Moving to Alaska from California
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from California to Alaska — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from California to Alaska, you would find that Alaska is 2.2% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $68,800 in Alaska to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Juneau averages 49°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly cooler. How your spending power changes when you relocate from California to Alaska. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $68,800 To maintain the same standard of living in Alaska The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 11.4% more Groceries pay 14.7% more Transportation pay 15.4% less Housing pay 5.3% more Childcare pay 47.8% less Entertainment and Sports pay 10.1% 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. How California and Alaska stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year California generally does better on safety, though Alaska leads in property crime rate. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in diabetes rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Alaska performs significantly better than California across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work California generally does better on infrastructure, though Alaska leads in average commute. 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 California generally does better on employment & economy, though Alaska leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree California performs 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Generally yes: Alaska runs about 8% cheaper than California on average, though it depends heavily on the city. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $17,200 in Alaska for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. California generally does better on safety, though Alaska leads in property crime rate. California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in diabetes rate. The average high temperature in Juneau is 49°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Juneau receives around 92.2 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Sacramento Juneau Jan–Mar 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) Apr–Jun 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) Jul–Sep 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) Oct–Dec 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) View all months
Month Sacramento Juneau Jan 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) Feb 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) Mar 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) Apr 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) May 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) Jun 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) Jul 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) Aug 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) Sep 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) Oct 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) Nov 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) Dec 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
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