Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Colorado instead of Alaska, you would:
Health
live 1.7 years longer
In Alaska, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Colorado, that number is 78 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 17.6% less likely to be obese
In Alaska, 31.9% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Colorado, that number is 26.3% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 28.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Alaska, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Colorado, that number is 3.6% as of 2025.
be 10.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Alaska, 9.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Colorado, however, that number is 8.9% as of 2023.
Safety
be 35.9% 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 Colorado, that number is 463 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 50.7% 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 Colorado, that number is 2,814 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 50.7% more for a home
The median home value in Alaska is $333,300 as of 2023, compared to $502,200 in Colorado as of 2023.
pay 22.0% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Alaska is $1,388 as of 2023, while in Colorado, it is $1,693 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 31.8% less likely to be uninsured
In Alaska, 10.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Colorado, that number is 7.3% as of 2023.
be 25.6% less likely to smoke
In Alaska, 16.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Colorado, that number is 12.5% as of 2022.
be 21.3% less likely to be physically inactive
In Alaska, 22.5% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Colorado, that number is 17.7% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 1.9 years older on average
The median age in Alaska is 35.6 years as of 2023. In Colorado, the median age is 37.5 years as of 2023.
be 44.9% 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 Colorado, that number is 30.0% as of 2023.
be 60.0% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Alaska, 3.0% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Colorado, that number is 4.8% as of 2023.
be 16.0% less likely to be food insecure
In Alaska, 10.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Colorado, that number is 8.9% as of 2021.
commute 6.0 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Alaska takes 19.5 minutes as of 2023. In Colorado, it takes 25.5 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 44.0 times more densely populated
Alaska has a population density of 0.5 people per sq km as of 2023. In Colorado, that number is 22.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
