Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Montana instead of Alaska, you would:
Economy
be 26.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Alaska, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Montana, that number is 3.7% as of 2025.
make 30.2% less money
Alaska has a GDP per capita of $75,882 as of 2024, while in Montana, the GDP per capita is $52,945 as of 2024.
be 15.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Alaska, 9.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Montana, however, that number is 11.4% as of 2023.
Safety
be 39.5% 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 Montana, that number is 437 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 25.7% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Alaska is $1,388 as of 2023, while in Montana, it is $1,031 as of 2023.
earn 21.7% less money
The median household income in Alaska is $89,336 as of 2023, while in Montana, it is $69,922 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 25.2% less likely to be uninsured
In Alaska, 10.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Montana, that number is 8.0% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 4.6 years older on average
The median age in Alaska is 35.6 years as of 2023. In Montana, the median age is 40.2 years as of 2023.
be 12.1% 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 Montana, that number is 23.2% as of 2023.
be 22.6% less likely to be food insecure
In Alaska, 10.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Montana, that number is 8.2% as of 2021.
live in an area that is 6.0 times more densely populated
Alaska has a population density of 0.5 people per sq km as of 2023. In Montana, that number is 3.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 66.7% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Alaska, 3.0% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Montana, that number is 1.0% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
