2026 editionWestPop. 737,270Capital Juneau49th state, admitted 1959Cook PVI R+10
Is Alaska a Good Place to Live? Alaska Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Alaska ranks #42 of 50 with a composite score of 44.3 and a C grade, strongest in outdoor access (#1) and weakest in safety (#50). The median household earns $95,665 (18% above the national median), homes typically cost $398,663 (8% above the national average), and violent crime is 729 per 100,000 (123% above the national average).
A road-system job makes Alaska affordable: the typical home costs $398,663, there's no income tax, and the Permanent Fund pays every resident a dividend. Off the road system, groceries arrive by barge or plane, and everywhere the tradeoff is violent crime at 729 per hundred thousand, #50 of 50.
Alaska by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Alaska's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Alaska overview
Alaska scores above the national average in 6 of 11 categories and ranks #11 of 13 states in the West, behind 10 regional neighbors. Its biggest edge over the country is total tax burden (4.93%, 3.8 points below the national average); its biggest shortfall is violent crime rate (729, 123% above the national average). That mix of top-10 finishes (3) and bottom-10 finishes (4) is why the composite alone undersells the tradeoffs a mover here faces.
Where does Alaska rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Alaska is top 10 in 3 and bottom 10 in 4.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 49.1 | #23 of 50 | B | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 4.7% and median household income is $95,665. |
| Safety | 29.5 | #50 of 50 | F | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 729.3 violent crimes and 1,892.8 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 42.6 | #37 of 50 | C | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 75.8 years, 34% of adults have obesity, and 11% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 16.7 | #49 of 50 | F | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 264 in NAEP math and 246 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 77.8%. |
| Affordability | 47.6 | #42 of 50 | C | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $398,663 (4.2x median income); cost of living index 102.4 (100 = US); center-based infant care $12,425 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 74.2 | #4 of 50 | A+ | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $4,890 of debt per resident, has 75% of pensions funded, and holds a AA credit rating. |
| Growth | 13.4 | #49 of 50 | F | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.1% last year; Census net domestic migration is -6.1 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 66.1 | #2 of 50 | A+ | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 19.8 minutes, 0.7% of workers use public transit, and 8.4% work from home. |
| Livability | 38.2 | #16 of 50 | B+ | 7% | 34.3 | It has 1.876 restaurants and 0.042 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.198 bars and 0.189 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 100.0 | #1 of 50 | A+ | 6% | 29.4 | 61.8% of its land is public, with 6.82 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 49.5 | #14 of 50 | B+ | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 25, 33% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 100. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Alaska's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Alaska bulges toward outdoor access and dips at safety.
How expensive is Alaska?
Alaska's cost of living index is 102.4 against a national baseline of 100, 2% above the national average and #38 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $398,663 (8% above the national average); buying it takes an income of about $111,424, $15,759 more than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Juneau is cheapest (index 96.2) and South Lakes priciest (105.4).
Housing market snapshot · August
Cool marketRanked #22 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #24 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household is $15,759 short of the income needed to buy the typical home.
Full Alaska housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Alaska | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$15,458 | −$11,758 | #27 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$28,904 | +$31,418 | #32 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$31,565 | +$35,970 | #34 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Alaska?
Alaska has no state income tax; instead it leans on low sales tax, with property tax in the middle of the pack. The total state and local tax burden comes to 4.93% of income, 3.8 points below the national average (#1 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 1.16% of home value (#34), and combined sales tax averages 1.82% (#5).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 74.2 out of 100, #4 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Alaska safe?
Alaska reports 729 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 123% above the national average and #50 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 1,893 per 100,000, 23% above the national average (#44 of 50). The safety score is 29.5 out of 100, #50 of 50; among tracked cities, Palmer has the lowest violent crime rate.
Alaska vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Alaska
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer | 6,268 | 206 | 1,351 |
| Sitka | 8,368 | 242 | 507 |
| Kenai | 7,641 | 344 | 1,095 |
| Ketchikan | 8,078 | 350 | 1,150 |
| Wasilla | 9,720 | 432 | 3,627 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Alaska cities we track. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Alaska?
Alaska's unemployment rate is 4.7%, 0.8 points above the national average and #44 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $95,665, 18% above the national median. Real GDP grew -0.5% in the latest year (#48 of 50) and GDP per capita is $76,415, 19% above the national average. The population is growing 0.1% a year, 0.4 points below the national average. The economy score is 49.1 out of 100, #23 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Alaska, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $249,940 | $254,939 | Anchorage |
| Lawyers | $155,460 | $158,569 | Anchorage |
| Software Developers | $138,621 | $141,393 | Anchorage |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $114,302 | $116,588 | Anchorage |
| General & Operations Managers | $112,653 | $114,906 | Anchorage |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Alaska's schools and healthcare?
Alaska's education score is 16.7 out of 100, #49 of 50. Eighth graders average 264 in NAEP math (#46 of 50) and 246 in reading (#49 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 77.8%, 7.8 points below the national average (#48 of 50).
Alaska is #37 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 75.8 years, 1.1 years below the national average. 34% of adults have obesity (#23 of 50) and 11% of residents have no health insurance (#46 of 50). The health score is 42.6 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Alaska, and who is leaving?
