Moving to Alaska from Pennsylvania
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Pennsylvania to Alaska — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Pennsylvania to Alaska, you would find that Alaska is 14.6% more expensive than Pennsylvania. A $75,000 salary in Pennsylvania would need to be roughly $83,960 in Alaska to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Juneau averages 49°F vs 61°F in Harrisburg, making it significantly cooler. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Pennsylvania to Alaska. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $83,960 To maintain the same standard of living in Alaska The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 31.1% more Groceries pay 19.4% more Transportation pay 3.0% less Housing pay 33.8% more Childcare pay 36.8% less Entertainment and Sports pay 45.2% 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 Pennsylvania and Alaska stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Pennsylvania 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: Day-to-day costs in Alaska run about 12% higher than Pennsylvania on average; specific cities can swing further. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $20,990 in Alaska for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. Pennsylvania performs better than Alaska across all safety metrics. Pennsylvania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in adult obesity rate. The average high temperature in Juneau is 49°F, compared to 61°F in Harrisburg. Juneau receives around 92.2 in of rainfall per year, while Harrisburg gets 43.6 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Harrisburg Juneau Jan–Mar 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) Apr–Jun 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) Jul–Sep 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) Oct–Dec 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) View all months
Month Harrisburg Juneau Jan 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) Feb 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) Mar 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) Apr 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) May 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) Jun 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) Jul 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) Aug 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) Sep 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) Oct 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) Nov 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) Dec 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C) 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
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