Moving to New York from Alaska

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Alaska to New York? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Alaska to New York, you would find that New York is 11.1% more expensive than Alaska. A $75,000 salary in Alaska would need to be roughly $75,206 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Alaska and New York.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $75,206

To maintain the same standard of living in New York

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 18.0% less

Groceries

pay 10.7% less

Transportation

pay 28.6% more

Housing

pay 7.4% less

Childcare

pay 98.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 5.5% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in New York compared to Alaska.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AK
722
NY
381
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AK
1868
NY
1760

New York performs significantly better than Alaska across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

AK
10.7%
NY
5.0%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AK
31.9%
NY
29.9%

New York generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in diabetes rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

AK
$333,300
NY
$403,000
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

AK
$1,388
NY
$1,576

Alaska performs better than New York across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AK
90.8%
NY
89.7%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

AK
20 min
NY
33 min

Alaska performs better than New York across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AK
5.0%
NY
4.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AK
$75,882
NY
$91,992

Alaska generally does better on employment & economy, though New York leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

AK
76.6 yrs
NY
77.7 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

AK
21%
NY
28%

New York performs significantly better than Alaska across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Juneau Rain: 92.2 in/yr (2342 mm)
49° / 38°F

Avg. annual high / low

Albany Rain: 39.4 in/yr (1000 mm)
58° / 39°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Juneau Albany
Jan–Mar 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C)
Apr–Jun 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) 78°/58°F (26°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Juneau Albany
Jan 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C)
Feb 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C)
Mar 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C)
Apr 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C)
May 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C)
Jun 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C)
Jul 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C)
Aug 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C)
Sep 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C)
Oct 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C)
Nov 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C)
Dec 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in New York than Alaska?

New York and Alaska are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.

How much money do I need to move to New York?

Budget about $18,802 for 3 months in New York (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is New York safe?

New York performs significantly better than Alaska across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in New York compared to Alaska?

New York generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in diabetes rate.

What's the weather like in New York compared to Alaska?

The average high temperature in Albany is 58°F, compared to 49°F in Juneau. Albany receives around 39.4 in of rainfall per year, while Juneau gets 92.2 in.

Share this