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Alaska

Low tax burden · COL index 126

Wins 8 categories

VS

Illinois

High tax burden · COL index 92

Wins 7 categories

Alaska has no state income tax. Illinois's top rate is 4.95%. Cost of living in Alaska (index 126) runs 37% higher than Illinois (index 92). Property taxes are meaningfully different: Illinois averages 1.73% annually vs Alaska's 1.04%. Politically, Alaska voted Republican in 2024 (R+13.0) while Illinois went Democratic (D+14.0).

Alaska
Illinois

Taxes

None
Income Tax (top rate)
4.95%
1.04%/yr
Property Tax Rate
1.73%/yr
1.76%
Sales Tax (avg)
8.82%
Yes
Social Security Tax
Yes
Yes
Estate Tax
No
None
Capital Gains Tax
As income

Housing & Cost of Living

126
COL Index (100=avg)
92
$340K
Median Home Price
$275K
$1,350/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$1,400/mo
$1K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$2K/yr

Crime & Safety

838
Violent Crime / 100K
413
2,544
Property Crime / 100K
1,666

Healthcare

#48 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#20 of 50
75 yrs
Life Expectancy
77.2 yrs
12.1%
Uninsured Rate
7.4%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

#35 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#16 of 50
No
School Choice / Vouchers
No

Childcare

$1,380/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$1,650/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$145/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$145/mo
$780/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$510/mo
#35 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#40 of 50

Social Policy

F
Gun Laws Grade
A
R+13.0
2024 Presidential Margin
D+14.0

Category wins

8

Alaska

7

Illinois

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Your Priorities

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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