Moving to Alaska from Illinois
What to Expect
Considering a move from Illinois to Alaska? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Illinois to Alaska, you would find that Alaska is 12.9% more expensive than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly $87,351 in Alaska to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Juneau averages 49°F vs 63°F in Springfield, making it significantly cooler. A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Illinois and Alaska. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $87,351 To maintain the same standard of living in Alaska How key spending categories compare Restaurants pay 34.1% more Groceries pay 35.5% more Transportation pay 4.2% less Housing pay 32.1% more Childcare pay 39.0% less Entertainment and Sports pay 29.3% 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. The numbers behind daily life in Alaska compared to Illinois. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Illinois performs better than Alaska across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in adult obesity rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Illinois performs better than Alaska across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Alaska performs significantly better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics. 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 Illinois leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Illinois 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: On average Alaska is around 16% pricier than Illinois, with notable variation by city. Budget about $21,838 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. Illinois performs better than Alaska across all safety metrics. Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in adult obesity rate. The average high temperature in Juneau is 49°F, compared to 63°F in Springfield. Juneau receives around 92.2 in of rainfall per year, while Springfield gets 37.4 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Springfield Juneau Jan–Mar 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) Apr–Jun 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) Jul–Sep 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) Oct–Dec 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) View all months
Month Springfield Juneau Jan 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) Feb 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) Mar 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) Apr 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) May 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) Jun 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) Jul 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) Aug 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) Sep 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) Oct 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) Nov 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) Dec 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
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