Moving from Alaska to Montana
Moving to Montana on the same salary slightly raises your real buying power (+2.9%); about $91,900 there would match what you have now. Change the salary below to see your own numbers.
Equal salary in MT: $91,900
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $91,900 in Montana to match $95,000 in Alaska ($3,100 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $95,000 | Alaska | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $12,070 | $12,070 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $7,268 | $7,268 |
| State income tax | $0 | $4,007 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $271 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $75,392 | $71,656 |
Key facts: Alaska to Montana
- Median rent
- $1,444 → $1,177/mo
- Median home value
- $376,500 → $425,400
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 102.4 → 94.6
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Above average (78.7 → 67.1 of 100)
What changes when you move to Montana
- Alaska has no state income tax on wages; Montana does. At $95,000 expect about $4,007 a year in Montana income tax. You'd stop paying about $271 a year in Alaska's unemployment insurance contributions, so your take-home falls by about $3,736 a year.
- BEA's housing price index is 10% lower in Montana. Median rent goes from $1,444 to $1,177 a month and the median home value from $376,500 to $425,400.
- Homeowners pay less property tax: the median bill is $2,939 in Montana vs $3,976 in Alaska.
- The average home electric bill is $108 a month in Montana vs $144 in Alaska (EIA 2024), about $428 a year less.
- Prices for everyday goods are 10% lower (BEA). The statewide sales tax rate is 0% in Montana vs 0% in Alaska, before local sales taxes.
Who moves from Alaska to Montana
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 265 households (449 people) filed their taxes in Montana after filing in Alaska the year before. That makes Montana the #19 destination for people leaving Alaska. These households reported an average adjusted gross income of $73,600. Going the other way, 271 households moved from Montana to Alaska, a net loss of 6 households for Montana.
Five-year trend
Moves from Alaska to Montana peaked in 2020–21 at 332 households, then fell 20% by 2022–23. That is still down 10% from 2018–19.
Source: IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23.
Cost to move from Alaska to Montana
Ocean freight: from $3,370
Moving from Alaska to Montana goes by ship or barge through Tacoma, or by road through Canada. Ocean freight alone for a 2–3 bedroom home runs about $3,370 to $4,440; trucking to and from the ports and the loading are extra.
These are published prices for a 2–3 bedroom home, dated in each row, not quotes for your move. Ocean freight changes with fuel surcharges and sailing schedules, so get at least three written quotes.
| Moving method | Published range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck through Canada We found no published price for this route and home size. | Get quotes |
| Moving container, door to door We found no published price for this route and home size. | Get quotes |
| Shipping container you load, port to port Matson's published household-goods rates (from June 1, 2026, with its 10.5% fuel surcharge): 20-ft container from Anchorage to Tacoma, up to 40-ft. Add trucking and loading. | $3,370 – $4,440 |
| Full-service movers We found no published price for this route and home size. | Get quotes |
Port-to-port rows cover the ocean leg only: add trucking to and from the ports, loading and unloading.
Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.
Alaska and Hawaii ranges come from published carrier rates and moving quotes, dated in each row (Matson's household-goods rates, U-Pack, Royal Hawaiian Movers). See how we estimate.
Shipping a car from Alaska to Montana
Car shipping: $3,000–$3,200
Shipping a sedan from Alaska to Montana by ocean carrier costs about $3,000–$3,200, typically 2–5 weeks in transit.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.
Alaska vs Montana take-home pay at every salary
| Salary | Equal salary in MT | Take-home change | Take-home in AK | Take-home in MT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $47,500 | -$1,343 | $42,105 | $40,762 |
| $75,000 | $71,800 | -$2,606 | $61,322 | $58,716 |
| $100,000 | $96,900 | -$4,018 | $78,909 | $74,891 |
| $150,000 | $147,100 | -$6,843 | $113,520 | $106,677 |
| $250,000 | $247,600 | -$12,493 | $182,911 | $170,418 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.
