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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Anchorage might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of affordability in Alaska, but the numbers don't lie. With a median income of $98,152 — we had to double-check this one — — 22% above the national median — paired with a cost index of just 105, it delivers purchasing power tha…
#1 Ranked: Anchorage — cost index 105, rent $1,660/mo, income $98,152
1 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Anchorage might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of affordability in Alaska, but the numbers don't lie. With a median income of $98,152 — we had to double-check this one — — 22% above the national median — paired with a cost index of just 105, it delivers purchasing power that most cities can't match. You get the picture. We analyzed 1 cities using 2026 data from the Census Bureau, Zillow, and BLS to assemble this ranking.
Dive into Anchorage's numbers: cost index 105 (7 points below national average), rent $1,660/month, income $98,152, and a home price of $405,601. And broadly, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 97, while Housing runs 113. With 286,075 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
The same data, viewed through a different lens: State context matters: Alaska's 1 cities average a 105 cost index with $1,660/month — for better or worse — median rent and $98,152 household income. Vast wilderness, high wages, and higher prices. The city profiles tell the rest of the story.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
286,075 residents · Alaska
Dive into Anchorage's numbers: cost index 105 (7 points below national average), rent $1,660/month, income $98,152, and a home price of $405,601. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 97, while Housing runs 113. With 286,075 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Cities are ranked by their transportation cost sub-index within Alaska. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Anchorage ranks #1 in Alaska for this analysis with a cost index of 105 and median income of $98,152.
Anchorage, AK has the lowest transportation index at 100, compared to the national average of 100.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Anchorage is $1,660/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $235 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Anchorage is $405,601, which is 4.1× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Alaska has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 1.82%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.04%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.