Ketchikan, AK, United States

Capital City

With a population of just 8,192, Ketchikan is a remote outpost in the Alaskan panhandle, dependent on a precarious mix of fishing, tourism, and government services. The climate is relentlessly wet, with 149.54 inches of rainfall per year, earning it the dubious moniker of "Rain Capital of Alaska." Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the city operates under a complex council-manager system that encompasses the surrounding 6,000-square-mile borough. This isolated, weather-battered outpost is best suited for those who crave a frontier lifestyle and don't mind the occasional frozen pipe.