Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Alaska

You think about moving to Alaska but want to get additional information on overall quality of life, public infrastructure, housing, living costs, education and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of living in Alaska in the following chapters.

Living in Alaska – Overview

Advantages of Living in Alaska

1. People living in Alaska can enjoy beautiful scenery
2. You can spend lots of time in nature
3. People in Alaska can get lots of fresh air
4. Alaska offers many recreational spaces
5. Alaska is great for people who don’t like big city life
6. Alaska is not a crowded state
7. You can go back to the roots
8. Alaska offers a peaceful atmosphere
9. You can enjoy real seasons in Alaska
10. You can forage for food in Alaska
11. You can live self-sufficient in Alaska
12. You can go swimming in summer and do winter sports in winter
13. Alaska is a rather tolerant state
14. Many people in Alaska are helpful
15. You can make many new friends rather quickly
16. You can grow in character by moving to Alaska
17. Many different cultural influences in the big cities of Alaska
18. Solid bars and clubs in the big cities of Alaska
19. You learn how to live in line with natural processes
20. Alaska is a pretty quiet state
21. You can enjoy many great activities with your family
22. Living costs in Alaska are rather low
23. Housing shortage is not a big problem in Alaska
24. Easy to find a place to rent in most parts of Alaska
25. Many people are still able to buy a decent home in Alaska
26. Overall financial pressure of living in Alaska is rather low
27. Traffic is not a big problem in most parts of Alaska
28. Pretty easy to find a parking lot in Alaska
29. Air quality is pretty decent in most parts of Alaska
30. Quality of drinking water is often pretty decent
31. Alaska can be a great place to live for landlords
32. Alaska may be a great place to retire
33. Homelessness is not a big problem in most parts of Alaska yet
34. Social inequality is not as severe as in many other states
35. Living in Alaska may help you stay relaxed
36. Alaska will not run out of drinking water for many decades
37. Income level in Alaska is above national average

People living in Alaska can enjoy beautiful scenery

One advantage of living in Alaska is that you can enjoy many beautiful views.

In fact, Alaska is full of nice mountains, lakes, creeks and forests and you can therefore wake up in the morning and enjoy this beautiful atmosphere, especially if you live outside the big cities in rather rural towns.

You can spend lots of time in nature

Since there are so many nice things to do in nature, you can go fishing, hunting, hiking and do many other things outdoors and this gives you the opportunity to relax and also to stay fit while many other people in states with less beautiful nature will often stay indoors for longer and may get overweight or even obese sooner or later.

People in Alaska can get lots of fresh air

Since you will have the incentive to spend lots of time outdoors in nature, you can also get lots of fresh air and this may help you stay fit in the long run since you may be less likely to suffer from serious health conditions.

Alaska offers many recreational spaces

Not only will you find lots of beautiful nature in many rural regions of Alaska, but you will also find many recreational places like parks and other green spaces in the major cities of Alaska and will therefore find more than enough spots where you can relax in nature.

Alaska is great for people who don’t like big city life

Moving to Alaska can also be a great choice for people who just don’t like big city life at all and want to live in rather rural regions.

In such a case, you will be far better off living in Alaska compared to people living in NYC or other big metropolitan regions where people are often in a rush and you may not be able to relax in a proper manner.

Alaska is not a crowded state

You should also know that population density in Alaska is pretty low compared to most other states in the US and this means that you will have more than enough public space for yourself and don’t have to worry about running people on a regular basis which gives you the opportunity to be on your own in case you need some time to think about complex problems that need to be solved and you don’t want to get distracted by others.

You can go back to the roots

Another benefit of living in Alaska is that you can also go back to the roots.

In fact, many people in Alaska live a similar life as our ancestors did centuries ago and you can therefore experience this kind of lifestyle while you can still use our modern technologies to facilitate your life a little bit.

Alaska offers a peaceful atmosphere

Thanks to beautiful nature, you can also enjoy a really peaceful atmosphere in Alaska and may get peace of mind and will be able to relax while many other people living in Los Angeles or other more crowded and hectic cities may have a much harder time in this regard.

You can enjoy real seasons in Alaska

Since you will have moderately warm summers and pretty cold winters, you can also experience real seasons in Alaska and this may be more interesting compared to spending your time in warm climatic conditions all year long as people living in Austin or other warmer places often do.

You can forage for food in Alaska

Another upside to living in Alaska is that since you will be surrounded by beautiful nature, you can also forage for food on a regular basis and may be able to pick many berries, mushrooms and all sorts of other eatable stuff so you don’t have to buy lots of food in the grocery store and may be able to save lots of money in the long run while you can just enjoy the most organic food possible.

You can live self-sufficient in Alaska

If you want to take it one step further, you may not only want to forage for food as a hobby but may want to live self-sufficient in a serious manner.

In fact, many people in Alaska just consume what they produce and if you love this kind of lifestyle, there may be barely any other place where you can fulfill your dream of living this lifestyle as properly as in Alaska since you can go fishing, hunting and have many other food sources.

You can go swimming in summer and do winter sports in winter

Living in Alaska can also be great since you can do so many different things outdoors.

While you can go swimming during hot summer days, you can also go skiing and do other winter sports once it gets colder outside and sports lovers will therefore always have something to do in this region.

Alaska is a rather tolerant state

Another advantage of moving to Alaska is that it is also a pretty tolerant state.

Especially in the big cities, you will find many tolerant and open people who will love to get in touch with you no matter where you come from and as long as you are friendly and polite, chances are that you will have a great time in Alaska.

Many people in Alaska are helpful

You should also know that people in Alaska are usually pretty helpful and in case your car breaks down or you have to deal with various other problems in life, chances are that you will find someone who will be willing to help you out and you can often really count on your friends in Alaska since true friendships and social bonds are really important to most people in this area.

You can make many new friends rather quickly

You also don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated in Alaska since you will be able to make many new social connections within a rather short period of time, at least if you live in bigger cities where you will find enough locations to hang out with other like-minded people.

You can grow in character by moving to Alaska

While living in Alaska can be pretty hard since you will often have fewer amenities than in other more urban regions, you can still grow in character and become more confident in the long run making all those experiences since you learn to trust your instinct and your intuition and will also have the courage of moving forward even in case annoying unexpected things happen.

Many different cultural influences in the big cities of Alaska

While rural regions in Alaska are often pretty conservative and you will not find many different cultural influences in those regions, big cities are often characterized by people with many different home countries and you will therefore find enough cultural diversity and can hang out with many interesting people.

Solid bars and clubs in the big cities of Alaska

You will also find some nice bars to hang out with other like-minded people in the bigger cities of Alaska and while you should not expect the same great nightlife as people moving to Las Vegas, you will still find some locations where you can have a nice drink.

You learn how to live in line with natural processes

Another benefit of moving to Alaska is that you will also learn how to live with natural processes.

For instance, in winter, you will often not be able to use certain roads due to excessive snowfall and you will learn how to stay patient and search for another way how to get from A to B and this is true on various occasions in life if you live close to nature.

Alaska is a pretty quiet state

Many people also really enjoy living in Alaska since it is a pretty quiet state where you can be on your own quite a lot and also don’t have to deal with annoying traffic noises or other sources of distraction so you can really focus on reaching your goals and achieving your dreams.

You can enjoy many great activities with your family

Moving to Alaska may also be great if you have kids since you can teach your children quite a lot about nature and why it is so important to protect it as best as possible so your kids can turn into responsible grownups and may hand over this knowledge to the next generation.

Living costs in Alaska are rather low

Another upside to moving to Alaska is that living costs are rather low compared to many other states and since you can go fishing, hunting and forage for food, you may be able to reduce those costs even more and may have more money to spend on other things.

Housing shortage is not a big problem in Alaska

You should also know that housing shortage is not a big problem in Alaska.

In fact, many buildings are vacant and you will have more than enough opportunities to choose among various housing options in the Alaska housing market and don’t have to deal with lots of competition.

Easy to find a place to rent in most parts of Alaska

Also rents are still reasonably low in most parts of Alaska and this means that people don’t have to spend a big fraction of their income on housing and will have much more money left to spend on other important things.

Many people are still able to buy a decent home in Alaska

Thanks to rather low property prices, many people in Alaska are still able to buy decent homes in this region without having to financially overcommit themselves, especially in rural regions where property prices are much lower than in the bigger cities.

Overall financial pressure of living in Alaska is rather low

Since living and housing costs in Alaska are pretty low, many people in Alaska also don’t have to deal with the same high financial pressure as people living in Seattle or other much more expensive regions where people often struggle financially and have to deal with serious debt in the long run.

Traffic is not a big problem in most parts of Alaska

You should also know that due to rather low population density, also traffic is not a big problem in Alaska yet and you can therefore get around by car in a proper manner without losing lots of time in traffic jams.

Pretty easy to find a parking lot in Alaska

Since traffic is not a big deal in most parts of Alaska yet, you will also have a pretty easy time finding a parking lot in this region and will not have to spend lots of time and money in this regard.

Air quality is pretty decent in most parts of Alaska

You should also know that air quality is pretty decent in many parts of Alaska, especially outside the big cities and this can be great since it may reduce your risk of suffering from serious health conditions sooner or later compared to more polluted states.

Quality of drinking water is often pretty decent

Since there are many mountain creeks and other great water sources in Alaska, you may also not have to rely on bottled water from the store and this can be great since you can protect our environment and can also save lots of time and money in this regard in the long run.

Alaska can be a great place to live for landlords

Moving to Alaska may also make sense in case you want to build a property portfolio since rental yields are pretty decent and due to the absence of strict rent control, renting out properties in this region may be really profitable in the long run if you know what you are doing.

Alaska may be a great place to retire

Since there is lots of beautiful nature and many things to do outdoors while Alaska is still a pretty quiet place, it can also be a great location to retire as long as you live close enough to a big city so you will find medical support within a reasonable period of time since once you get older, your risk of suffering from serious health conditions will increase substantially and you want to have medical support as close to your home as you can.

Homelessness is not a big problem in most parts of Alaska yet

Compared to many other regions, homelessness is also not a big deal in many regions of Alaska since property prices and rents are pretty low and most people will find a decent place to stay sooner or later and don’t have to sleep in the streets.

Social inequality is not as severe as in many other states

You should also know that social inequality is not as of a big deal as in many other states and people from different social classes often come together and just have a great time in Alaska.

Living in Alaska may help you stay relaxed

Since there is so much beautiful nature and many things to do outdoors, living in Alaska can also help you find your real self and may really show you what life is all about so you can become a strong person and may be able to handle various issues that come along in life in a better manner.

Alaska will not run out of drinking water for many decades

You should also know that climate change is a big problem and while many regions in the US may run out of drinking water sooner or later, Alaska has more than enough water reserves and will therefore be an attractive place to live for many decades or even centuries from this point of view.

Income level in Alaska is above national average

You should also know that you can make really good money in Alaska. In fact, the median household income is above national average and as long as you learn something valuable, chances are that you will be able to make a decent living in the Alaska region.

Now that you know the reasons for moving to Alaska, we also have to talk about the downsides to moving to Alaska so you can better decide whether you still want to move to Alaska or rather want to spend your life in a different region.

Disadvantages of Living in Alaska

1. Medical infrastructure in Alaska is not great outside the big cities
2. Poor public transport in most parts of Alaska
3. You often need a car to get around in a proper manner
4. Driving in Alaska can be pretty risky in winter
5. You may have to care for your own without getting the support of others
6. Village life is quite common in Alaska
7. Alaska may be too quiet for you
8. Not many great sports teams in Alaska
9. You may miss real entertainment in Alaska
10. You may get bored with your life in Alaska in the long run
11. Hard to find really good education in most parts of Alaska
12. Alaska may not be a great state for students
13. Many young people leave Alaska and move to more exciting states
14. Moving to Alaska doesn’t make sense if you love big city life
15. Not many great shopping opportunities in Alaska
16. Some places in Alaska are pretty conservative
17. You may miss many different cultural influences
18. Hard to meet many tourists in most parts of Alaska
19. Landlord-friendly laws may become a problem for tenants in Alaska
20. You may have to deal with extreme weather quite often
21. Winters in Alaska may be too cold for you
22. You may get bored with nightlife in Alaska pretty quickly
23. Overall public infrastructure is pretty poor outside the big cities
24. Shipping stuff may take longer than you may be used to
25. Alaska doesn’t have many large cities
26. Moving to Alaska may not make sense if you don’t like nature
27. Unemployment rate in Alaska is above national average
28. Low-skilled workers may have a hard time finding decent jobs
29. Natural disasters may destroy your home in Alaska
30. Pretty high crime rate in Alaska
31. Hard to build a strong business network in Alaska
32. Many people will not understand your decision of moving to Alaska
33. Relatively hard to get around in Alaska
34. Alaska is not the most bicycle-friendly place
35. Gardening may be hard in Alaska

Medical infrastructure in Alaska is not great outside the big cities

One problem with living in Alaska is that medical infrastructure is not great, especially outside the big cities and in case you already suffer from serious health conditions or are pretty old, you may think twice before moving to Alaska since you may not get proper medical support in time in case something unexpected happens.

