Cost of Living in Anchorage, Alaska
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Anchorage, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 287,155
- Median household income
- $105,356
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 105.4
- Unemployment rate
- 4.8%
Is Anchorage a good place to live?
Anchorage is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 176 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in Anchorage keeps $15,948 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living5% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,280 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- TaxesNo state income tax on wages
Cost of living in Anchorage
Prices in the Anchorage, AK area run 5% above the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 12% above the US average.
- Housing10% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)7% above the US average
- Utilities12% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)3% above the US average
- All items5% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,280 | $15,360 |
| Food | $530 | $6,360 |
| Transportation | $419 | $5,028 |
| Healthcare | $364 | $4,368 |
| Utilities | $291 | $3,492 |
| Total before taxes | $2,884 | $34,608 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Anchorage | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,199 | $1,095 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,280 | $1,169 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,672 | $1,529 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,316 | $2,117 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,793 | $2,556 |
Living in Anchorage
How Anchorage compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Anchorage | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $105,356 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $429,600 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,536 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 38% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 8.3% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 39.9% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 35.6 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 18.1 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 9% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 0.9% | 3.7% |
Home internet
3 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Anchorage, led by GCI Communication Corp., Borealis Broadband Inc, Alaska Communications, Matanuska Telecom Association Inc.. Fiber reaches 5.6% of homes and 4.9% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Anchorage
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 18.1 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $15,948 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 176 of 178 large cities.
- No state income tax. Alaska doesn't tax wages, so more of each paycheck stays with you.
- Higher incomes. Median household income is $105,356, against $81,604 nationally.
Cons
- Higher cost of living. Prices are 5% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Patchy fast internet. Only 4.9% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
What your job keeps in Anchorage
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $60,200
- Federal income tax
- −$5,044
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,605
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$15,360
- Everyday costs
- −$19,243
a year, or $1,329 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Anchorage, AK. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Anchorage, AK area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $115,290 | $55,333 |
| Civil engineer | $112,740 | $53,539 |
| Project manager | $99,580 | $44,281 |
| Accountant | $82,150 | $32,020 |
| Teacher | $79,338 | $30,042 |
| Carpenter | $72,800 | $25,442 |
| Truck driver | $66,190 | $20,760 |
| Social worker | $60,691 | $16,342 |
| Medical assistant | $51,930 | $9,302 |
| Nursing assistant | $45,370 | $4,032 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Anchorage on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $15,690
- Data scientist $43,613
- Dental assistant $13,947
- Dental hygienist $67,390
- Dentist $134,155
- Diesel mechanic $26,623
- Electrician $32,223
- Financial analyst $53,730
- Firefighter $19,652
- HVAC technician $34,461
- Lawyer $81,641
- Licensed practical nurse $32,146
- Lineman $31,583
- Mechanical engineer $59,780
- Nurse practitioner $84,267
- Occupational therapist $47,165
- Paralegal $20,777
- Paramedic $20,310
- Pharmacist $88,060
- Pharmacy technician $9,255
- Physical therapist $53,434
- Physician assistant $81,041
- Plumber $40,075
- Police officer $55,144
- Radiologic technologist $39,132
- Respiratory therapist $43,135
- Software engineer $47,412
- Speech-language pathologist $46,695
- Veterinarian $61,971
- Welder $26,286
Compare Anchorage with other cities
Compare Anchorage with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Anchorage
11 licensed interstate movers are based in Anchorage, and 3 more elsewhere in the Anchorage, AK area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Anchorage, AK a good place to live?
Anchorage is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 176 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $60,200 and keeps $15,948 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Anchorage?
Prices in the Anchorage, AK area are 5% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,280 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,604 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Anchorage?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $40,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Anchorage, AK area earns $60,200.
What is the average rent in Anchorage?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,199 for a studio, $1,280 for a 1-bedroom and $1,672 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Anchorage at $1,536 a month (2024).
Does Anchorage have a state or city income tax?
Alaska has no state income tax on wages. Anchorage has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Anchorage?
3 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Anchorage, led by GCI Communication Corp., Borealis Broadband Inc, Alaska Communications, Matanuska Telecom Association Inc.. 5.6% of homes can get fiber and 4.9% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate