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Alaska

R+13  ·  Low tax burden  ·  COL index 126

A+

0%

Income Tax

838

Violent Crime / 100K

75

Life Expectancy

$340K

Median Home

$1,380

Childcare / Mo

State Profile

37/100
255075100TAXES85SAFETY0HEALTH4SCHOOLS31AFFORDABLE57LONGEVITY42

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Taxes

Income Tax

None

Property Tax

~$3,536/yr on median home

1.04% / yr

Sales Tax

1.76% avg

Social Security

Exempt

Pension / IRA

Fully Exempt

Estate Tax

None

Inheritance Tax

None

Capital Gains

Not taxed

Housing & Cost of Living

Cost of Living Index

National avg = 100

126

Median Home Price

$340,000

Median Rent (2BR)

$1,350/mo

Home Insurance

Near national avg (~$1,900/yr)

$1,400/yr

Flood Insurance

$450/yr

Homestead Exemption

Home equity protected from creditors

$72,900

Asset Protection

Moderate

Crime & Safety

Violent Crime Rate

Well above national avg

838 / 100K

Property Crime Rate

Near national avg

2,544 / 100K

Traffic Fatality Rate

9.8 / 100K

Healthcare

State Healthcare Rank

Bottom tier

#48 of 50

Life Expectancy

75 yrs

Medicaid Expansion

Expanded

Uninsured Rate

Above national avg (~9%)

12.1%

Education

K-12 Quality Rank

#35 of 50

School Choice / Vouchers

Not Available

Childcare

Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)

$1,380/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

Avg Monthly Energy Bill

$145/mo

Avg Monthly Groceries

2-person household, moderate spending

$780/mo

Road Quality Rank

#35 of 50

Airports & Travel

Nonstop Destinations

From state's primary airport

60+ routes

Major Hub Airport

Regional airport — connections via hub

No

Culture & Lifestyle

Urban Population

Mix of urban and rural

66% urban

Restaurant Density

420/100K

Religious Congregations

180/100K

Pro Sports Teams

NFL + NBA + MLB + NHL + MLS

None

Major Venues

Stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters (10K+ capacity)

1 venues

Craft Breweries

7.4/100K residents — Top tier

55 breweries

Craft Distilleries

12 distilleries

Live Music

Surprisingly strong brewery-per-capita; Midnight Sun Festival

Decent

Transportation

Car Insurance (Avg Annual)

$1,270

Traffic Fatality Rate

9.8 / 100K

Broadband Access

Below national avg

77% of households

Social & Legal

Abortion Access

State constitution protects abortion rights

Protected

LGBTQ+ Protections

Moderate

Marijuana

Recreational

Minimum Wage

$11.73/hr

Right to Work

Yes

Sports Betting

Illegal

Casino Gambling

No casinos

Online Gambling

Illegal

State Lottery

One of 5 states with no lottery. Limited pull-tab games allowed at licensed establishments.

No

Age of Consent

16

Sex Education

No state sex ed mandate

No mandate

Nude Beaches & Naturist Clubs

Chena Hot Springs (Fairbanks) — clothing optional hot pools

None known

Environment & Climate

Air Quality (Annual AQI)

Excellent (national avg ~38)

29

Natural Disaster Risk

Moderate

Primary Hazards

earthquaketsunamiwildfire

Politics & Gun Laws

2024 Presidential Vote

R+13

Gun Laws

Gun ControlF
2A LibertyA+

Carry Permit

No permit required

Purchase Permit Required

No

Gambling

Not Legal

Hunting & Outdoors

Public Land62% of state
Resident Deer License$25
Deer Archery SeasonAug 1 – Dec 31 (varies by unit)
CrossbowFull season

62% public land. Moose, caribou, Sitka blacktail deer. Many remote areas accessible only by floatplane. Brown bear and black bear are also common targets.

Alaska Dept of Fish & Game — Official Season Dates ↗

Finding nearby venues...

From r/hunting

Alaska advice : r/Hunting

hunting season for big game is generally mid august to late September. The regulations with specific seasons can be found online at the ADF&...

reddit.com ↗

Best state to live in for a hunter? : r/Hunting

Alaska is a very expensive state to live in. Other states offer deer elk and Antelope. Plus they have many roads that you can travel on and ...

reddit.com ↗

r/Hunting on Reddit: If you could move a family to any state ...

