Quality of life comparison
If you lived in California instead of Alaska, you would:
Health
live 2.4 years longer
In Alaska, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In California, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020.
be 11.0% less likely to be obese
In Alaska, 31.9% of adults are obese as of 2022. In California, that number is 28.4% of people as of 2022.
be 24.1% more likely to have diabetes
In Alaska, 8.7% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In California, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
Economy
make 10.7% more money
Alaska has a GDP per capita of $75,882 as of 2024, while in California, the GDP per capita is $84,028 as of 2024.
be 18.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Alaska, 9.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In California, however, that number is 11.7% as of 2023.
Safety
be 30.4% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Alaska has a violent crime rate of 722 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 503 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 23.3% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Alaska has a property crime rate of 1,868 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 2,303 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 2.1 times more for a home
The median home value in Alaska is $333,300 as of 2023, compared to $695,400 in California as of 2023.
pay 40.9% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Alaska is $1,388 as of 2023, while in California, it is $1,956 as of 2023.
be 16.2% less likely to own your home
In Alaska, 66.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In California, that number is 55.8% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 36.4% less likely to be uninsured
In Alaska, 10.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In California, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 31.0% less likely to smoke
In Alaska, 16.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In California, that number is 11.6% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 2.0 years older on average
The median age in Alaska is 35.6 years as of 2023. In California, the median age is 37.6 years as of 2023.
be 20.8% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Alaska, 20.7% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In California, that number is 25.0% as of 2023.
be 4.1 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Alaska, 3.0% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In California, that number is 12.2% as of 2023.
commute 9.5 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Alaska takes 19.5 minutes as of 2023. In California, it takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 194.0 times more densely populated
Alaska has a population density of 0.5 people per sq km as of 2023. In California, that number is 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
