Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Idaho instead of Alaska, you would:
Health
live 1.8 years longer
In Alaska, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Idaho, that number is 78 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 30.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Alaska, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Idaho, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
make 35.4% less money
Alaska has a GDP per capita of $75,882 as of 2024, while in Idaho, the GDP per capita is $49,054 as of 2024.
Safety
be 68.7% 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 Idaho, that number is 226 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 58.0% less 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 Idaho, that number is 784 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 17.1% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Alaska is $1,388 as of 2023, while in Idaho, it is $1,150 as of 2023.
earn 16.5% less money
The median household income in Alaska is $89,336 as of 2023, while in Idaho, it is $74,636 as of 2023.
pay 12.8% more for a home
The median home value in Alaska is $333,300 as of 2023, compared to $376,000 in Idaho as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 20.6% less likely to be uninsured
In Alaska, 10.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Idaho, that number is 8.5% as of 2023.
be 19.0% less likely to smoke
In Alaska, 16.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Idaho, that number is 13.6% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 1.5 years older on average
The median age in Alaska is 35.6 years as of 2023. In Idaho, the median age is 37.1 years as of 2023.
be 27.4% less likely to be food insecure
In Alaska, 10.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Idaho, that number is 7.7% as of 2021.
commute 2.1 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Alaska takes 19.5 minutes as of 2023. In Idaho, it takes 21.6 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 18.4 times more densely populated
Alaska has a population density of 0.5 people per sq km as of 2023. In Idaho, that number is 9.2 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), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
