State profile
Alaska Cost of Living Comparison
Alaska's 2024 price level is 102.359, only 2.36% above the national level, but the average hides a split: utilities run 19.02% above the U.S. and goods 6.32% above, while rents are 6.22% below.
Updated
102.359Alaska all-items price level, U.S. = 100 · rank 38 of 51, lowest first
| Measure | Alaska | Rhode Island | First − second |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-items price level | 102.359 | 102.280 | +0.079 points |
| Rent price level | 93.784 | 105.620 | −11.836 points |
| Home value | $352,900±$3,735 | $404,200±$4,032 | −$51,300 |
| Two-bedroom gross rent | $1,434±$21 | $1,457±$28 | −$23 |
| Household income | $92,788±$1,232 | $87,796±$1,209 | +$4,992 |
| Real estate taxes paid | $3,901±$70 | $4,900±$36 | −$999 |
$4,000 of monthly spending in Alaska scales to $3,997 in Rhode Island at the 2024 all-items price ratio.
BEA 2024 and ACS 2020–2024; ± marks the Census 90% margin. How to read a gap
What makes Alaska expensive, and what does not
Distance shows up in goods and energy rather than housing. Alaska's goods parity of 106.319 ranks 47th of 51 (lowest first), and utilities at 119.021 rank 42nd. Rents tell the opposite story: a housing parity of 93.784 is below the national level, and the two-bedroom gross-rent median of $1,434 ranks 18th, well short of the coastal states that share Alaska's overall price level.
Prices also moved more than most. The all-items parity jumped from 101.339 in 2020 to 104.907 in 2021 before easing back to 102.359 in 2024, a net rise of 1.020 points. Those are relative positions against each year's national level, but the swing is a reminder that a single-year benchmark can age quickly here.
Incomes are high. The median household income of $92,788 ranks 13th, and real per capita personal income of $60,272 ranks 18th, slightly above the U.S. figure of $59,195. Renters spend 27.7% of income on gross rent, among the lowest shares in the country (rank 44, highest first).
The state government's finances are unlike any other. Census records no state individual income tax and no state general sales tax in Alaska. Severance taxes on oil and gas supplied 43.9% of fiscal 2025 collections and corporate income tax 21.7%, and total collections came to $2,288 per resident, the lowest of all 51. Local government taxes sit outside these state figures, and they are not small: the median real estate tax paid by owners is $3,901 a year, rank 14.
With no land border to another state, the nearest comparisons are by price level: Rhode Island (102.280) is closest.
Category price levels in Alaska
| Category | Parity | Rank, low first | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 102.359 | 38 | 2.36% above |
| Goods | 106.319 | 47 | 6.32% above |
| Housing (rents) | 93.784 | 30 | 6.22% below |
| Utilities | 119.021 | 42 | 19.02% above |
| Other services | 102.208 | 39 | 2.21% above |
| Real income per person, 2017 $ | $60,272 | 18 | U.S. $59,195 |
All items by year: 2020 101.339 · 2021 104.907 · 2022 102.101 · 2023 103.297 · 2024 102.359 (+1.020 since 2020). How to read categories and trends
Monthly housing costs
- Owners with a mortgage
- $2,229±$21 · rank 13, high first
- Owners without a mortgage
- $690±$13 · rank 15
- Renters: gross rent / income
- 27.7%±0.5 · rank 44
Alaska state tax collections, FY2025
$1.69 billion in total, $2,288 per resident. Scope of these figures
| Tax | FY2025 | Share | Per resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual income | not levied | ||
| General sales | not levied | ||
| Property | $133.8 million | 7.9% | $181 |
| Motor fuel | $49.2 million | 2.9% | $67 |
| Other selective sales | $286.3 million | 17.0% | $388 |
| Corporate income | $365.4 million | 21.7% | $496 |
| Licenses | $111.3 million | 6.6% | $151 |
| Severance | $740.9 million | 43.9% | $1,005 |
| Other taxes | not levied | ||
Closest price levels to Alaska
Alaska borders no other state. Nearest 2024 all-items parities:
Before you budget a move
An Alaska comparison needs a travel plan as well as a housing plan. Ask whether an offered role requires a vehicle, flights, seasonal trips or employer-provided accommodation. None of those requirements can be inferred from a statewide median household income. Write each cost into a separate prepared-budget line.
For Anchorage, Fairbanks or another destination, check which utility services the advertised rent includes before comparing it with gross rent. A remote work offer with housing included and a self-funded rental move need different cash-flow worksheets even when they share the same statewide price index.
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