Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Alaska instead of North Dakota, you would:
Health
be 14.0% less likely to be obese
In North Dakota, 37.1% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Alaska, that number is 31.9% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 100.0% more likely to be unemployed
In North Dakota, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Alaska, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
Safety
be 2.8 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime
North Dakota has a violent crime rate of 262 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Alaska, that number is 722 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 17.6% more money
The median household income in North Dakota is $75,949 as of 2023, while in Alaska, it is $89,336 as of 2023.
pay 38.2% more for a home
The median home value in North Dakota is $241,100 as of 2023, compared to $333,300 in Alaska as of 2023.
pay 48.6% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in North Dakota is $934 as of 2023, while in Alaska, it is $1,388 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
live in an area that is 88.6% less densely populated
North Dakota has a population density of 4.4 people per sq km as of 2023. In Alaska, that number is 0.5 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 20.0% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In North Dakota, 2.5% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Alaska, that number is 3.0% as of 2023.
commute 1.5 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in North Dakota takes 18.0 minutes as of 2023. In Alaska, it takes 19.5 minutes as of 2023.
be 67.2% more likely to be uninsured
In North Dakota, 6.4% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Alaska, that number is 10.7% as of 2023.
be 100.0% more likely to be food insecure
In North Dakota, 5.3% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Alaska, that number is 10.6% as of 2021.
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