Alaska lost a net 1,389 households to other states in the latest IRS release: 14,629 moved in and 16,018 moved out, -1.9 per 1,000 residents (#43 of 50). Arriving households report an average income of $63,293 against $70,910 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net -10.4K people (29.5K in, 39.8K out, ±7.3K), consistent with the IRS direction.
Where they come from
- 1California1,363 · $63,302
- 2Washington1,310 · $69,664
- 3Texas1,256 · $69,228
- 4Florida866 · $56,372
- 5Colorado625 · $69,149
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where they go
- 1Washington1,600 · $76,663
- 2Texas1,349 · $77,676
- 3California1,143 · $62,171
- 4Florida970 · $75,999
- 5Arizona926 · $74,539
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households left for these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in Alaska?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Alaska cities we track are Sitka (68.9), Chena Ridge (64.9), and Gateway (64.4). Juneau is the cheapest (cost index 96.2), Gateway the richest ($137,772), and Bethel the fastest growing (+4.2% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Alaska cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Alaska
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | Palmer | 206 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Juneau | cost of living index 96.2 |
| Most walkable | Sitka | walkability 12.9 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Knik-Fairview | median AQI 9 (county) |
| Best schools | Sitka | 89.8% graduation rate |
| Richest | Gateway | $137,772 |
Among the 20 Alaska cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Alaska
Where roughly four in ten Alaskans live, with the hospitals, the airport, the military base and the only real job market; the road system radiates from it.
The Anchorage exurb an hour north: cheaper homes, bigger lots, the fastest growth in the state, and a long highway commute; Palmer and Wasilla are the towns.
Fishing, oil-field service and retirees a few hours south of Anchorage; Kenai and Sterling are quieter and cheaper than the city, with Cook Inlet gas keeping heating bills manageable.
Cold beyond anything most Americans have felt, with military bases and the university as the payroll, heating oil as the big winter bill, and the cheapest tracked homes.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sitka | A+ | 68.9 | 8,368 | $101,727 | 242 | 96.2 |
| 2 | Chena Ridge | A | 64.9 | 5,881 | $133,775 | — | 103.2 |
| 3 | Gateway | A | 64.4 | 6,845 | $137,772 | — | 105.4 |
| 4 | Juneau | A | 63.5 | 31,794 | $101,661 | 487 | 96.2 |
| 5 | Bethel | B+ | 60.8 | 6,312 | $117,255 | 1,278 | 96.2 |
| 6 | Sterling | B+ | 58.8 | 6,323 | $102,415 | — | 96.2 |
| 7 | Ketchikan | B | 58.0 | 8,078 | $85,275 | 350 | 96.2 |
| 8 | Kenai | B | 57.6 | 7,641 | $87,083 | 344 | 96.2 |
| 9 | Kalifornsky | C+ | 55.3 | 8,663 | $93,508 | — | 96.2 |
| 10 | South Lakes | C+ | 54.8 | 6,180 | $98,141 | — | 105.4 |
| 11 | North Lakes | C+ | 54.4 | 10,223 | $101,679 | — | 105.4 |
| 12 | Palmer | C+ | 53.5 | 6,268 | $72,201 | 206 | 105.4 |
| 13 | College | C+ | 52.9 | 11,924 | $83,895 | — | 103.2 |
| 14 | Badger | C | 52.0 | 18,677 | $97,183 | — | 103.2 |
| 15 | Anchorage | C | 51.9 | 288,976 | $103,284 | 1,027 | 105.4 |
| 16 | Tanaina | C | 51.4 | 9,646 | $105,536 | — | 105.4 |
| 17 | Fairbanks | C | 49.2 | 32,083 | $73,534 | 843 | 103.2 |
| 18 | Knik-Fairview | D | 48.8 | 19,972 | $96,437 | — | 105.4 |
| 19 | Wasilla | D | 47.6 | 9,720 | $67,234 | 432 | 105.4 |
| 20 | Meadow Lakes | D | 44.6 | 8,689 | $81,699 | — | 105.4 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Alaska cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Who is Alaska best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Alaska cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Alaska compare with its neighbors?
Alaska ranks #42. Among its closest-ranked West states, Arizona ranks highest (#38) and California lowest (#47). Nevada is the most similar on the composite score and California the most different. The closest-ranked states in the region are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | #42 | 44.3 | $95,665 | $398,663 | 102.4 | 729 | 4.93% | |
| Arizona | #38 | 47.8 | $81,486 | $417,990 | 100.7 | 378 | 8.22% | Compare → |
| Nevada | #40 | 45.8 | $81,134 | $442,027 | 100 | 379 | 8.62% | Compare → |
| California | #47 | 40.2 | $100,149 | $764,158 | 110.7 | 433 | 11% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Alaska city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Alaska numbers say when read together.
Outdoor Access is Alaska's strongest suit
Alaska is a #42 state overall but #1 of 50 for outdoor access, 41 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 100 against a national average of 29.4. Transportation (#2) is next. Outdoor access carries 6% of the composite.
