Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Washington instead of Alaska, you would:
Health
live 2.6 years longer
In Alaska, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Washington, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
make 15.7% more money
Alaska has a GDP per capita of $75,882 as of 2024, while in Washington, the GDP per capita is $87,768 as of 2024.
Safety
be 51.7% 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 Washington, that number is 349 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 50.9% 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 Washington, that number is 2,819 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 56.0% more for a home
The median home value in Alaska is $333,300 as of 2023, compared to $519,800 in Washington as of 2023.
pay 21.2% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Alaska is $1,388 as of 2023, while in Washington, it is $1,682 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 43.0% less likely to be uninsured
In Alaska, 10.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 6.1% as of 2023.
be 35.1% less likely to smoke
In Alaska, 16.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 10.9% as of 2022.
be 23.6% less likely to be physically inactive
In Alaska, 22.5% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 17.2% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 2.6 years older on average
The median age in Alaska is 35.6 years as of 2023. In Washington, the median age is 38.2 years as of 2023.
be 26.6% 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 Washington, that number is 26.2% as of 2023.
be 2.5 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 Washington, that number is 7.6% as of 2023.
be 18.9% less likely to be food insecure
In Alaska, 10.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Washington, that number is 8.6% as of 2021.
commute 7.5 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Alaska takes 19.5 minutes as of 2023. In Washington, it takes 27.0 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 91.2 times more densely populated
Alaska has a population density of 0.5 people per sq km as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 45.6 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), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
