Moving to Alaska from Mississippi

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Mississippi to Alaska — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Mississippi to Alaska, you would find that Alaska is 37.4% more expensive than Mississippi. A $75,000 salary in Mississippi would need to be roughly $100,752 in Alaska to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Juneau averages 49°F vs 76°F in Jackson, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Mississippi to Alaska.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $100,752

To maintain the same standard of living in Alaska

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 54.5% more

Groceries

pay 49.3% more

Transportation

pay 16.8% more

Housing

pay 51.9% more

Childcare

pay 6.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 76.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Mississippi to Alaska.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MS
202
AK
722
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MS
1579
AK
1868

Mississippi performs better than Alaska across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MS
11.3%
AK
10.7%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MS
41.9%
AK
31.9%

Alaska performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MS
$161,400
AK
$333,300
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MS
$923
AK
$1,388

Mississippi performs better than Alaska across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MS
82.0%
AK
90.8%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MS
26 min
AK
20 min

Alaska performs significantly better than Mississippi across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MS
3.1%
AK
5.0%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MS
$41,778
AK
$75,882

Alaska generally does better on employment & economy, though Mississippi leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MS
71.9 yrs
AK
76.6 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MS
16%
AK
21%

Alaska performs significantly better than Mississippi 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.

Jackson Rain: 54.3 in/yr (1380 mm)
76° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Juneau Rain: 92.2 in/yr (2342 mm)
49° / 38°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Jackson Juneau
Jan–Mar 62°/41°F (17°/5°C) 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 83°/62°F (28°/17°C) 56°/42°F (13°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/70°F (32°/21°C) 61°/49°F (16°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 67°/46°F (20°/8°C) 42°/33°F (5°/0°C)
View all months
Month Jackson Juneau
Jan 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C) 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C)
Feb 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C)
Mar 68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C) 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C)
Apr 76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C) 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C)
May 83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C) 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C)
Jun 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C)
Jul 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C) 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C)
Aug 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C) 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C)
Sep 87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C) 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C)
Oct 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C) 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C)
Nov 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C)
Dec 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Alaska than Mississippi?

No — Alaska is on average about 34% more expensive than Mississippi. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Alaska?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $25,188 in Alaska on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Alaska safe?

Mississippi performs better than Alaska across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Alaska compared to Mississippi?

Alaska performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Alaska compared to Mississippi?

The average high temperature in Juneau is 49°F, compared to 76°F in Jackson. Juneau receives around 92.2 in of rainfall per year, while Jackson gets 54.3 in.

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