Safety is where Alaska falls furthest behind
Alaska ranks #50 of 50 for safety, 8 places below its overall #42, with a score of 29.5 against a national average of 68.9. At 12% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Total tax burden is 3.8 points below the national average
Alaska's total tax burden is 4.93%, 3.8 points below the national average of 8.74%, #1 of 50 (1 = lowest). The largest gap in the other direction is violent crime rate: 729, 123% above the national average. Source: WalletHub tax burden study, latest release.
More households leave than arrive
Alaska ranks #43 of 50 on net household flow per 1,000 residents (-1.9). The households arriving report $7,617 less in average income than those leaving ($63,293 against $70,910), so the state is trading down on income even as the headcount shrinks. The largest source is California; the largest destination is Washington.
A middle income is squeezed harder here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $15,458 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#27 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $28,904 surplus; a retiree couple at a $31,565 surplus. Infant childcare runs $12,425 a year, 21% below the national average.
Alaska sits 3rd among its 4-state neighborhood
2 of Alaska's 3 nearby states rank above its #42; the closest match on the composite is Nevada. Median income among them runs from $81,134 in Nevada to $100,149 in California; Alaska is at $95,665.
Frequently asked questions about living in Alaska
Is Alaska a good place to live?
Alaska ranks #42 of 50 with a C grade, #11 of 13 in the West. It is top 10 in outdoor access, transportation, and fiscal health and bottom 10 in affordability, education, growth, and safety. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 2 of 6 (income and tax burden) and trails on home prices, cost of living, violent crime, and unemployment. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Alaska rank among US states?
Alaska ranks #42 of 50 overall with a composite score of 44.3 (grade C), and #11 of 13 states in the West. Its best category rank is #1 (outdoor access) and its worst #50 (safety). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so C means rank 35–42.
Is it expensive to live in Alaska?
At #38 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Alaska is 2% above the national average: its index is 102.4 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $398,663 (8% above the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $111,424 against a median household income of $95,665. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $15,458 shortfall after all costs, #27 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Alaska have a state income tax?
No. Alaska levies no state income tax on wages. Its total state and local tax burden is 4.93% of income (#1 of 50, 1 = lowest), 3.8 points below the national average. Property tax is 1.16% of home value and combined sales tax 1.82%.
What is the crime rate in Alaska?
Alaska reports 729 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 123% above the national average and #50 of 50 (1 = safest), and 1,893 property crimes per 100,000, 23% above the national average (#44). Its safety score is 29.5 out of 100, #50 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Alaska have good schools?
Alaska is #49 of 50 for education (score 16.7 out of 100). Its public school students average 264 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#46) and 246 in eighth-grade reading (#49), and the high school graduation rate is 77.8%, 7.8 points below the national average (#48). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, Sitka has the highest graduation rate at 89.8%.
Why are people leaving Alaska?
Alaska lost a net 1,389 households in the latest IRS release: 14,629 moved in and 16,018 moved out, -1.9 per 1,000 residents (#43 of 50). The largest source of arrivals is California (1,363 households) and the most common destination is Washington (1,600). Arriving households report an average income of $63,293 against $70,910 for those leaving, so movers out earn more than movers in. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Alaska a red or blue state?
Alaska leans red: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is R+10, meaning it votes about 10 points more Republican than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
What are the downsides of living in Alaska?
Everything is far away and dark half the year. Anything shipped in costs more, winter runs from October to April, and violent crime of 729 per hundred thousand is the worst anywhere, concentrated in villages with no police. Schools rank #49. And the budget: a family of four on $75,000 ends the year at a $15,458 shortfall in Anchorage, which the no-income-tax headline omits.
Is Alaska a good place to retire?
Retirees rank #34, and the answer turns on health more than money. On money it is strong: no tax on retirement income, a mandatory senior exemption on part of the home's value, and the dividend. On health it is weak: specialists mean a flight to Anchorage or Seattle, and life expectancy is 75.8 years. At $75,000, a retired couple ends the year at a $31,565 surplus, $4,405 below the national median.
Does Alaska get earthquakes?
Constantly, and big ones on a long cycle. Southcentral Alaska, meaning Anchorage, the Mat-Su and the Kenai, sits on one of the most active subduction zones; small quakes are weekly background noise and the region has been flattened before. FEMA's index gives Alaska the maximum, 100.0, #50, adding coastal erosion, flooding and Interior wildfire. Price earthquake insurance, a separate policy, before buying in Anchorage.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in Alaska?
On the road system, about what the average state takes; off it, a lot more. A single adult on $75,000 ends the year at a $28,904 surplus, $2,514 below the national median, as no income tax offsets goods prices 6% above the national average and power at 26.09 cents per kWh. A family of four comes out at a $15,458 shortfall. In Bethel or a village, double the food and fuel line and add airfare.
Is Alaska good for remote workers?
Yes in Anchorage and the Mat-Su, no almost anywhere else. Remote workers rank #15, reflecting no income tax and a commute of 19.8 minutes, but only 8.4% of Alaskans work from home and although 93.6% of households subscribe to broadband, village connections are satellite and priced like it. Fiber is fine in Anchorage. An East Coast morning meeting lands at five in the morning here.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Alaska's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.