Residential comparison · 13 facts
Anchorage, AK vs Fairbanks, AK
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Anchorage needs about $83,500 in Fairbanks to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Fairbanks, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $86,500 in Anchorage.
A few differences
- Fairbanks is lower on property tax rate (1.15% vs 1.35%).
- Anchorage is lower on sales tax (0% vs 1.8%).
- Anchorage is lower on groceries index (122 vs 125).
Anchorage vs Fairbanks · facet by facet
| Facet | Anchorage, AK | Fairbanks, AK |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $380,000 | $268,400 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,650/mo | $1,465/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.35% | 1.15% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 0% | 1.8% |
| Cost of living index | 124 | 103 |
| Groceries index | 122 | 125 |
| Utilities | $230/mo | $250/mo |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $73,534 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| Crime index | 58/100 | 70/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 4.8/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 126 days | 130 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Anchorage, AK · Fairbanks, AK
Questions & answers
- Is Anchorage cheaper than Fairbanks?
- Fairbanks has the lower day-to-day cost index (103 vs 124 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Fairbanks equals $85,000 in Anchorage?
- A household earning $85,000 in Anchorage needs about $83,500 in Fairbanks to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Fairbanks lifestyle costs about $86,500 in Anchorage.