Is Gustavus, AK a Good Place to Live?
Gustavus is a small town of 710 in Alaska, with a median household income of $77,500 and a 4.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 101 (US average = 100), which is 1% above the national average.
Strengths: Gustavus stands out for solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Gustavus is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Gustavus 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: 101.3Gustavus's overall cost of living index is 101.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Gustavus costs roughly 1% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Gustavus, AK | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $275,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,175 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $77,500 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Gustavus is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Gustavus is served primarily by Chatham School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 8.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Gustavus, AK | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Chatham School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 8.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 39.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 96.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Gustavus sees average highs of 33.2°F in January and 62.7°F in July, with 58.7 inches of annual precipitation and 72.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Gustavus, AK |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 33.2°F |
| Average High — July | 62.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 58.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 72.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Gustavus, AK | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 710 | — |
| Median Age | 48.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 19.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 91.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 11.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 20.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Gustavus
Gustavus, AK is covered by 1 ZIP code: