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Anchorage Municipality, Alaska

A shallow water table limits basements on 28% of Anchorage Municipality's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

The soil survey maps 51% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. None of the county is in drought on the November 3, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

28%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, November 3, 2026

45%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Anchorage Municipality

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)28.4%
Septic fields very limited77.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Urban land, not rated3.0%
Mapped soil558,173 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Deception4%n/a
Talkeetna4%n/a
Kichatna3%n/a
Kashwitna3%n/a
Estelle3%n/a
Nakochna3%n/a
Matanuska-Susitna Borough: no dataChugach Census Area: 29%Kenai Peninsula Borough: 39%Denali Borough: no dataCopper River Census Area: 37%Fairbanks North Star Borough: 56%Southeast Fairbanks Census Area: 62%Kodiak Island Borough: 27%Anchorage Municipality Matanuska-SusitnaChugachKenai PeninsulaDenaliCopper RiverFairbanks North StarSoutheast FairbanksKodiak IslandAnchorage
Anchorage Municipality (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas AK605 (2025-08-29), AK706 (2025-08-29), AK707 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 28% of Anchorage Municipality's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 75.88 in, 7.39 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 68.49 in.

USDA rates 77% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.

November 11, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyNovember 3, 2026
Category, November 3, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

13 flood losses since 2016, $13,514 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20162
20170
20181
20190
20200
20212
20220
20232
20244
20250
2026 to date2

Rain

Average year, 1991-202068.49 in
12 months to August 202675.88 in (+7.39)
202573.35 in (+4.86)
Wettest year since 19251981: 90.10 in
Driest year since 19251950: 40.34 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EAGLE RVR 5 SE (10 mi away)0.6

Homes

Housing units120,348
Median year built1982
Built before 198045%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied64%
Median value, owner-occupied$395,900
Single-family detached47%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK 76 mi n/a n/a
Chugach Census Area, AK 114 mi 0% 29%
Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK 117 mi 0% 39%
Denali Borough, AK 175 mi n/a n/a
Copper River Census Area, AK 186 mi 3% 37%
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK 257 mi 0% 56%
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK 268 mi 0% 62%
Kodiak Island Borough, AK 290 mi 0% 27%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status