Moving to Alaska
New residents have 90 days to get an Alaska driver license and must register a car within 10 days. Prices are 2.4% above the U.S. average, and there is no state income tax on wages. 14,629 households moved here from other states in 2022–2023, most often from California and Washington.
New resident checklist for Alaska
Driver license
Transfer out-of-state license within 90 days (30 for CDL); written knowledge test and vision test required; road test waived if licensed in a US state/territory, Canada or South Korea within the last 5 years. Bring proof of identity, your Social Security number and two proofs of your Alaska address.
Vehicle title and registration
Apply for Alaska registration within 10 days of entering the state or taking a job there (non-residents may drive on out-of-state plates for 60 days). No statewide emissions or safety inspection. Switch your auto insurance to an Alaska policy.
Taxes or fees on a car you bring: No state sales tax and no new-resident vehicle fee; $15 title issuance fee. Some boroughs/cities add a local motor vehicle registration tax (MVRT) by model year.
Annual registration: Registration is biennial: $100 per 2 years for non-commercial passenger vehicles/pickups, plus local MVRT in taxable areas (e.g. Anchorage/Mat-Su/Kenai), which declines with vehicle age.
Extra yearly fee for an electric vehicle: none.
Establishing residency
Residency (for DMV purposes) begins when you enter Alaska intending to stay or take a job in the state; active-duty military and full-time students are exempt. Residency also decides where you pay income tax in the year you move; see taxes the year you move.
Your first-month checklist in Alaska
- Register to vote at your new address.
- Update your address with the IRS (Form 8822), your employer and your bank.
- Alaska has no state income tax on wages, so ask your employer to stop withholding for your old state from your move date.
- Set up utilities and get renters or homeowners insurance. Owners with a mortgage here paid a median $1,314 a year for homeowners insurance in 2024 (Census ACS); premiums have risen in most states since, so get quotes.
- Keep your lease or closing papers and your license date as proof of when you became a resident.
Still planning the move itself? The moving out of state checklist covers the weeks before you go, and the moving timeline turns your move date into dated deadlines. Our guide to moving with pets covers vet records, travel and local pet rules. Shipping a car? See shipping a car to another state, or take the Where should I move? quiz.
Official site: dmv.alaska.gov. Sources: dmv.alaska.gov (2), dmv.alaska.gov (3), dmv.alaska.gov (4). Reviewed 2026-09-25. Rules and fees change; confirm with the Alaska motor vehicle agency before you go.
Compare your move to Alaska
Pick the state you're leaving and your salary to see your take-home pay, rent and the salary that keeps your buying power the same in Alaska.
Equal salary in AK: $83,600
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $83,600 in Alaska to match $100,000 in California ($16,400 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 $100,000 | California | Alaska |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $13,170 | $13,170 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $7,650 | $7,650 |
| State income tax | $5,055 | $0 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $1,300 | $271 |
| Take-home pay | $72,825 | $78,909 |
Full reports for the most common moves to Alaska: California to Alaska, Washington to Alaska, Texas to Alaska, Florida to Alaska, Colorado to Alaska and Arizona to Alaska.
Living in Alaska: costs, taxes and risk
Of the 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), Alaska is in the best 10 for state income tax, and in the worst 10 for health premiums.
- Median rent
- $1,444/mo U.S. $1,487
- Cost to own the median home
- $2,435/mo U.S. $2,298
- Take-home on $100,000
- $78,909 $3,831 more than in the median state
- Property tax (effective)
- 1.06% median $3,976/yr
- FEMA risk score
- 78.7 of 100 Above average for U.S. counties
- Moved in from other states
- 14,629 households, IRS 2022–2023
Pros and cons of living in Alaska
How Alaska ranks among all 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) on 11 measures of costs, taxes, risk and income. Top 10 means among the 10 best for someone moving in, Bottom 10 among the 10 worst.
Where Alaska ranks best
- Top 10 Lowest state income tax: no tax on wages, tied with 8 other states for the lowest.
Where Alaska ranks worst
- Bottom 5 Highest Marketplace health premiums: $1,032 a month for a benchmark plan at age 40, before subsidies (KFF 2026), 4th highest of 51.
Measures: state income tax, overall prices, rent, cost to own a home, property tax rate, homeowners insurance, electric bills, car insurance, health premiums, natural hazard risk, household income. State income tax is for a single filer earning $100,000 under 2026 rules, including the average county income tax in Indiana and Maryland. Ties share a rank.
Where new Alaska residents come from
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 14,629 households filed their taxes in Alaska after filing in another state the year before. California sent the most, 1,363 households (9% of the total). Alaska lost a net 1,389 households to other states that year.
