Median Income
$72,917
household / year
Median Home Value
$260,300
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$743
gross / month
Cost of Living
97
national avg = 100

Is Ester, AK a Good Place to Live?

Ester is a small town of 2,989 in Alaska, with a median household income of $72,917 and a 3.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 97 (US average = 100), which is 3% below the national average.

Strengths: Ester stands out for short average commutes.

Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Ester is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Ester city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 97.3

Ester's overall cost of living index is 97.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Ester costs roughly 3% less than the average American city.

Metric Ester, AK National Avg
Median Home Value $260,300 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $743 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 51.8% 65.9%
Median Household Income $72,917 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Ester's violent crime rate is 235.4 per 100,000 residents — 38% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
235.4 /100k
Property Crime
1179.2 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Ester, AK National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 33.3% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 91.3% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Ester sees average highs of -0.3°F in January and 71.9°F in July, with 14.6 inches of annual precipitation and 60.9 inches of snow per year.

MetricEster, AK
Average High — January-0.3°F
Average High — July71.9°F
Annual Precipitation14.6"
Annual Snowfall60.9"

Demographics

MetricEster, AKNational Avg
Population2,989—
Median Age38.838.9
Unemployment Rate3.5%3.7%
Avg Commute Time23.2 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)80.7%59.3%
Black or African American2.6%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino0.9%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 1811.6%22.2%
65 and over9.1%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Goldstream, AK 4 mi Chena Ridge, AK 6 mi College, AK 7 mi South Van Horn, AK 9 mi Farmers Loop, AK 10 mi

ZIP Codes in Ester

Ester, AK is covered by 1 ZIP code:

99725

Ester vs Other Cities

Ester, AK vs Goldstream, AK Ester, AK vs Chena Ridge, AK Ester, AK vs College, AK Ester, AK vs South Van Horn, AK Ester, AK vs Farmers Loop, AK

Frequently Asked Questions

Ester's cost of living index is 97, where 100 is the national average. That makes Ester roughly 3% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $260,300 and median rent is $743/month.
Ester's violent crime rate is 235.4 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1179.2 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Ester, AK has a population of 2,989, a median household income of $72,917, and an unemployment rate of 3.5%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Ester averages -0.3°F in January and 71.9°F in July. Annual rainfall is 14.6 inches with about 60.9 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Ester, AK is covered by 1 ZIP code: 99725.
The population of Ester, Alaska is 2,989 with a median age of 38.8. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Ester: cost of living index 97 (100 = US average), median home $260,300, median household income $72,917, crime index 60 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Ester side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.