Alaska vs New York

Alaska is cheaper overall, while $100 goes further in Alaska, Alaska has higher incomes, Alaska has lower state income tax, and New York gets more sunshine.

Alaska flag
Alaska
AK · West
21 / 33
metrics won
Winner
VS
New York flag
New York
NY · Northeast
12 / 33
metrics won
AK wins Housing AK wins Quality of Life NY wins Climate AK wins Income NY wins Demographics AK wins Taxes
Continue with the moving guides: Living in Alaska Living in New York All 50 states State Match
AK 21
12 NY

What matters to you?

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Your match

Alaska fits you better

Alaska wins 21 of 33 scored metrics against New York.

Run the numbers

What's your salary really worth?

Alaska

After state tax
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Housing / month
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Left after housing
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Cost-adjusted remainder
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New York

After state tax
—
Housing / month
—
Left after housing
—
Cost-adjusted remainder
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Illustrative estimate only. Uses top marginal state income tax rate, BEA Regional Price Parity, and median housing costs — excludes federal tax, utilities, insurance, childcare, and debt.

Full comparison

Every metric, side by side

Pick a category. Each row opens the full breakdown for that metric — national rank, chart, and sourcing.

Capital City
Juneau vs Albany
State Color
Solid Red vs Solid Blue
Population
738,003
20,003,435
Median Income
$86,533
$78,609
Cost of Living
125.8
132.7
Median Housing Value
$316,400
$367,200
Property Tax
1.11%
1.55%
State Income Tax
None (0%)
10.90%
Minimum Wage
$13.00/hr
$16.50/hr
Gas Price
$4.619/gal
$4.069/gal
Electricity Rates
25.52 c/kWh
28.37 c/kWh
Livability Score
44.17
57.94
Average Temperature
26.6°F
45.4°F
Sunny Days
61 days
63 days
Land Area
663,268 sq mi
54,555 sq mi
Population Density
1.1 per sq mi
366.7 per sq mi
Statehood
January 3, 1959 (#49)
July 26, 1788 (#11)

Tradeoffs

Pros and cons for each state

The biggest advantages and drawbacks pulled from affordability, housing, income, taxes, safety, health, education, jobs, and weather.

Alaska flag

Alaska

Pros

  • Alaska has a lower overall cost of living.
  • Alaska has a lower housing cost index.
  • Alaska has lower median home values.
  • Alaska shows higher median income.
  • Alaska has lower property tax rates on average.

Cons

  • Alaska has a higher violent crime rate.
  • Alaska job growth trend is weaker.
  • Alaska health access/outcomes proxy is lower.
  • Alaska health coverage access proxy is weaker.
  • Alaska education proxy is lower.
  • Alaska has fewer sunny days.
New York flag

New York

Pros

  • New York has a lower violent crime rate.
  • New York job growth trend is stronger.
  • New York health access/outcomes proxy is higher.
  • New York health coverage access proxy is stronger.
  • New York education proxy is higher.
  • New York has more sunny days.

Cons

  • New York has a higher overall cost of living.
  • New York has a higher housing cost index.
  • New York has higher median home values.
  • New York shows lower median income.
  • New York has higher property tax rates on average.

People also ask

Alaska vs New York — common questions

QIs Alaska cheaper to live in than New York?

Alaska has the lower cost of living. On the national index (100 = average), Alaska scores 125.8 versus 132.7 for New York - a gap of 6.9 points.

QWhere does $100 go further - Alaska or New York?

$100 goes further in Alaska. After BEA regional price adjustments, $100 is worth about $97.79 in Alaska, compared with $88.30 in New York.

QWhich state is bigger - Alaska or New York?

Alaska is larger, covering 663,268 sq mi compared with 54,555 sq mi for New York - roughly 12.2x the size.

QDoes Alaska or New York have more people?

New York has the larger population at 20,003,435, compared with 738,003 in Alaska.

QWhich state has higher household income - Alaska or New York?

Alaska has the higher median household income at $86,533, versus $78,609 in New York.

QWhich state has lower income taxes - Alaska or New York?

Alaska has no state income tax, while New York charges up to 10.90%.

QIs housing cheaper in Alaska or New York?

Homes are cheaper in Alaska, where the median home value is $316,400, versus $367,200 in New York.

QWhich state is more densely populated - Alaska or New York?

New York is more densely populated at 366.7 per sq mi people per sq mi. Alaska is more spread out at 1.1 per sq mi people per sq mi.

Related comparisons

Arizona flag Arizona vs New York California flag California vs New York Alaska flag Alaska vs Connecticut Alaska flag Alaska vs Maine

Methodology

Figures combine government datasets, named research sources, and clearly labeled derived scores. Dataset reviewed July 23, 2026.

Demographics & geography
2020 Census, American Community Survey, TIGER/Line Files, National Archives
Income, housing & cost of living
American Community Survey, BLS, BEA Regional Price Parities, and named market studies
Wages & energy
U.S. Department of Labor, AAA, U.S. EIA
Politics & law
NCSL, Giffords Law Center, NABCA

Data periods differ by metric. Open any individual comparison metric to see its primary source, data period, review date, and calculation note. Daily-changing fields such as gas prices are stored snapshots unless the page explicitly says a live feed is used.

See our editorial policy for how we review and update these pages.