State comparison
Alaska vs Florida: which state is better to live in?
Alaska costs a median household about $840 a year less in state and local taxes than Florida, mostly because its combined sales tax is 1.76% against 7.02%, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 126 against 103).
Alaska
Low tax burden · COL index 126
Wins 6 categories
Florida
Low tax burden · COL index 103
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Alaska vs Florida
Neither Alaska nor Florida has a state income tax, so wages are untouched at the state level in both.
Property tax is 1.04% of home value a year in Alaska and 0.77% in Florida (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,536 against $3,196, so Florida has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 1.76% in Alaska and 7.02% in Florida; Alaska is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $3,930 a year in Alaska, $4,766 in Florida. Alaska is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Alaska's cost of living index is 126 and Florida's is 103, where 100 is the national average; Florida is about 22% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $340K in Alaska and $415K in Florida (Zillow, 2024), a $75K gap in Alaska's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,350 a month in Alaska and $1,900 in Florida.
Home insurance averages $1,400 a year in Alaska and $3,500 in Florida, so Alaska is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 838 incidents per 100,000 residents in Alaska and 387 in Florida (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Florida is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 117% lower. Property crime is 2,544 per 100,000 in Alaska against 1,882 in Florida, again favoring Florida.
Health
Life expectancy is 75 years in Alaska and 77.3 in Florida (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.3-year edge for Florida. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Alaska's health system 48th of 50 and Florida's 40th, so Florida scores better on care.
12.1% of Alaska residents have no health insurance against 13.2% in Florida, which favors Alaska. Alaska expanded Medicaid and Florida did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Alaska's K-12 schools 35th in the country and Florida's 19th, 16 places apart in Florida's favor. Florida runs a school-choice voucher program; Alaska does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Alaska went to Trump by 13 points and Florida went to Trump by 13 points.
Alaska has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Florida has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is protected by state law in Alaska and banned with narrow exceptions in Florida, and marijuana is legal for adults in Alaska and medical only in Florida as of 2026. The minimum wage is $11.73 an hour in Alaska and $13.00 in Florida.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Alaska (earthquake, tsunami, wildfire) and very high in Florida (hurricane, flood, tornado), so Alaska is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 29 in Alaska and 28 in Florida (under 50 is good), favoring Florida.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
6
Alaska
7
Florida
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Alaska or Florida better to live in?
Florida wins more of the measures that decide a move. Alaska on taxes ($3,930 a year for a median household against $4,766); Florida on everyday costs (index 103 against 126); Florida on safety (387 violent crimes per 100,000 against 838); Florida on schools (ranked 19th against 35th).
Which is cheaper, Alaska or Florida?
Florida is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 103 against 126. The median home is $340K in Alaska and $415K in Florida (2024). On state and local taxes Alaska saves a median household about $840 a year.
Does Alaska or Florida have lower taxes?
Alaska. A household earning $74,580 pays about $3,930 a year in Alaska ($0 income tax, $3,536 property tax on the median home and $394 in sales tax) and $4,766 in Florida ($0 income tax, $3,196 property tax on the median home and $1,571 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Alaska or Florida?
Florida, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 838 per 100,000 residents in Alaska and 387 in Florida; property crime is 2,544 against 1,882.
Which has better schools, Alaska or Florida?
Florida. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Alaska 35th of 50 for K-12 and Florida 19th. Florida also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Alaska or Florida better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Alaska does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Florida does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,536 a year in Alaska and $3,196 in Florida.