Living in Anchorage, AK

The crime statistics for Anchorage are among the highest in the country — violent crime index of 220, which is more than double the national average, with property crime at 189. Those are real numbers that deserve real consideration. At the same time, people do live here, build lives, and feel safe — usually because they've chosen their neighborhood very carefully. If you're moving to Anchorage, treat neighborhood research as non-negotiable. Visit in person, talk to locals, and check block-level data from the police department. FBI UCR.

Rent in Anchorage is genuinely cheap relative to what people earn here. Median rent is $1,453/month and median household income is $98,152/year — that's a 17.8% rent-to-income ratio, which is rare in today's housing market. Lower demand, cheaper land, or strong local wages could all be factors. Whatever the cause, your dollar stretches further here than in most places. Census ACS 2023.

The average worker in Anchorage spends about 17 minutes getting to the office. Driving solo is the default (71.0%), with 9.6% working remotely and 1.4% on public transit. It's a fairly typical commute — not a selling point, not a dealbreaker.

Not particularly. The climate risk score is 21/100, which puts Anchorage in the low-risk tier. Earthquake, Winter Storm, and Flood are the most relevant hazards, but none of them are frequent concerns. Standard insurance should have you covered. It's one less thing to worry about if you're comparing this city to higher-risk metros along the coast or in tornado alley. Data from FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA.

Mixed. The city-wide graduation rate is 78.0% and classrooms average 15 students per teacher. Some schools here are legitimately excellent — strong test scores, engaged communities, good resources. Others struggle. The gap between the best and worst is wider than you might expect. Do your homework on individual schools rather than relying on the city-wide number.

Several factors converge: Anchorage's average utility bill is $315/month, a full $85 above the national average of $230. Climate extremes are often the biggest driver — running AC all summer or heat all winter adds up fast. Older homes with poor insulation make it worse. If you're moving here, factor utility costs into your monthly budget alongside rent. It's a real line item.

Good, overall. The median AQI sits at 35, which falls within the EPA's "Good" category, and Anchorage logs 290 clean-air days annually. PM2.5 is the main pollutant. Occasional spikes happen — wildfire smoke, temperature inversions, or high-ozone days — but they're the exception, not the rule. Check AirNow.gov during allergy season or summer heat waves.

Relatively, yes. The combined effective rate across income, property, and sales taxes works out to roughly 1.1%, with a 0.0% sales tax. Some states achieve this by skipping income tax entirely — though property taxes or fees sometimes fill the gap. Your individual burden depends on income level, homeownership, and spending habits, but the overall tax climate here is lighter than most.

Yes. Anchorage's water system scores 93/100 in our analysis — zero health-based violations on record, and the lead risk rating is "low." It meets or exceeds all EPA standards. You can fill a glass from the faucet without thinking twice. A basic pitcher filter can improve taste if you're particular, but it's not a safety concern.

Everything on this page is built from public government sources: rent and income figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023); commute and transportation data from Census ACS tables B08303 and B08006; crime rates from the FBI Uniform Crime Report; climate risk assessments using FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA storm records; air quality measurements from the EPA's Air Quality System database; water quality compliance data from EPA records and the EWG Tap Water Database; school data from the National Center for Education Statistics; utility cost estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. We refresh each dataset monthly through an automated pipeline and cross-check for anomalies. No surveys, no user-submitted guesses — just official federal data presented in a way that's actually useful for people researching a move.