Chugach Census Area, Alaska Eviction Risk: Low

Chugach Census Area carries an average eviction-risk score of 3.3/10 (Low) across its 5 cities, ranking 11th of 30 Alaska counties by risk. That places it in the middle tier of the state: 10 Alaska eviction laws counties carry more eviction pressure, and 19 are more landlord-favorable by score. With a total population of 6,768 and an average rent of $1,346, the census area is anchored by Valdez eviction risk and Cordova eviction risk, two mid-sized communities with genuine rental markets that generate consistent demand. The poverty rate of just 4.5% is the lowest of any county in this batch, a meaningful signal that the local tenant base is relatively economically stable.

An average rent burden of 25.5% of income sits in a comfortable range, and a 36.8% renter share means just over one in three residents is a tenant. Neither figure points to acute financial strain in the tenant pool. That said, the census area's remote geography adds practical friction to any eviction: getting a process server to Whittier or coordinating a sheriff lockout in a community accessible only by rail tunnel or boat is materially more complex than in a road-connected market. Landlords should account for those logistics when estimating worst-case eviction timelines.

The cities inside Chugach Census Area

Cordova carries the highest risk in the census area at 3.4/10, with a population of 2,453. It is a commercial fishing and tourism community whose income seasonality can create brief but sharp financial stress on some tenants. Valdez, the largest community at 3,847 residents, scores 3.2/10, tied with Whittier (population 411). These three communities account for nearly the entire census area's rental market. Tatitlek (population 20) scores 2.9/10, and Chenega (population 37) comes in at 2.5/10, the lowest in the area. The 2.5 to 3.4 spread across just five communities is meaningful: a landlord in Cordova is operating near the top of the local risk band, while one in Chenega faces a micro-village setting where active rental demand is nearly nonexistent.

State-level laws that apply here

All residential tenancies in Chugach Census Area fall under Alaska Stat. § 34.03 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act). For nonpayment of rent, landlords must serve a 7-day notice to pay or quit. A curable lease violation requires a 10-day cure notice; no-cause end-of-term terminations require 30 days. Alaska imposes no statewide rent cap and no just-cause eviction requirement. Entry notice is 24 hours under Alaska Stat. § 34.03.100; retaliation against tenants exercising legal rights is prohibited under Alaska Stat. § 34.03.310.

On costs, court filing fees run $150 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $200, and attorney fees typically range from $500 to $2,500. An uncontested eviction resolves in roughly 25 to 40 days; a contested proceeding can stretch to 50 to 100 days. In a remote community like Whittier, where access constraints can delay service and sheriff coordination, the practical timeline may run toward the longer end of those ranges, making an attorney with Alaska rural-court experience a worthwhile investment for any contested matter.

With a poverty rate of 4.5% and a rent burden averaging 25.5%, the Chugach Census Area tenant base is one of the more economically stable in the state. Use the city grid above to compare individual community scores before committing capital here.