Moving to Washington from Alaska
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Alaska to Washington — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Alaska to Washington, you would find that Washington is 7.4% more expensive than Alaska. A $75,000 salary in Alaska would need to be roughly $72,872 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Olympia averages 60°F vs 49°F in Juneau, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Alaska to Washington.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $72,872
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 14.0% less
Groceries
pay 17.0% less
Transportation
pay 16.6% more
Housing
pay 9.1% less
Childcare
pay 96.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.1% 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
How Alaska and Washington stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Alaska generally does better on safety, though Washington leads in violent crime rate.
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
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Alaska performs better than Washington across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Alaska generally does better on infrastructure, though Washington leads in internet access.
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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Alaska leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington 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 | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Juneau | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Alaska?
Generally yes: Washington runs about 3% cheaper than Alaska on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $18,218 in Washington for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Washington safe?
Alaska generally does better on safety, though Washington leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Alaska?
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Alaska?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 49°F in Juneau. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Juneau gets 92.2 in.
