Is Alaska Still Worth It?

What it costs to live here, and how good a place it is to live, in plain numbers.

Best place to live rank

#50

50th out of 50 states overall.

Among the worst in the country for overall quality of life.

How we rank states ›

Cost to live here

#41

41st cheapest state, about 15% above average.

To live the way $75,000 affords in an average state, you would need about $85,900 here.

How we measure cost ›

Alaska ranks 50th of 50 states for overall quality of life and 41st for affordability. It does best on green space, air quality, and cost, and struggles most with walkability, climate, and healthcare. A typical household earns about $84,900 a year, and the cost of living runs about 15% above average.

Why Alaska ranks #50 for living

Our Best Life Rank scores every state on the things that shape daily life, from cost and climate to schools and safety. Here is how Alaska scores on each, best to worst.

Green space
#1 of 50
Air quality
#5 of 50
Cost of living
#41 of 50
Dog friendly
#41 of 50
Economy
#48 of 50
Education
#49 of 50
Safety
#49 of 50
Walkability
#49 of 50
Climate
#50 of 50
Healthcare
#50 of 50

Each factor is ranked 1 (best) to 50 (worst) across all states. Green is strong, yellow is middling, red is weak.

Alaska at a glance

Typical household income

$84,900

14th highest

Typical home price

$360,000

23rd highest

Overall cost of living

15% above average

41st cheapest

Total taxes on a typical household

About 4%

42nd highest income tax

Typical commute

About 20 min

one way

Taxes in Alaska

See your real Alaska take-home pay

Enter your salary and get your actual paycheck after Alaska taxes.

Calculate my take-home pay ›
Sources: Cost and income from the U.S. Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics. Tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Best Life Rank factors from the Commonwealth Fund, NAEP, FBI, EPA, and NOAA. Cost measured by the BLISS Score, v1.3 method. Updated 2026.