At higher incomes, especially for homeowners, itemizing state and local taxes (deductible up to $40,400 in 2026) can lower your federal tax once you live in Montana, which narrows the gap shown.
Cost of living: Alaska vs Montana
| Measure | Alaska | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 102.4 | 94.6 |
| Housing price index | 93.8 | 84.6 |
| Utilities price index | 119.0 | 72.3 |
| Goods price index | 106.3 | 96.0 |
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,444 | $1,177 |
| Median home value | $376,500 | $425,400 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $3,976 | $2,939 |
| Electricity (residential) | 28.21¢/kWh | 15.14¢/kWh |
| State sales tax rate | 0% | 0% |
| Median household income | $95,665 | $75,340 |
Renting and buying: Alaska vs Montana
| Measure | Alaska | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| Income to rent the median home (30% rule) | $57,760 | $47,080 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $2,435 | $2,632 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $104,341 | $112,817 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,314 | $1,617 |
| Infant child care (center, yearly) | $12,107 | $15,080 |
Mortgage at the Freddie Mac 30-year average with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance that owners with a mortgage paid in 2024 (Census ACS). Premiums have risen in most states since then, so get quotes. See buying a home in Montana for other down payments.
Your yearly budget: Alaska vs Montana
On a $95,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $54,586 a year in Alaska and $50,254 in Montana if you rent: $4,332 less after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $66,473 and $67,719 ($1,246 more).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | AK | MT | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $95,000, single filer | $19,609 | $23,344 | +$3,735 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,722 | $1,295 | -$427 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,113 | $975 | -$138 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,430 | $2,212 | -$218 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $12,384 | $8,304 | -$4,080 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $17,328 | $14,124 | -$3,204 |
| Total if you rent | $54,586 | $50,254 | -$4,332 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $23,925 | $27,033 | +$3,108 |
| Property tax median home | $3,976 | $2,939 | -$1,037 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,314 | $1,617 | +$303 |
| Total if you buy | $66,473 | $67,719 | +$1,246 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 state medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).
State figures: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $12,107 a year in Alaska and $15,080 in Montana (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
Cost of living in Montana cities: Billings.
After you arrive in Montana
- Montana new resident checklist: driver license and vehicle registration deadlines.
- Taxes the year you move: part-year returns in Alaska and Montana.
- How Montana taxes retirement income.
Frequently asked questions
How much salary do I need in Montana to live like I do in Alaska?
A $95,000 salary in Alaska works out to about $91,900 in Montana once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted. At $100,000 it is about $96,900.
Will I pay less tax in Montana than in Alaska?
No, about $3,736 more a year in income and payroll taxes on a $95,000 salary (20.6% of pay in Alaska vs 24.6% in Montana). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.
How much does it cost to move from Alaska to Montana?
For a 2–3 bedroom home, published prices are shipping container you load, port to port: $3,370 – $4,440 (Matson rates from June 1, 2026). Port-to-port freight leaves out trucking to and from the ports and the loading. Prices change with fuel surcharges and sailing schedules, so get at least three written quotes.
Are more people moving from Alaska to Montana?
Moves from Alaska to Montana peaked in 2020–21 at 332 households, then fell 20% by 2022–23. That is still down 10% from 2018–19.
How many people move from Alaska to Montana?
IRS migration data for 2022–2023 show 265 households (449 people) moved from Alaska to Montana, making Montana the #19 destination for people leaving Alaska. 271 households moved the other way.
Is Montana cheaper than Alaska?
Overall prices in Montana are 7.6% lower than Alaska (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,177 vs $1,444 a month.
Compare other moves
Where people from Alaska actually move
- AK to Washington 1,600 households
- AK to Texas 1,349 households
- AK to California 1,143 households
- AK to Florida 970 households
- AK to Arizona 926 households
- AK to Oregon 755 households
- AK to Colorado 697 households
- AK to North Carolina 518 households