State comparison
Louisiana vs Alaska: which state is better to live in?
Alaska costs a median household about $1,600 a year less in state and local taxes than Louisiana, mostly because it has no income tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 126 against 91).
Louisiana
Moderate tax burden · COL index 91
Wins 9 categories
Alaska
Low tax burden · COL index 126
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Louisiana vs Alaska
Louisiana has a graduated income tax topping out at 3%, which works out to 3.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $2,237 a year. Alaska has no state income tax. Alaska wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.53% of home value a year in Louisiana and 1.04% in Alaska (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $1,140 against $3,536, so Louisiana has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 9.56% in Louisiana and 1.76% in Alaska; Alaska is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $5,516 a year in Louisiana, $3,930 in Alaska. Alaska is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Louisiana's cost of living index is 91 and Alaska's is 126, where 100 is the national average; Louisiana is about 38% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $215K in Louisiana and $340K in Alaska (Zillow, 2024), a $125K gap in Louisiana's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,100 a month in Louisiana and $1,350 in Alaska.
Home insurance averages $3,000 a year in Louisiana and $1,400 in Alaska, so Alaska is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 587 incidents per 100,000 residents in Louisiana and 838 in Alaska (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Louisiana is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 43% lower. Property crime is 2,426 per 100,000 in Louisiana against 2,544 in Alaska, again favoring Louisiana.
Health
Life expectancy is 73 years in Louisiana and 75 in Alaska (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.0-year edge for Alaska. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Louisiana's health system 45th of 50 and Alaska's 48th, so Louisiana scores better on care.
8.5% of Louisiana residents have no health insurance against 12.1% in Alaska, which favors Louisiana. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Louisiana's K-12 schools 47th in the country and Alaska's 35th, 12 places apart in Alaska's favor. Louisiana runs a school-choice voucher program; Alaska does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Louisiana went to Trump by 20 points and Alaska went to Trump by 13 points.
Louisiana has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Alaska has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Louisiana and protected by state law in Alaska, and marijuana is medical only in Louisiana and legal for adults in Alaska as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Louisiana and $11.73 in Alaska.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Louisiana (hurricane, flood, tornado) and moderate in Alaska (earthquake, tsunami, wildfire), so Alaska is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 36 in Louisiana and 29 in Alaska (under 50 is good), favoring Alaska.
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
9
Louisiana
6
Alaska
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Louisiana or Alaska better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Alaska on taxes ($3,930 a year for a median household against $5,516); Louisiana on everyday costs (index 91 against 126); Louisiana on safety (587 violent crimes per 100,000 against 838); Alaska on schools (ranked 35th against 47th).
Which is cheaper, Louisiana or Alaska?
Louisiana is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 91 against 126. The median home is $215K in Louisiana and $340K in Alaska (2024). On state and local taxes Alaska saves a median household about $1,600 a year.
Does Louisiana or Alaska have lower taxes?
Alaska. A household earning $74,580 pays about $5,516 a year in Louisiana ($2,237 income tax, $1,140 property tax on the median home and $2,139 in sales tax) and $3,930 in Alaska ($0 income tax, $3,536 property tax on the median home and $394 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Louisiana or Alaska?
Louisiana, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 587 per 100,000 residents in Louisiana and 838 in Alaska; property crime is 2,426 against 2,544.
Which has better schools, Louisiana or Alaska?
Alaska. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Louisiana 47th of 50 for K-12 and Alaska 35th. Louisiana also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Louisiana or Alaska better for retirees?
Alaska is friendlier to retirees on paper. Louisiana does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Alaska does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $1,140 a year in Louisiana and $3,536 in Alaska.