikan

What it costs to live in Ketchikan

Ketchikan Gateway Borough next to Alaska and the US.1
MeasureKetchikan Gateway BoroughAlaskaUnited States
Typical home value$393,300$352,900$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$2,150$2,229$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$1,505$1,419$1,413
Typical household income$92,885$92,788$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners68.6%66.8%65.2%
Households with broadband92.0%91.9%91.0%
Average commute, one way15 min19 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $2,161 a month2.

Jobs and work in Ketchikan Gateway Borough

  • 4,681Jobs at local employers2023, +4.0% vs 2022
  • 603Employer businesses2023
  • 1,254Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 92.0%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

64.1% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 14.6 minutes, and 27.4% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 63 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Ketchikan

Current remote openings for people living in the US.

Loading current remote jobs.

Things to do in Ketchikan

Notable places in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Ward Lake
  • Leask Lake
  • Lower Checats Lake
  • Manzanita Lake
  • Margaret Lake

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • Guard Island Light
  • Stedman-Thomas Historic District
  • Downtown Ketchikan Historic District

Thinking about Ketchikan? Get the free moving guide

12 pages: what a move costs, hiring movers safely, an 8-week checklist and how to apply for programs like these.

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Moving to Ketchikan: questions people ask

Does Ketchikan pay you to move there?

Yes. Move to Ketchikan (Choose Ketchikan): $2,000 cash. Each program has its own rules, status and official link on its page, checked October 30, 2026.

How much does it cost to live in Ketchikan?

In Ketchikan Gateway Borough, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $393,300 and median gross rent is $1,505 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Alaska: $352,900 and $1,419. United States: $332,700 and $1,413. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on a home at the county median value come to about $2,161 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Ketchikan a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Ketchikan Gateway Borough are above the US median, household income is above the US median, and the population fell 2.9% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide; Move to Ketchikan (Choose Ketchikan) helps with that: Finalists may be invited to a week-long visit. Who pays travel and lodging is not stated..

Can I work remotely from Ketchikan?

92.0% of households in Ketchikan Gateway Borough have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). Check the program rules for job requirements.

What is there to do in Ketchikan?

Notable places in Ketchikan Gateway Borough include Ward Lake, Leask Lake, Guard Island Light, Stedman-Thomas Historic District. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Costs and people: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates (dollars in 2024 terms), read November 4, 2026. "Typical" is the median. Census figures cover all homes and renters, not just recent sales or new leases. QuickFacts
  2. 2Mortgage: principal and interest on the county's typical home value with 20% down at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026), our arithmetic. Rate source
  3. 3Jobs and businesses: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, County Business Patterns 2023, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, Building Permits Survey 2025, ACS 2020-2024.
  4. 4Things to do: notable places from Wikidata (CC0), read November 4, 2026. Know a place we should add? Email hello@slowersundays.com.
Sources for this page