The Town Files

Kachemak, Alaska

City in Kenai Peninsula Borough · population 576 (2020 Census)

Map: where Kachemak is in AlaskaKachemak
Median home
$450,000
Household income
$76,750
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 63°
Snow a year
84 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
39.6

Kachemak is a city of 576 people in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. The median home is worth $450,000, above the typical Alaska town ($289,500). It ranks better for a vacation home than 98% of Alaska towns, better for families than 96% of Alaska towns, better for retirees than 93% of Alaska towns.

Kachemak in our rankings:

How Kachemak ranks

Percentile among Alaska towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Alaska towns.

Kachemak lifestyle rankings vs other Alaska townsRetirement93rd pctFamilies96th pctQuiet78th pctWalkability49th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals12th pctVibrancy4th pctHip & trendy86th pctCollege town59th pctUpscale80th pctVacation homes98th pctSeaside character71st pctCycling64th pctTransitbottomDriving58th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Kachemak is worth $450,000, above the typical Alaska town ($289,500). Homes cost about 5.9 times the median household income of $76,750, which is more affordable than 1% of Alaska towns. Median rent is $1,185 a month. 75.7% of households own their home.

Kachemak vs Kenai Peninsula Borough vs typical Alaska townKachemakKenai Peninsula BoroughTypical Alaska townHome value$450,000$323,200$289,500Household income$76,750$80,538$78,155Monthly rent$1,185$1,184$1,146
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Alaska towns with 500+ people.
HousingKachemakTypical Alaska town
Median home value$450,000$289,500
Median rent$1,185$1,146
Median household income$76,750$78,155
Home value ÷ income5.9×3.3×
Homeownership75.7%72.6%
Median year built19951989
Seasonal / vacation homes8.5%—

Who lives in Kachemak

PeopleKachemakTypical Alaska town
Median age39.637.2
Age 65 and over28.2%13.2%
Under 1822.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher39.4%22.4%
Below the poverty line19.1%11.9%
Veterans11.3%—
Born outside the U.S.4.0%—
Work from home29.4%7.4%
Average commute13.9 min12.5 min
Homes with broadband93.8%88.6%

Weather in Kachemak

July highs average 63.1°F and January lows 19.0°F. About 23.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 83.7 inches of snow (typical Alaska town: 64.0 in). Expect about 0 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 170 nights at or below freezing.

Kachemak monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°32° freezing32°19°Jan35°22°Feb37°23°Mar46°31°Apr54°38°May59°45°Jun63°49°Jul63°48°Aug57°42°Sep47°33°Oct38°25°Nov34°21°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.117.61.814.21.312.41.13.30.80.20.91.42.33.32.63.22.910.43.322.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Homer Ap station (3.0 mi away); snow from Homer 9 E (4.8 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Kachemak since 1950.

Severe weather in Kenai Peninsula Borough since 1996

Storm events in Kenai Peninsula Borough since 1996 by typeBlizzard1High Wind1Heavy Snow1Storm Surge/Tide1
NOAA Storm Events Database, Kenai Peninsula Borough, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Kenai Peninsula Borough has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
July 26, 2022Mud/LandslideDR-4661: Landslide
January 15, 2022Severe StormDR-4638: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 9, 2020BiologicalDR-4533: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3446: Covid-19
January 31, 2019EarthquakeDR-4413: Earthquake

Jobs and pay in Kenai Peninsula Borough

Kenai Peninsula Borough had 21,474 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,398 a year. Unemployment was 4.7% in 2023; in Kachemak itself the ACS puts it at 5.3%.

Largest industries in Kenai Peninsula BoroughHealth care & social assistan…3,223 jobs · $67,533Retail2,903 jobs · $37,926Hotels & restaurants2,605 jobs · $30,897Manufacturing1,227 jobs · $77,066Construction1,016 jobs · $68,266Transportation & warehousing1,014 jobs · $55,796
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Kenai Peninsula Borough, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Kenai Peninsula Borough 4.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Kachemak

1 public school with 29 students, about 14.5 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Kachemak Selo SchoolPK-122914.5

Towns near Kachemak

Kachemak questions

Is Kachemak, Alaska a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Kachemak scores better for retirees than 93% of Alaska towns and quieter than 78%. 28.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.6).

How much does a house cost in Kachemak?

The median owner-occupied home in Kachemak is valued at $450,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $76,750, so homes cost about 5.9 times income. Median rent is $1,185 a month.

What is the weather like in Kachemak?

July highs average 63.1°F and January lows 19.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 23.9 inches of precipitation a year and 83.7 inches of snow.

Does Kachemak get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Kachemak in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Kachemak's Census boundary (GEOID 0236540). Comparisons use the median of Alaska towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.