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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Alaska's value. 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Anchorage at index 97, where median rent of $1,660/month saves renters $2,820/year versus the national median.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Alaska's value. 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Anchorage at index 97, where median rent of $1,660/month saves renters $2,820/year versus the national median.
So, Anchorage. Cost index of 97, rent at $1,660/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $98,152, which is above average. That's more or less in line with the region.
There's more to the story, though. Across Alaska, the average cost of living index is 97 — 14 points below the national median. Known for vast wilderness, high wages, and higher prices, the state offers 1 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,660/month. That's $235 less than the national average of $1,895. When healthcare costs are this low, the savings ripple across every other category.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. And in practical terms, 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.
#1 Ranked: Anchorage — cost index 97, rent $1,660/mo, income $98,152
1 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
286,075 residents · Alaska
A closer look at Anchorage: the cost index of 97 breaks down to a Housing index of 97 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (weakest). Median rent is $1,660/month — 12% below the national median — while household income sits at $98,152, meaning locals spend about 20% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard. Solidly above average.
Anchorage ranks #1 in Alaska for this analysis with a cost index of 97 and median income of $98,152.
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.