Anchorage vs Fairbanks
Anchorage, Alaska versus Fairbanks, Alaska: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Anchorage edges out Fairbanks on overall objective livability (50 vs 42 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Anchorage | Fairbanks |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $96k | $70k |
| Cost of Living | $55k | $58k |
| Home Value | $364k | $262k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.31% | 1.27% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 1.82% | 1.82% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 5.57% | 5.37% |
| Unemployment | 5.2% | 7.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 16°F | -4°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 61°F | 62°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 47.0 in | 13.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 161.9 in | 57.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 149 days | 160 days |
| Summer Humidity | 50°F | 50°F |
| Comfortable Days | 51 days | 46 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 97.2 | 92.8 |
| Air Quality | 20 AQI | 47 AQI |
| School Quality | 68.5 | 70.5 |
| Violent Crime | 2619/100k | 2376/100k |
| Property Crime | 2764/100k | 4334/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 290,674 | 32,496 |
| Median Age | 34.5 | 28.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.61 | 0.58 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.05 | 1.15 |
| White (%) | 55.2% | 57.5% |
| Black (%) | 5.1% | 7.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| Asian (%) | 9.6% | 4.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 20.4% | 19.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | 14 min |
| Walkability | 14.5/20 | 9.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 4 mi | 263 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.6% | 86.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 13.93 | 40.93 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Anchorage or Fairbanks more affordable?
- Anchorage has the lower cost of living: its index is $55k, compared with Anchorage's $55k and Fairbanks's $58k. Median rent is $1k in Anchorage versus $1k in Fairbanks.
- Is Anchorage or Fairbanks safer?
- Fairbanks has the lower violent crime rate. Anchorage reports 2619/100k and Fairbanks reports 2376/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Anchorage or Fairbanks?
- The median home value is $364k in Anchorage and $262k in Fairbanks, so homes are more affordable in Fairbanks.