Atlanta, GA vs Anchorage, AK
Moving from Atlanta to Anchorage? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($382,938 → $422,103 median home) and taxes.
Atlanta vs Anchorage at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Atlanta, GA, you'd need about $106,260 in Anchorage, AK (+$6,260).
Livability — Atlanta, GA: 66 · Anchorage, AK: 49 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,677 sqft in Atlanta vs 2,132 sqft in Anchorage ($187 vs $235 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Atlanta, GA | Anchorage, AK | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $22,080 | $21,240 | −$840 |
| Groceries | $4,926 | $5,224 | +$297 |
| Transportation | $3,515 | $3,350 | −$165 |
| Utilities | $1,656 | $2,952 | +$1,296 |
| Insurance | $2,100 | $1,000 | −$1,100 |
| Taxes | $10,533 | $4,919 | −$5,614 |
| Total | $44,810 | $38,685 | −$6,126 |
Side by side
| Metric | Atlanta, GA | Anchorage, AK |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 100.5 | 106.8 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.04% | 5.62% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 6.9% | -0.0% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 56 | 26 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.72 | $6.08 |
| Median home price | $382,938 | $422,103 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.6× | 4.5× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | -2.1% | 5.7% |
| Price per square foot | $187 | $235 |
| Median rent | $1,840 | $1,770 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 8.9% | 4.6% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.38% | 1.82% |
| Capital gains tax | 5.39% | None |
| Property tax rate | 0.85% | 1.24% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,400 | $9,500 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,500 | $12,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 32 | 23 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,100 | $1,000 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,900 | $1,300 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $650 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $800 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 15.4 | 27.4 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.15 | 3.90 |
| Violent crime /100k | 370 | 760 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 65 |
| Avg winter low °F | 34 | 5 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 2 |