Alaska Zombie Survival Index: 84/100

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The three tests

Alaska scored three times

A state that handles shamblers can get erased by sprinters. Here is how Alaska performs under each outbreak model.

Walking DeadThe Walking Dead

93

Slow zombies reward time, distance, terrain and food, which is mostly good news here. The state starts with about 737,270 people, but its survival value depends less on the statewide number than on where those people are concentrated and how quickly survivors can separate themselves from the main corridors.

World War ZWorld War Z

91

Fast zombies change the math, and Alaska scores unusually well. There is very little population to concentrate, the terrain is punishing for anything trying to cross it, and outbreak pressure collapses the moment you leave Anchorage. The catch is that few roads means each surviving route carries enormous weight.

Last of UsThe Last of Us

68

Yes, we know they're not technically zombies. This is a settlement problem rather than an evacuation problem, and it is where Alaska pays. USDA lists only about 870,000 acres in farm operations and roughly 19,000 cattle. Hunting and fishing help enormously, but they do not replace a continental food system.

What helps

Mountains, rivers, tundra, boreal forest, coastline and overwhelming distance
Enormous freshwater and coastal resources, though access and freezing conditions matter
870,000 acres in farm operations across roughly 1,200 farms
About 19,000 cattle and calves
A small agricultural sector centred on hay, barley and local livestock
Natural gas, hydroelectricity, petroleum and local renewable resources, with many isolated grids
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Fort Wainwright, Eielson Air Force Base, Fort Greely and Alaska National Guard forces

What hurts

Limited food production relative to land area
Extreme cold, blizzards, earthquakes, wildfire, avalanches, volcanic hazards, coastal storms and enormous travel distances
Supply chains are long and geographically fragile
Rural refuge quality varies enormously by water, road redundancy and medical access

Use the population and terrain advantage, but stay close enough to an established Interior community to retain heat, fuel, local food production, medical access and an all-season transportation link.

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The reason for the score

Alaska's zombie superpowers

Mountains, rivers, tundra, boreal forest, coastline and overwhelming distance are not background scenery in this model. They determine how many directions infected can approach from, how quickly humans can leave population centres, whether a refuge has water, and whether roads remain optional or become chokepoints.

1 · Almost nobody is there

About 737,000 people spread across a state larger than most countries. Outbreak pressure collapses once you leave Anchorage.

2 · Winter is an actual weapon

Extended subfreezing temperatures, snow and ice profoundly change movement, decomposition and outdoor survivability. Humans are also subject to physics.

3 · Terrain on hard mode

Mountains, glaciers, rivers, forests, tundra and huge unroaded regions create natural separation no East Coast state can imitate.

4 · Military and Arctic logistics

JBER, Fort Wainwright, Eielson and Fort Greely mean serious logistics, aviation and cold-weather expertise.

The catch

Food, distance and the cold itself

Food is the limiting reagent

USDA lists only about 870,000 farm acres and roughly 19,000 cattle. Hunting and fishing help enormously but do not magically replace a continental food system.

Distance cuts both ways

Being 300 miles from trouble is wonderful until you are also 300 miles from medicine, fuel, parts and the only person who knows how to fix your generator.

The cold hates you too

The same winter that suppresses zombies will kill unprepared humans much faster than cinematic zombies ever could.

The framework

25 survival factors, scored 1–10

Every state is measured on the same 25 factors. Weighting shifts by scenario — terrain matters more against sprinters, agriculture matters more in a long collapse.

