Moving to Pennsylvania from Alaska
What to Expect
Considering a move from Alaska to Pennsylvania? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Alaska to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 2.9% more expensive than Alaska. A $75,000 salary in Alaska would need to be roughly $66,996 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Harrisburg averages 61°F vs 49°F in Juneau, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Alaska and Pennsylvania.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $66,996
To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 22.6% less
Groceries
pay 14.2% less
Transportation
pay 8.2% more
Housing
pay 21.1% less
Childcare
pay 2.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 20.9% less
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 Pennsylvania compared to Alaska.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Alaska across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Alaska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Pennsylvania leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Alaska across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Alaska performs better than Pennsylvania across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Alaska generally does better on employment & economy, though Pennsylvania leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Pennsylvania 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Juneau | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) | 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) | 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) | 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Juneau | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) | 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) |
| Mar | 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) | 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) |
| Apr | 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) |
| May | 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) | 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) |
| Jun | 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) | 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) |
| Jul | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) | 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) |
| Aug | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) | 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) |
| Sep | 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) |
| Oct | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) | 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) |
| Nov | 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) | 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) |
| Dec | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) | 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Pennsylvania than Alaska?
On average Pennsylvania is about 11% less expensive than Alaska, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Pennsylvania?
Budget about $16,749 for 3 months in Pennsylvania (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Pennsylvania safe?
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Alaska across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Pennsylvania compared to Alaska?
Alaska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Pennsylvania leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Pennsylvania compared to Alaska?
The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 49°F in Juneau. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Juneau gets 92.2 in.