Poor public transport in most parts of Alaska

You should also know that public transport is pretty poor in most regions of Alaska and you may not be able to get around by train or bus in a reliable manner and may be late to important meetings quite often.

You often need a car to get around in a proper manner

Since public transport is pretty poor, you may also urgently need a car to get around and this can be problematic for older people who may no longer be able to drive a car in a safe manner anymore and for people who don’t have a driver’s license due to various reasons since those people will often be stuck at home and may not have the opportunity to get around in an efficient manner.

Driving in Alaska can be pretty risky in winter

Another drawback of living in Alaska is that driving can be pretty risky, especially during winter since roads are often covered with snow and if you are not careful, you may get involved in serious accidents and may even lose your life if you are unlucky.

You may have to care for your own without getting the support of others

If you live in pretty rural regions of Alaska, you may also have to care for your own since you will just not have many people around you who could help you out and you should therefore have some talent for fixing stuff so you don’t get in trouble once something breaks down.

Village life is quite common in Alaska

You should also know that many people in Alaska just live in small villages and in line with nature and if you are not the kind of person who likes this kind of lifestyle, you may just get fed up with it sooner or later and may want to move to Denver or other more vibrant places.

Alaska may be too quiet for you

While many people in Alaska like the quiet atmosphere, others just can’t stand it and if you belong to the second group of people who wants to have more action, you may be better off moving to a state with bigger cities.

Not many great sports teams in Alaska

Another disadvantage of living in Alaska is that you will also not find as many great sports teams as in most other states and if you are a sports fan, you may be better off moving to Chicago or other big metropolitan regions where you can support your favorite teams on a regular basis without having to drive long hours.

You may miss real entertainment in Alaska

While you will find lots of beautiful nature, you should also know that you will not have as much entertainment as in many other states and if you are the type of person who needs adrenaline and something to do on a regular basis apart from just doing nature activities, you may not get happy with living in Alaska in the long run.

You may get bored with your life in Alaska in the long run

In general, if you don’t love nature, you may also get bored and frustrated with your life in Alaska in the long run since many activities are just focused on enjoying nature to its fullest and you may not be able to connect to people in this region on an emotional level if you can’t enjoy those nature activities from the bottom of your heart.

Hard to find really good education in most parts of Alaska

While there are some solid schools and colleges in the bigger cities of Alaska, it is still pretty hard to find good education in rural parts of this region and if you want to get the best education possible for you and your kids, you may be better off moving to Boston or other regions where education often plays a bigger role.

Alaska may not be a great state for students

Since you will have a hard time finding really good colleges and you will also not have as many great student towns as in many other states, Alaska may not be the greatest place to study and you may be better off studying in NYC or other cities with better public infrastructure and student life.

Many young people leave Alaska and move to more exciting states

Since there is just not much to do for young people in Alaska, many of those young people also want to move to states where they find bigger cities and much more comfort and you may therefore have a hard time meeting many young people in this region and moving to Alaska may therefore not make much sense if you are pretty young yourself and want to hang out with many people of your age.

Moving to Alaska doesn’t make sense if you love big city life

In general, Alaska is just not the greatest place in case you are the type of person who loves big city life since you will mostly find village life and will also not have the same amenities people in many big metropolitan areas often have.

Not many great shopping opportunities in Alaska

Another problem with moving to Alaska is that you will also not find as many great shopping opportunities as in more urban regions and if you are a shopping victim, you may be better off moving to one of those bigger cities instead of spending your time in the rural parts of Alaska.

Some places in Alaska are pretty conservative

While people in the big cities of Alaska are often pretty open to new things, many people in rural towns are still pretty conservative and you may therefore have to adjust your attitude towards life quite a lot if you want to fit in and want to become a valued member of society.

You may miss many different cultural influences

While you will be able to meet many interesting people with different cultural backgrounds in the bigger cities of Alaska, you may still have a hard time doing so in rather rural towns and may therefore have a harder time connecting to many interesting people while you might have a much easier time in bigger cities in other states.

Hard to meet many tourists in most parts of Alaska

In general, apart from the main cities, you will just not meet many tourists in most parts of Alaska and if you want to make friends with many people from all over the world, you may be far better off moving to Washington D.C. or other places where you can get in touch with tourists quite often.

