Moving from Alaska to South Dakota
Moving to South Dakota on the same salary raises your real buying power by 16.0%. Change the salary below to see your own numbers.
Equal salary in SD: $80,200
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $80,200 in South Dakota to match $95,000 in Alaska ($14,800 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 | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $12,070 | $12,070 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $7,268 | $7,268 |
| State income tax | $0 | $0 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $271 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $75,392 | $75,663 |
Key facts: Alaska to South Dakota
- Median rent
- $1,444 → $999/mo
- Median home value
- $376,500 → $289,600
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 102.4 → 88.6
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Above average → About average
What changes when you move to South Dakota
- Neither state taxes wages, but you'd stop paying about $271 a year in Alaska's unemployment insurance contributions.
- BEA's housing price index is 28% lower in South Dakota. Median rent goes from $1,444 to $999 a month and the median home value from $376,500 to $289,600.
- Homeowners pay less property tax: the median bill is $2,940 in South Dakota vs $3,976 in Alaska.
- The average home electric bill is $128 a month in South Dakota vs $144 in Alaska (EIA 2024), about $189 a year less.
- Prices for everyday goods are 10% lower (BEA). The statewide sales tax rate is 4.2% in South Dakota vs 0% in Alaska, before local sales taxes.
Who moves from Alaska to South Dakota
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 82 households (169 people) filed their taxes in South Dakota after filing in Alaska the year before. That makes South Dakota the #43 destination for people leaving Alaska. These households reported an average adjusted gross income of $84,378. Going the other way, 85 households moved from South Dakota to Alaska, a net loss of 3 households for South Dakota.
Five-year trend
Moves from Alaska to South Dakota peaked in 2021–22 at 92 households, then fell 11% by 2022–23. That is still up 21% from 2018–19.
Source: IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23.
Cost to move from Alaska to South Dakota
Ocean freight: from $3,370
Moving from Alaska to South Dakota 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 $9,200; 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 via its Kansas City, KS rail ramp, the nearest to South Dakota. Add trucking and loading. | $3,370 – $9,200 |
| 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 South Dakota
Car shipping: $3,240–$3,500
Shipping a sedan from Alaska to South Dakota by ocean carrier costs about $3,240–$3,500, 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 South Dakota take-home pay at every salary
| Salary | Equal salary in SD | Take-home change | Take-home in AK | Take-home in SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $42,600 | +$250 | $42,105 | $42,355 |
| $75,000 | $63,300 | +$271 | $61,322 | $61,593 |
| $100,000 | $84,500 | +$271 | $78,909 | $79,180 |
| $150,000 | $127,200 | +$271 | $113,520 | $113,791 |
| $250,000 | $212,700 | +$271 | $182,911 | $183,182 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.
Cost of living: Alaska vs South Dakota
| Measure | Alaska | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 102.4 | 88.6 |
| Housing price index | 93.8 | 67.6 |
| Utilities price index | 119.0 | 79.7 |
| Goods price index | 106.3 | 95.5 |
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,444 | $999 |
| Median home value | $376,500 | $289,600 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $3,976 | $2,940 |
| Electricity (residential) | 28.21¢/kWh | 15.36¢/kWh |
| State sales tax rate | 0% | 4.2% |
| Median household income | $95,665 | $76,881 |
Renting and buying: Alaska vs South Dakota
| Measure | Alaska | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Income to rent the median home (30% rule) | $57,760 | $39,960 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $2,435 | $1,924 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $104,341 | $82,476 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,314 | $1,750 |
| Infant child care (center, yearly) | $12,107 | $8,632 |
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 South Dakota for other down payments.
Your yearly budget: Alaska vs South Dakota
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 $43,731 in South Dakota if you rent: $10,855 less after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $66,473 and $54,836 ($11,637 less).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | AK | SD | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $95,000, single filer | $19,609 | $19,338 | -$271 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,722 | $1,534 | -$188 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,113 | $937 | -$176 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,430 | $2,074 | -$356 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $12,384 | $7,860 | -$4,524 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $17,328 | $11,988 | -$5,340 |
| Total if you rent | $54,586 | $43,731 | -$10,855 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $23,925 | $18,403 | -$5,522 |
| Property tax median home | $3,976 | $2,940 | -$1,036 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,314 | $1,750 | +$436 |
| Total if you buy | $66,473 | $54,836 | -$11,637 |
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 $8,632 in South Dakota (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
Cost of living in South Dakota cities: Sioux Falls.
After you arrive in South Dakota
- South Dakota new resident checklist: driver license and vehicle registration deadlines.
- Taxes the year you move: part-year returns in Alaska and South Dakota.
- How South Dakota taxes retirement income.
Frequently asked questions
How much salary do I need in South Dakota to live like I do in Alaska?
A $95,000 salary in Alaska works out to about $80,200 in South Dakota once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted. At $100,000 it is about $84,500.
Will I pay less tax in South Dakota than in Alaska?
Yes, about $271 less a year in income and payroll taxes on a $95,000 salary (20.6% of pay in Alaska vs 20.4% in South Dakota). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.
How much does it cost to move from Alaska to South Dakota?
For a 2–3 bedroom home, published prices are shipping container you load, port to port: $3,370 – $9,200 (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 South Dakota?
Moves from Alaska to South Dakota peaked in 2021–22 at 92 households, then fell 11% by 2022–23. That is still up 21% from 2018–19.
How many people move from Alaska to South Dakota?
IRS migration data for 2022–2023 show 82 households (169 people) moved from Alaska to South Dakota, making South Dakota the #43 destination for people leaving Alaska. 85 households moved the other way.
Is South Dakota cheaper than Alaska?
Overall prices in South Dakota are 13.5% lower than Alaska (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $999 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