Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Dakota instead of Alaska, you would:
Health
be 16.3% more likely to be obese
In Alaska, 31.9% of adults are obese as of 2022. In North Dakota, that number is 37.1% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 50.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Alaska, 5.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In North Dakota, that number is 2.5% as of 2025.
Safety
be 63.7% 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 North Dakota, that number is 262 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 27.7% less for a home
The median home value in Alaska is $333,300 as of 2023, compared to $241,100 in North Dakota as of 2023.
pay 32.7% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Alaska is $1,388 as of 2023, while in North Dakota, it is $934 as of 2023.
earn 15.0% less money
The median household income in Alaska is $89,336 as of 2023, while in North Dakota, it is $75,949 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 1.5 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Alaska takes 19.5 minutes as of 2023. In North Dakota, it takes 18.0 minutes as of 2023.
be 40.2% less likely to be uninsured
In Alaska, 10.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In North Dakota, that number is 6.4% as of 2023.
be 50.0% less likely to be food insecure
In Alaska, 10.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In North Dakota, that number is 5.3% as of 2021.
live in an area that is 8.8 times more densely populated
Alaska has a population density of 0.5 people per sq km as of 2023. In North Dakota, that number is 4.4 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 16.7% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Alaska, 3.0% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In North Dakota, that number is 2.5% as of 2023.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
