Everything You Need to Know About Moving to Alaska
If the magnificent wilderness of Alaska appeals to you and you’re looking for a much-needed change in the pace of your life, then a move to the 49th U.S. state could be the right choice for you.
Alaska is often seen as a bucket-list travel destination, and less commonly as a place to call home. But there are a myriad of benefits of moving to Alaska if big city life is no longer your speed.
Here are some of the realities of moving to and living in America’s wildest state.
Article Overview
A Guide to Moving to Alaska: What You Need to Know
If Alaska is well-known for anything, it has to be its incredible landscapes, abundant wildlife, outdoor sports, peace, quiet, and temperatures, of course. If you aren’t put-off by drastic changes in weather, and could legitimately see yourself living in this untamed, laid-back state, here’s what you need to know:
1. The Best Cities to Raise a Family
Whether you’re married with children or intend to start a family in the near future, these cities make some of the best homes for families in Alaska. The consensus is based on crime, education, family-friendly facilities, job security, and overall infrastructure:
- Anchorage
- Palmer
- Valdez
- Soldotna
- Cordova
- Dillingham
- Kodiak
- Homer
- Unalaska
- Wrangell
Most of these towns in Alaska are located within good proximity to Anchorage, the largest city. The capital city of the state is Juneau. You may also be wondering about education opportunities for not only children, but teens and young adults.
Alaska is host to a number of good quality colleges and universities, including the likes of Alaska Pacific University and the University of Alaska.
2. Prepare Yourself for a Higher Cost of Living
The fact that Alaska is a little more isolated than many states across the U.S., means that this peace and quiet comes at a price. The cost of living is driven by higher shipping costs as almost everything has to be shipped to the mainland. According to statistics, the overall cost of living indexes in Alaska is roughly 23.2% higher than the U.S. national average.
When it comes to the cost of rent for an average of two people, you can expect to pay in the range of $700-$1,500, depending on the city or town you choose to settle in. Generally, the larger the city, the higher your rent.
While the cost of living may be higher, many Alaskans are happy with their standard of living. This is because there are so many other benefits to living in this state.
3. Alaska Offers Higher Wages
Just one of these additional benefits is a higher earning potential, no matter where you are based in Alaska. Earning higher wages when compared to other U.S. states offsets the cost of living.
As an employee, you are also entitled to daily overtime pay and don’t have to pay state sales tax or individual income tax (in most cases). Once you have lived in Alaska for an entire year, you also qualify for the state’s Permanent Fund Dividend (PDF).
This dividend is paid per family member and can be a great annual boost. It generally averages around the $1,000-$2,000 mark. In essence, this is the government’s way of encouraging your permanent stay in Alaska.
4. Alaska Offers an Amazing Quality of Life
One of the biggest drawcards of living in Alaska is the quality of life and how much of a priority it is to Alaskans. It is one of the largest and least populated states in the U.S. and offers an unrivaled sense of solitude and a slow pace of life.
Alaska is also very safe and peaceful, free from internal conflict, complicated politics, and a fluctuating economy. If you are looking for a quieter type of life to enjoy with your significant other and raise your family together, Alaska is ideal.
5. You Can Enjoy a Strong Sense of Community
One of the best parts about living in any town or city in Alaska is the strong sense of community. When you live in a smaller, less populated area, neighbors and community members come to rely on one another. Most Alaskans are friendly, helpful, and giving. They are more than likely to help you settle into your new community and offer useful tips on surviving Alaskan winters that no one else would really know.
Family values run deep, and you will soon feel like an important part of the community once you have settled into your new surroundings. If a close-knit community life appeals to you, you can find that in abundance in Alaska.
6. Be Prepared For Major Weather Changes
Yes, there’s no denying that Alaska is a cold place to live, but this is not always the case. While winters can be long and brutally frigid, it really does depend on where you choose to settle.
The southern coast of Alaska, with cities such as Anchorage, offers far milder winter temperatures and brilliant summers. The further inland you go, the more drastic temperatures can change from winter to summer. This is because Alaska’s interior has a continental subarctic climate.
Whether you’re accustomed to cold weather or not, prepare yourself for the cold, regardless. There’s no denying that by other state standards, Alaska can be chilly year-round.
How to Move to Alaska: A Guide to Shipping Your Possessions
Let’s get into the logistical side of moving to Alaska. When it comes to packing up and shipping your home long-distance, you have three options:
- A full-service moving company
- A rental truck service
- Self-moving
While some families choose to go with a full-service moving company for the convenience, you can save a huge amount of money by self-moving and hiring a rental truck driving service. But this depends on your time-frame and budget, as well as personal preference.
One of the most affordable options today is to pack, load, and unload your rental truck yourself. While a professional handles the driving and shipping of your goods from one destination to the next.
Popular shipping options for all your possessions include 28-foot moving trailers or cube containers. The cube containers measure approximately 6x7x8 inches and are ideal for smaller households.
There is a myriad of moving services that allow you to hire these moving trailers or cubes and offer door-to-door delivery. Bear in mind that there is an ocean that separates mainland United States and Alaska.
Shipping your goods across the ocean to your desired port is something you’ll have to organize and pay for separately. Otherwise, you can find an all-inclusive company that handles this all for you.
The total cost of moving and shipping your goods is dependent on a number of factors. This includes where you are moving from, how much you are moving, and your final destination in Alaska. It’s best to get a few quotes from the moving services you need and compare them to find the best overall price.
Getting Around Alaska
Alaska may be the largest U.S. state, but the reality is that it does not have a fantastic road network. Its highway system is the smallest in the United States, so this can make it difficult to get from A to B in a vehicle when living in Alaska.
Common solutions for this are ferry, boat, and plane rides. Alaska offers the reliable Marine Highway which is state-operated. It runs across a course of 3,500nm and services 33 ports throughout the state. You also have access to air taxis and the Alaska railroad.
This is why it’s so important to carefully consider where you want to live and work and how you are able to access other cities.
Shipping Your Car to Alaska
If you want to bring your car over to Alaska, the quickest and most reliable way to do so is to ship it from your nearest port to one of Alaska’s main ports, such as Anchorage, Juneau, Kodiak, and Dutch Harbor.
Just bear in mind that when shipping a car to Alaska, it’s never door-to-door. It’s generally door-to-port or port-to-door. But this depends on the shipping company you choose.
Your vehicle is shipped in either a specially designed auto frame or in a closed container. Some of the more common ports that ship vehicles from mainland United States to Alaska are Tacoma, WA, and Seattle, WA.
When you enlist the services of a car shipping company, your car is picked up by a company representative. It is then transported to the designated shipping port.
Once your car arrives at your chosen Alaskan port, it has to clear customs and inspection first. Then, you will be notified of when to pick it up when your booking is scheduled with the port.
The cost to ship a car from Tacoma or Seattle to Alaska averages $1,900-$2,200. But once again, this varies depending on the shipping company you choose. You can expect the shipping process to take an average of 3-7 days from ports such as Tacoma and Seattle.
If you’re planning on moving to Alaska in the near future and need reliable car shipping services, then you’re in the right place.
American Auto Shipping has been in the shipping business for over 20-years and offers unrivaled pricing. We also offer instant quotes so you can gauge a basic idea of whether our services fit into your budget!
Please feel free to get in touch with our team for more on shipping your car anywhere in the United States, including Alaska, and Hawaii.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
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