The town of Kodiak, Alaska, sits on Kodiak Island, the second largest island in the United States after Hawaii, located about 250 miles southwest of Anchorage. The island is nicknamed the Emerald Isle because of its balmy temperatures (at least compared with the rest of Alaska) that create a lush, green environment.
Kodiak is home to the largest Coast Guard station in the United States and it remains an important fishing port
The town of Kodiak, Alaska, sits on Kodiak Island, the second largest island in the United States after Hawaii, located about 250 miles southwest of Anchorage. The island is nicknamed the Emerald Isle because of its balmy temperatures (at least compared with the rest of Alaska) that create a lush, green environment.
Kodiak is home to the largest Coast Guard station in the United States and it remains an important fishing port. It also attracts many visitors from continental U.S. in the summers because of its excellent salmon fishing. Equally famed is its population of black bear, some 3,000 strong, approximately one bear for every two city residents: watch out! Other than the city of Kodiak and six outlying villages, the rest of the 100-mile long island is pristine wilderness, most of it protected as park land.
Plan to arrive by plane, a one-hour flight from Anchorage, or else take a several-day ferry ride from Seattle on the Alaska Marine Highway to the ferry docks in downtown Kodiak. You'll notice that the cost of traveling there is high, and that will prepare you for renting or buying on Kodiak Island; because of the remote location, everything costs more. The Coast Guard tells its service people that the cost of living in Kodiak is 42.2 percent higher than in the "lower 48" (as Alaskans call the continental United States) and this includes houses for rent and condo rentals in Kodiak. It's important to factor in utilities when you are weighing rental units (including townhouse, homes, or even studio rentals) since heating fuel and electricity can add a hefty amount to the total. In Kodiak, most multi-unit housing for rent is in small, independent buildings owned by private landlords rather than large apartment complexes. While older homes for sale or for rent can have extra charm, it's important to factor in the heating costs (both electricity and gas) as some rental houses with vintage charm can also leak heat out of their charming vintage windows very quickly.
Look in the local newspaper, the Kodiak Daily Mirror, under "apt for rent" to find current listings. And for those of you who have forgotten how to read the paper from staring at a computer all day, you can also check out a Facebook page where the Kodiak community posts housing for rent; the page is called "Kodiak Rental Housing Market". At least three realtors cover housing rentals in the Kodiak area and are all worth talking to.
The biggest population center in Kodiak city is a military base, and unless you're in the Coast Guard, your chances of getting condo rentals there are exactly zero. Given the small size of Kodiak, there are no defined neighborhoods. Generally, the airport and the Coast Guard base are located several miles southwest of town on Rezanof Drive; this street passes straight through Kodiak, but it may be the only one that does so as the city center is a web of small, steep streets.
Town Center: You'll find the ferry dock on Marine Way in the town center, and the few museums are located close to it. Beyond that, the central downtown area on the coast around Mission Road and Central Avenue is a suburban area with nicer, more expensive single family homes.
Rezanof Drive and Cape Sarichef Street: If you're looking to rent, you may as well try an area that is largely rental property first, like the neighborhood near Rezanof Driver and Cape Sarichef Street. This is a rural area on the coast and the properties tend to be small, individually owned duplexes or townhouses. The rental costs in this area average higher than about 84.3% of the neighborhoods in the state of Alaska. Count on bringing your own wheels since you'll need a car or truck to get downtown.
Port Lions/Old Harbor: Anyone moving to Alaska in order to live a more isolated, independent lifestyle should try looking at the area around Port Lions/Old Harbor: a neighborhood mostly lacking in neighbors, and chock full of coastal views. The prices are very reasonable. Don't be fooled by the multitude of vacant housing units in winter however, since many reflect the seasonal use of the houses.
Kodiak offers a handful of good restaurants, most specializing in the seafood for which the town is famous. There's even a floating yacht restaurant that offers dinner cruises. If you love the feeling of casting out a line and pulling in a large fish yourself, this is the town for you. Kodiak -- an international fishing destination -- will delight you with its access to all five species of salmon that swim in Alaskan waters, together with other fun-to-catch fish like halibut, cod and trout. Remote camping and hiking are also possible on this undeveloped island, or check out the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, the 2,812-square-mile refuge that protects most of Kodiak Island land mass. You'll find everything from swampy wetlands filled with migratory birds, forests, meadows and glorious mountain terrain filled with the notorious Kodiak bears.