If you want unlimited deer & woods, Alabama. If you want more variety as in bear or elk, probably one of those Canadian states like Minneeso...

reddit.com ↗

Planning a Guided Alaska Hunt for 40th Birthday

Elk hunting in Alaska is probably one of the more challenging and there's better elk options for much less in the lower 48. Deer, is pretty ...

reddit.com ↗

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Jobs & Economy

Job Market

+0.8% job growth · 4.1% unemployment

Weak

Top Industries

GovernmentOil & GasHealthcare

Tech Jobs

#45 of 50

Healthcare Jobs

#22 of 50

Remote Work

14% of workers

Median Household Income

$89,872

Business Climate

Corporate Income Tax

High corporate rate — plan entity structure carefully

9.4%

LLC Formation Fee

$250 one-time

LLC Annual Fee

$100/yr

Business Climate Rank

Top-10 nationally (Tax Foundation SBTCI 2024)

#3 of 50

No state sales tax; high corp rate applies mostly to C-corps

Daily Life

Gas Price (Regular)

Well above avg (+0.68 vs national avg)

$3.98/gal

Consumer Fireworks

Broad consumer fireworks legality; check local ordinances

Legal

Weather & Natural Risks

Winter Severity

Avg January high: 13°F

Harsh

Summer Heat

Moderate summers

65°F avg July

Annual Rainfall

21" / yr

Tornado Risk

Very Low

Hurricane Risk

Very Low

Wildfire Risk

Low

Flood Risk

Low

Natural Hazards

23LOW danger
Murder hornet expansion zoneEarthquake country (M7+ routine)Grizzly bear territoryMosquito clouds June-August

Venomous Snakes

Minimal

Spider Hazard

Minimal

Hurricane Risk

Minimal

Tornado Risk

Minimal

Wildfire Risk

Moderate

Earthquake Risk

Extreme

Murder Hornets

Active Expansion Zone

Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗

Veteran Benefits

Veteran-Friendly Score

12% of state population are veterans

83/100

Property Tax Exemption

Up to $150K exemption for disabled vets

Partial

Military Retirement Pay

Tax Exempt

Active Duty Pay

Tax Exempt

VA Facilities Access

Adequate

Notable Benefits

No state income tax. Strong VA network.

Explore Alaska counties

Income, housing, poverty, healthcare — ranked by county

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Housing, taxes, childcare, insurance — all estimated.

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Trending in Alaska

The trans-Alaska pipeline paid taxes. So can the LNG. - Alaska Beacon

Alaska Beacon · Jun 9

Opinion: Complex energy policy questions go beyond Alaska LNG legislation - Anchorage Daily News

Anchorage Daily News · Jun 10

Alaska governor's race survey: How much should companies pay in oil taxes? - Juneau Independent

Juneau Independent · Jun 9

Former Alaska Gov. Bill Walker considers fifth run for governor as deadline approaches - Alaska Public Media

Alaska Public Media · May 28

Sullivan vs. Sullivan: Alaska investigates US Senate candidate who shares name with incumbent - The Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post · Jun 10

What Residents Say

"Alaska is 25% (or more) more expensive to live"-Why? ...

averages 1700-2000 a month. My electric bill is close to $200 a month. Rural Internet about $90, gas averages $3.50 a gallon throughout the ......

reddit.com ↗

Is Alaska significantly more expensive?

We pay way less in taxes. Generally prices in Alaska are 30-50% higher than the lower 48. it costs $600-$800 to go to the lower ska • The Trump ......

reddit.com ↗

Income Tax for non-residents : r/alaska

An income tax would economically destroy Alaska. Why pay higher energy prices, higher housing costs, higher medical costs, higher property ......

reddit.com ↗

Living on ~40k/year? : r/AskAlaska

~40k/year after taxes. 50 - 60k/yr is stable in Alaska, The cost of living is just way too high. car, insurance, repairs when they need it. ......

reddit.com ↗

How much do you need to live comfortably in Anchorage?

What’s a realistic salary for living comfortably in Anchorage—like, bills are paid and there’s room to go out, take a vacation, and save a little? ......

reddit.com ↗

I want to move to Alaska : r/alaska

Alaska does not have a state sales tax but there are municipal and borough taxes. 2y ago Alaska neither has a sales tax or income tax. is ......

reddit.com ↗

Convince me that we don't need an income tax in Alaska.

Alaska residents don't pay state income tax or sales tax. Instead they get an annual check paid by the oil industry....

reddit.com ↗

From a tax and cost of living perspective, what is your ...

I live in Florida. While its a great state from a capital gains and income tax standpoint, it seems to be mediocre for owning a home (high tax and insurance) .....

reddit.com ↗

RE in Alaska? : r/financialindependence

We're considering moving from mostly-fi/almost-re to actually-fi/actually-re. Like many of us, I've been to Alaska on (more than one) vacation but have ......

reddit.com ↗

Cost of living : r/anchorage

Bear in mind Anchorage has no sales tax, and there are no state level taxes on the people, which helps a lot. Food expenses are certainly a big ......

reddit.com ↗

Stay Current

Get notified when Alaska tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.

Alaska Guides

taxes

Alaska: The Last Frontier's Hidden Financial Perks

Alaska pays residents to live there. Between zero state income tax, no state sales tax, and an annua

Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI UCR ~2022. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund / US News ~2023. Education: Education Week ~2023. Housing: Zillow / Census ACS ~2024. Insurance: rate surveys ~2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

Dial in your priorities

Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable