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Real Estate Prices & Overview

Girdwood median real estate price is $782,370, which is more expensive than 97.9% of the neighborhoods in Alaska and 86.7% of the neighborhoods in the U.S.

The average rental price in Girdwood is currently $1,597, based on NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis. Rents here are currently lower in price than 78.3% of Alaska neighborhoods.

Girdwood is a remote neighborhood (based on population density) located in Anchorage, Alaska. This is a coastal neighborhood (i.e., is on the ocean, a bay, or inlet).

Girdwood real estate is primarily made up of small (studio to two bedroom) to medium sized (three or four bedroom) single-family homes and small apartment buildings. Most of the residential real estate is occupied by a mixture of owners and renters. Many of the residences in the Girdwood neighborhood are established but not old, having been built between 1970 and 1999. A number of residences were also built between 2000 and the present.

Vacant apartments or homes are a major fact of life in Girdwood. The current real estate vacancy rate here is 39.1%. This is higher than the rate of vacancies in 97.1% of all U.S. neighborhoods. A relatively large percentage of housing here is seasonally occupied (28.6%). This can occur in vacation areas, and occasionally it is also found in neighborhoods that are primarily filled with college students, as some apartments could be vacant when school is not in session. If you live here year round, you may find that a number of buildings in your neighborhood are actually empty.

Notable & Unique Neighborhood Characteristics

When you see a neighborhood for the first time, the most important thing is often the way it looks, like its homes and its setting. Some places look the same, but they only reveal their true character after living in them for a while because they contain a unique mix of occupational or cultural groups. This neighborhood is very unique in some important ways, according to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive exploration and analysis.

Real Estate

This neighborhood has wide open spaces, few people, and lots of space to stretch out. If you like locations that fit that description, you may like this neighborhood. Based on NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis, with only 5 people per square mile living here, this neighborhood is less crowded than 98.3% of America. Girdwood is a neighborhood that is on the ocean, a bay, or inlet. Many times, such places have amenities that bring locals and visitors to the waterfront for recreational activities or to check out the scenery. In some densely populated areas that are less financially well-off, the neighborhood waterfront can be relatively industrial and less open to recreation. In addition to being coastal, Girdwood is a very nautical neighborhood, meaning that it is somewhat historic, walkable, densely populated and on the water. This gives the neighborhood a very nautical feel, with some seaside and shipping feel, which some may really enjoy the sights and sounds of. One of the notable things about Girdwood is that it is one of the quietest neighborhoods in America, according to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis and quantitative rating of quietness. When you are here, you will find it to be very quiet. If quiet and peaceful are your cup of tea, you may have found a great place for you.

In addition, vacant homes and apartments are a significant characteristic of this neighborhood. In fact, with 39.1% of the residential real estate vacant, the Girdwood neighborhood claims the distinction of having a higher vacancy rate than 97.1% of the neighborhoods in America. This can either be because much of the property is seasonally occupied, like in many vacation areas, or that much of the real estate is more permanently abandoned.

People

Of note is NeighborhoodScout's research finding that the Girdwood neighborhood has some of the lowest rates of children living in poverty of any neighborhood in the United States. In a nation where approximately 1 in 4 children are living in poverty, the Girdwood community truly stands out from the rest in this regard.

In addition, if you're nearing retirement age, or in retirement, the Girdwood is an excellent choice for you to consider for top-quality retirement living. This neighborhood is rated by NeighborhoodScout as among the top 5.1% of retiree-friendly neighborhoods in Alaska, combining peace and quiet, safety from crime, and offering diverse housing options from which retirees can choose. Maybe it's because of these amenities that a large proportion of the residents here are college educated seniors, mixed with other age groups. For these and other reasons, NeighborhoodScout identifies this neighborhood as a top-notch place to consider if you are thinking of or planning to retire in Alaska.

Occupations

The government often provides some of the more stable jobs in the economy. From local, to state, to federal government workers, the government can also be a major employer. What NeighborhoodScout's analysis revealed, is that the Girdwood neighborhood in particular stands out when compared nationally for the proportion of its working residents who are employed by the government. At 14.9% of its workforce, this neighborhood has a greater concentration of government workers than 96.9% of U.S. neighborhoods.

Diversity

Did you know that the Girdwood neighborhood has more Irish and Norwegian ancestry people living in it than nearly any neighborhood in America? It's true! In fact, 24.2% of this neighborhood's residents have Irish ancestry and 6.9% have Norwegian ancestry.

Girdwood is also pretty special linguistically. Significantly, 9.4% of its residents five years old and above primarily speak Italian at home. While this may seem like a small percentage, it is higher than 97.6% of the neighborhoods in America.

The Neighbors

There are two complementary measures for understanding the income of a neighborhood's residents: the average and the extremes. While a neighborhood may be relatively wealthy overall, it is equally important to understand the rate of people - particularly children - who are living at or below the federal poverty line, which is extremely low income. Some neighborhoods with a lower average income may actually have a lower childhood poverty rate than another with a higher average income, and this helps us understand the conditions and character of a neighborhood.

The neighbors in the Girdwood neighborhood in Anchorage are upper-middle income, making it an above average income neighborhood. NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis reveals that this neighborhood has a higher income than 83.6% of the neighborhoods in America. In addition, 0.0% of the children seventeen and under living in this neighborhood are living below the federal poverty line, which is a lower rate of childhood poverty than is found in 100.0% of America's neighborhoods.

The old saying "you are what you eat" is true. But it is also true that you are what you do for a living. The types of occupations your neighbors have shape their character, and together as a group, their collective occupations shape the culture of a place.

In the Girdwood neighborhood, 51.3% of the working population is employed in executive, management, and professional occupations. The second most important occupational group in this neighborhood is clerical, assistant, and tech support occupations, with 16.6% of the residents employed. Other residents here are employed in manufacturing and laborer occupations (16.2%), and 14.9% in government jobs, whether they are in local, state, or federal positions.

Languages

The most common language spoken in the Girdwood neighborhood is English, spoken by 98.3% of households. Some people also speak Italian (9.4%).

Ethnicity / Ancestry

Boston's Beacon Hill blue-blood streets, Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewish enclaves, Los Angeles' Persian neighborhoods. Each has its own culture derived primarily from the ancestries and culture of the residents who call these neighborhoods home. Likewise, each neighborhood in America has its own culture – some more unique than others – based on lifestyle, occupations, the types of households – and importantly – on the ethnicities and ancestries of the people who live in the neighborhood. Understanding where people came from, who their grandparents or great-grandparents were, can help you understand how a neighborhood is today.

In the Girdwood neighborhood in Anchorage, AK, residents most commonly identify their ethnicity or ancestry as Irish (24.2%). There are also a number of people of German ancestry (22.1%), and residents who report English roots (13.9%), and some of the residents are also of Norwegian ancestry (6.9%), along with some Polish ancestry residents (5.2%), among others.

Getting to Work

Even if your neighborhood is walkable, you may still have to drive to your place of work. Some neighborhoods are located where many can get to work in just a few minutes, while others are located such that most residents have a long and arduous commute. The greatest number of commuters in Girdwood neighborhood spend under 15 minutes commuting one-way to work (44.9% of working residents), one of the shortest commutes across America.

Here most residents (71.7%) drive alone in a private automobile to get to work. In addition, quite a number also carpool with coworkers, friends, or neighbors to get to work (11.8%) and 8.4% of residents also hop out the door and walk to work for their daily commute. In a neighborhood like this, as in most of the nation, many residents find owning a car useful for getting to work.


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