01 Population density Extremely low population density 10/10

02 Major city exposure Only a few concentrated population centers 10/10

03 Road escape capacity Very limited road network outside core regions 5/10

04 Freshwater availability Vast rivers, lakes, snowpack and groundwater, though frozen access is seasonal 10/10

05 Agricultural capacity Small agricultural sector relative to land area 3/10

06 Food self-sufficiency Local food production is limited; hunting and fishing cannot fully replace imports 4/10

07 Wilderness & remote land Unmatched wilderness and remote land 10/10

08 Natural defensive terrain Mountains, rivers, glaciers and vast distance create exceptional defensive geography 10/10

09 Climate survivability Extreme cold is dangerous to humans 3/10

10 Winter zombie suppression Strongest winter-suppression environment in the country 10/10

11 Natural disaster risk Earthquakes, wildfire, avalanches, volcanoes and severe winter weather 5/10

12 Energy production Oil, natural gas and hydro resources are significant 8/10

13 Off-grid energy potential Hydro, wind, biomass and local microgrid opportunities are strong 9/10

14 Medical resources Strong medicine in population centers, thin coverage elsewhere 5/10

15 Military & Guard presence Major Army and Air Force installations 9/10

16 Emergency management Extensive disaster and Arctic-response experience 8/10

17 Supply & logistics Supply chains are long and geographically fragile 4/10

18 Infrastructure vulnerability Many communities rely on isolated grids and transport links 5/10

19 Survival resource availability Fish, game, timber, freshwater and fuel resources are substantial 9/10

20 Evacuation & refuge potential Extraordinary refuge potential if logistics are solved 10/10

21 Natural barriers & water access Water and terrain are major natural barriers 10/10

22 Distance from population centers Most of the state is far from large population centers 10/10

23 Chokepoint & bridge dependency Few roads means fewer chokepoints, but each route matters more 7/10

24 Hunting, fishing & foraging Among the strongest hunting and fishing environments in the country 10/10

25 Long-term settlement potential Excellent for prepared, skilled communities; poor for improvised settlement 6/10

Tactics

What works, by scenario

Strategy	Walking Dead	World War Z	Last of Us
Rural farm or ranch with independent water	Excellent	Very good if reached early	Excellent
Small town near agriculture	Very good	Good	Excellent
Remote site with no local food system	Good early	Very good for isolation	Poor long-term
Major highway evacuation	Good early, bad late	Terrible late	Poor after collapse
Major metro shelter	Poor	Terrible	Poor
Off-grid solar and local generation	Very good	Good	Excellent
Hunting and fishing supplement	Very good	Good	Very good
One-road refuge	Risky	Risky	Risky

Geography

Where to be

Best overall

Interior road-access communities

Fairbanks-region and Interior settlements offer colder winters, agriculture pockets, hunting and fishing, military logistics and actual roads.

All-season transportation link
Local food production nearby
Military logistics within reach
Winter suppression at full strength

Runner-up

Matanuska-Susitna agricultural areas

One of Alaska's better combinations of farms, road access and distance from central Anchorage.

Third

Southeast small communities with marine access

Water, fishing and isolation are strong, but wet climate, marine logistics and limited road links reduce resilience.

Where not to be

Avoid early

Anchorage core

Alaska's largest concentration of people, transportation and supply demand. The state is huge; there is no reason to stay in the densest part.

Avoid

Remote bush location without an established supply system

Isolation is only an advantage if you already have fuel, heat, food, tools and knowledge.

Avoid

Any refuge that depends on one seasonal route

A single washed-out road, frozen river or weathered-in airstrip turns remoteness into a cage.

Verdict

84 out of 100 · Grade B · Rank #17

Alaska is exceptional zombie-survival territory if a group can solve the logistics. Its tiny population, immense wilderness, rugged mountains, severe winters, abundant freshwater, fisheries, hunting, and energy resources create natural isolation on a massive scale. The catch is dependence on long supply lines: limited farming, scattered communities, extreme cold, difficult travel, and shortages of fuel, medicine, equipment, and replacement parts could turn remoteness from an advantage into a trap.

Walking Dead 93. World War Z 91. Last of Us 68.

Use the population and terrain advantage, but stay close enough to an established Interior community to retain heat, fuel, local food production, medical access and an all-season transportation link.

See the national survey board

Method & sources

Where the numbers come from

The Zombie Survival Index is a fictional entertainment ranking that uses real public data as its inputs. Every state is scored on the same 25 factors under three outbreak models, and the overall number blends those results. All fifty states have been assessed and normalised against the same national scoring set.

U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Population Estimates and QuickFacts
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2025 State Agriculture Overview
U.S. Energy Information Administration, State Electricity Profile
State water-resource and environmental agencies
State emergency-management agencies
U.S. Department of Defense and National Guard installation sources
State wildlife, hunting and fishing agencies
NOAA and state climatology and hazard sources