2. Fairbanks

With over 31,000 residents, Fairbanks was not just the largest city in our top 10, but one of the largest in the state. What made Fairbanks more exciting than, say, Anchorage or Juneau? Well, for one, it had the highest percentage of residents between the ages of 18 and 34 in the state, mostly thanks to the University of Alaska—35.8 percent.

Interestingly, even though it had a much higher percentage of young people than our first city, it didn’t have quite the number of nightlife or music venues per capita (ranking seventh in both categories), but what it lacked in nightlife, it more than made up for in restaurants.

With places like The Cookie Jar, The Pump House, and Loose Moose Cafe dotting the streets, Fairbanks not only had quantity, but quality when it came to food.

3. Wasilla

Sure, sure, Wasilla may have gained international recognition in recent years as the city where Sarah Palin was mayor, but as residents know, there is much more to it than that (thank goodness).

Let’s start with active life. With plenty of gyms, yoga studios, and yes, even the Sleepy Hollow Golf Course, it had the second most active life options in the state (golf is totally active!)

It also ranked third overall in the categories of arts, music venues, and nightlife per capita. Sounds pretty good, right? You betcha.

4. Palmer

Palmer’s motto is “Alaska at its Best,” and when it comes to exciting things to do, we couldn’t agree more.

With places like Vagabond Blues Cafe, Palmer had the second most music venues per capita in the state. It also earned cool points for its number of nightlife options, and even number of young people, ranking fourth in both of these categories.

But if music, bars, and people under 35 aren’t really your thing, feel free to just mill about outside. With 1,152 people per square mile, you’re bound to bump into somebody interesting. (Warning: layer up.)

5. Kodiak

Okay, if you thought Palmer was densely-populated, maybe you just haven’t been to Kodiak yet. This place was the second most packed in the state with 1,758 people per square mile, and we figure, the more people, the more chances for something exciting to happen! (Or for something to happen, period.)

What can all of these packed-in people actually do for fun in Kodiak? Well, by the looks of it, they had plenty of options, especially when it came to being active, checking out art, and, always a crowd-pleaser, going out to eat. It ranked fourth in all of these categories.

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