Copper River Census Area, Alaska Eviction Risk: Low

Copper River Census Area carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.9/10 (Low) across its 20 communities, ranking 25th of 30 Alaska counties by risk. Five Alaska eviction laws counties carry less eviction pressure, meaning this census area sits well into the landlord-favorable end of the state spectrum. Average rent runs $1,108 per month and the average rent burden is 20.3% of income, a level that keeps routine nonpayment relatively uncommon. With a total population of 2,601 spread across 20 named communities along the Glenn and Richardson Highways, the rental market here is genuinely granular: most communities have fewer than a few hundred residents, and landlords typically operate a small number of units in a single village.

The census area's average poverty rate of 13.5% is the highest of any county in this batch, and it merits attention. That figure reflects the economic conditions of a region where subsistence living, seasonal employment, and limited wage-job access are common. A 43.2% renter share across 20 communities means rental demand is real but thinly distributed, and the combination of modest rents and a meaningful poverty rate suggests that even a single delinquent tenant can have a larger-than-expected impact on a landlord's annual cash flow. Careful screening and lease management are more important here than the aggregate score alone suggests.

The cities inside Copper River Census Area

The riskiest location in the census area is Mentasta Lake at 3.6/10, followed by Slana at 3.5/10 (population 119), Copper Center at 3.4/10 (population 346), and Gakona and Gulkana each at 3.2/10. Among the census area's larger communities, Glennallen (population 450), the area's commercial hub, scores 3/10, right at the census area average. Tazlina (population 365), Kenny Lake (population 289), and Nelchina each score 2.6/10, and Willow Creek (population 144) comes in at the census area's floor of 2.5/10. That spread from 2.5 to 3.6 across 20 communities is the widest of any county in this batch, and it means a landlord cannot rely on the census area average to guide decisions about individual locations. Copper Center and Glennallen are materially different risk environments despite being just miles apart on the Richardson Highway.

State-level laws that apply here

All residential tenancies in Copper River Census Area are governed by 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; a no-cause end-of-term termination requires 30 days. Alaska imposes no statewide rent cap and no just-cause eviction requirement. Landlords must give 24 hours entry notice under Alaska Stat. § 34.03.100; retaliation is prohibited under Alaska Stat. § 34.03.310.

Court filing fees run $150 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $200, and attorney fees typically range from $500 to $2,500. Uncontested evictions resolve in roughly 25 to 40 days; contested proceedings can stretch to 50 to 100 days. At an average rent of $1,108, even an uncontested eviction at the low end of those cost ranges consumes a meaningful share of a single unit's monthly income, reinforcing the value of investing in thorough tenant screening upfront.

With 20 communities spanning a wide score range of 2.5 to 3.6, Copper River Census Area is highly hyper-local. The average poverty rate of 13.5% is a caution flag even within a Low overall score. Use the city grid above to evaluate individual communities before committing capital.