Five-year trend
Moves to Alaska from other states reached a five-year high in 2022–23: 14,629 households, up 10% from 2018–19. Alaska lost households to other states on net in all five years.
IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23. Net gain or loss by year: 2018–19 −3,156, 2019–20 −2,805, 2020–21 −1,741, 2021–22 −2,175, 2022–23 −1,389.
Cost of living in Alaska vs the U.S.
Overall prices in Alaska are 2.4% above the U.S. average, 38th cheapest of 51. The widest gap is in utilities (119.0), 19% above the U.S. level.
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
- Average electric bill
- $144/mo U.S. $142
- Car insurance, per car
- $1,113/yr U.S. $1,282
- Health plan, age 40
- $1,032/mo U.S. $625
EIA 2024 average residential bills, NAIC 2023 average auto insurance expenditure, KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium before subsidies.
Taxes in Alaska: take-home pay at three incomes
Alaska has no state income tax on wages. Workers also pay about $271 a year in state payroll programs at $100,000, which the take-home figures include. Here is what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal and state taxes, compared with the middle of all 51.
| Salary | AK income tax | Take-home | vs. median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $0 | $42,105 | +$1,327 |
| $100,000 | $0 | $78,909 | +$3,831 |
| $150,000 | $0 | $113,520 | +$5,934 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. Take-home is after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Alaska income and payroll taxes. "vs. median state" is the difference from the median take-home of all 51 at the same salary. For married filing jointly, change the filing status in the calculator above.
Alaska has no statewide sales tax. Homeowners pay a median $3,976 a year in property tax, 1.06% of the median home value (property tax by county). Retiring? See how Alaska taxes Social Security and pensions. Moving mid-year? Read about taxes the year you move.
Cities in Alaska: where a paycheck goes furthest
The Anchorage metro area is the only one of the 149 U.S. metro areas we cover that is centered in Alaska. About $80,100 there buys what $75,000 buys in an average-priced area with no state income tax.
| Metro area | Salary to match $75k | Price level | Median rent | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | $80,100 | 105.4 | $1,491 | $410,900 |
Salary to match $75k: the pay that leaves the same after-tax, price-adjusted income as $75,000 in an area at U.S. average prices with no state income tax, single filer, including the principal city's own income tax where it has one. BEA 2024 price levels (U.S. = 100) and Census ACS 2024 rent and home values for each metro area.
Housing and home insurance in Alaska
| Measure | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,444 | $1,487 |
| Median home value | $376,500 | $360,600 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $2,435 | $2,298 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $104,341 | $98,486 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $3,976 | $3,211 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,314 | $1,450 |
Census ACS 2024 rent, home value and property tax, and ACS 2024 homeowners insurance. Cost to own: principal and interest at the Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%) with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance paid by owners with a mortgage. Premiums have risen since 2024, especially in high-risk areas, so get quotes. See buying a home in Alaska for other down payments.
Natural disaster risk in Alaska
Alaska's population-weighted score on FEMA's National Risk Index is 78.7 of 100, above average for U.S. counties and 22nd safest of 51. Expected losses from natural hazards average about $1,286 per resident a year, and about 40% of residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
See disaster risk for every Alaska county and how to check a home's risk before you move.
Frequently asked questions
Where do people moving to Alaska come from?
In IRS migration data for 2022–2023, 14,629 households moved to Alaska from other states. The most came from California (1,363 households), Washington (1,310) and Texas (1,256).
What are the pros and cons of living in Alaska?
Where Alaska ranks best among the 50 states and D.C.: lowest state income tax, tied with 8 other states for the lowest. Where it ranks worst: highest Marketplace health premiums, 4th highest of 51.
Is Alaska expensive to live in?
Overall prices in Alaska are 2.4% above the U.S. average (BEA price level 102.4, 2024), 38th cheapest of 51. Median rent is $1,444 a month and the median home is worth $376,500.
How long do I have to get an Alaska driver license after moving?
90 days after becoming a resident. Transfer out-of-state license within 90 days (30 for CDL); written knowledge test and vision test required; road test waived if licensed in a US state/territory, Canada or South Korea within the last 5 years.
How long do I have to register my car in Alaska?
10 days. Apply for Alaska registration within 10 days of entering the state or taking a job there (non-residents may drive on out-of-state plates for 60 days). No statewide emissions or safety inspection.
Do new residents pay tax on a car brought to Alaska?
No state sales tax and no new-resident vehicle fee; $15 title issuance fee. Some boroughs/cities add a local motor vehicle registration tax (MVRT) by model year.
What makes me an Alaska resident?
Residency (for DMV purposes) begins when you enter Alaska intending to stay or take a job in the state; active-duty military and full-time students are exempt.