Landlord-friendly laws may become a problem for tenants in Alaska

Alaska may also not be the greatest place to live in case you don’t want to buy a home and rather want to rent for the rest of your life since Alaska is a pretty landlord-friendly state and due to the lack of rent control, landlords will be able to raise rents substantially whenever they want.

You may have to deal with extreme weather quite often

You should also know that snowstorms and other extreme weather events are quite common in Alaska and if you can’t handle those situations well and are also not patient enough to wait until those things are over, you may get into serious trouble and may be better off moving to a region where you don’t have to deal with those things.

Winters in Alaska may be too cold for you

Another downside to moving to Alaska is that winters can be extremely cold and in case you don’t like cold weather, you will just not get happy with your life in Alaska in the long run and may be better off moving to El Paso or other warmer regions instead.

You may get bored with nightlife in Alaska pretty quickly

While you will find some decent bars in the bigger cities of Alaska, you will still not find the same great nightlife as people in many other big metropolitan regions and in case you want to party until the early morning on a regular basis, you may be better off to a more urban region.

Overall public infrastructure is pretty poor outside the big cities

You should also not expect to have the same great public infrastructure in the rural parts of Alaska you may be used to from many other states. In fact, public transport and medical infrastructure are often pretty poor outside the cities and you may have to care for yourself instead of relying on the state to help you out.

Shipping stuff may take longer than you may be used to

Due to snowstorms and other unexpected events, it may also take you much longer to send letters or parcels to your loved ones in Alaska compared to states where public infrastructure is better and weather extremes are not as common.

Alaska doesn’t have many large cities

You will also not find many big cities in Alaska and if you are the type of person who loves to make day trips to other cities, you may become really disappointed in Alaska pretty quickly since there are just not many big cities to explore.

Moving to Alaska may not make sense if you don’t like nature

You should also not move to Alaska if you don’t like nature since many hobbies are just built around this topic and you may therefore be better off moving to a more urban metropolitan area if you don’t want to spend lots of time fishing, hunting or other nature stuff.

Unemployment rate in Alaska is above national average

Another disadvantage of moving to Alaska is that unemployment rate is significantly above national average and in case you haven’t learned valuable practical skills, you may have a hard time finding a decent job in this region.

Low-skilled workers may have a hard time finding decent jobs

Especially low-skilled workers often have a hard time finding a job in Alaska and also often have to worry about losing their jobs pretty often which can become quite annoying and frustrating in the long run.

Natural disasters may destroy your home in Alaska

You should also know that snowstorms and other natural disasters may hit your home in Alaska and in case you are unlucky, you may lose your home and in case you don’t have proper insurance, you may suffer a significant financial loss and may even lose your life in the worst case.

Pretty high crime rate in Alaska

You should also know that Alaska is just not the safest region and if you want to live in a pretty safe environment, moving to Virginia Beach may be a better option for you.

Hard to build a strong business network in Alaska

Since there are not many great universities in Alaska, this region also doesn’t attract many smart and ambitious people and due to rather weak economic conditions, you may also have a hard time building a strong business network in this region.

Many people will not understand your decision of moving to Alaska

Since Alaska is not the most popular place, many of your loved ones may also not understand your plans of moving to Alaska and you may have to justify quite a lot in this regard.

Relatively hard to get around in Alaska

Since public transport is pretty poor and distances are pretty long, you may also have a hard time getting around, especially in winter when road conditions are often pretty poor and you may even get stuck with your car if you are unlucky.

Alaska is not the most bicycle-friendly place

Since distances are pretty long, Alaska is also not the greatest city for cyclists and you may not be able to get around with your bicycle in an efficient manner and may also miss bike lanes in many regions.

Gardening may be hard in Alaska

Due to rather cold climatic conditions, moving to Alaska may also not be great for gardeners and in case you want to plant many crops, you may be better off moving to Dallas or other warmer regions where plants usually grow much better on average.

Top 10 Moving To Alaska Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Alaska A Good Place To Live?

While moving to Alaska can be great in case you love nature and want to spend lots of time fishing, hunting and other nature activities, you should also know that nightlife is not great in most parts of Alaska, unemployment and crime rates are pretty high and Alaska is just not the most exciting state.

Hence, in the end, you should evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Alaska carefully to make the best possible decision in this regard and to become happy in the long run.

Most Popular Cities To Live In Alaska – Comparison

Alternative States To Live

If you no longer want to move to Alaska, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in California

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Alabama

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/AK

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.