Moving to Alaska from Arkansas
What to Expect
Considering a move from Arkansas to Alaska? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Arkansas to Alaska, you would find that Alaska is 29.5% more expensive than Arkansas. A $75,000 salary in Arkansas would need to be roughly $98,138 in Alaska to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Juneau averages 49°F vs 72°F in Little Rock, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Arkansas and Alaska.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $98,138
To maintain the same standard of living in Alaska
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 29.0% more
Groceries
pay 53.7% more
Transportation
pay 27.1% more
Housing
pay 42.7% more
Childcare
pay 17.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 53.5% more
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 Alaska compared to Arkansas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Arkansas generally does better on safety, though Alaska leads in property 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
Alaska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Arkansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Alaska leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Alaska performs significantly better than Arkansas 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 Arkansas leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Alaska performs significantly better than Arkansas 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 | Little Rock | Juneau |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 56°/38°F (13°/3°C) | 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) | 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/70°F (32°/21°C) | 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) | 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Little Rock | Juneau |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C) | 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) |
| Feb | 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C) | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Mar | 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C) | 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C) | 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) |
| May | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C) | 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) |
| Jun | 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C) | 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) |
| Jul | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) |
| Aug | 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C) | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) |
| Sep | 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C) | 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) |
| Oct | 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C) | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) |
| Nov | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C) | 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C) | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Alaska than Arkansas?
On average Alaska is around 31% pricier than Arkansas, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Alaska?
Budget about $24,534 for 3 months in Alaska (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Alaska safe?
Arkansas generally does better on safety, though Alaska leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Alaska compared to Arkansas?
Alaska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Alaska compared to Arkansas?
The average high temperature in Juneau is 49°F, compared to 72°F in Little Rock. Juneau receives around 92.2 in of rainfall per year, while Little Rock gets 50.0 in.
