Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Counties Where Renting Costs Far Less Than Owning in Alaska
The widest gaps between median rent and the full monthly cost of owning the median home. A large gap does not automatically mean renting is the better decision, because rent buys no equity and is not fixed for thirty years, but it does show where the market prices ownership at a steep premium.
Alaska ranked
| # | County | Monthly saved by renting | Median rent | Monthly to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sitka City and Borough | $1,905 | $1,350 | $3,255 |
| 2 | Skagway Municipality | $1,898 | $1,228 | $3,126 |
| 3 | Juneau City and Borough | $1,894 | $1,462 | $3,356 |
| 4 | Anchorage Municipality | $1,608 | $1,453 | $3,061 |
| 5 | Haines Borough | $1,587 | $914 | $2,501 |
| 6 | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | $1,503 | $1,388 | $2,891 |
| 7 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | $1,325 | $1,258 | $2,583 |
| 8 | Kodiak Island Borough | $1,322 | $1,669 | $2,991 |
| 9 | Aleutians West Census Area | $1,295 | $1,886 | $3,181 |
| 10 | Chugach Census Area | $1,221 | $1,397 | $2,618 |
| 11 | Wrangell City and Borough | $1,203 | $1,047 | $2,250 |
| 12 | Kenai Peninsula Borough | $1,152 | $1,163 | $2,315 |
| 13 | Petersburg Borough | $1,139 | $1,208 | $2,347 |
| 14 | Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | $1,137 | $986 | $2,123 |
| 15 | Fairbanks North Star Borough | $927 | $1,424 | $2,351 |
| 16 | Copper River Census Area | $867 | $973 | $1,840 |
| 17 | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | $835 | $915 | $1,750 |
| 18 | Bristol Bay Borough | $815 | $1,318 | $2,133 |
| 19 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | $779 | $1,304 | $2,083 |
| 20 | North Slope Borough | $655 | $1,167 | $1,822 |
| 21 | Nome Census Area | $460 | $1,328 | $1,788 |
| 22 | Dillingham Census Area | $444 | $1,085 | $1,529 |
| 23 | Yakutat City and Borough | $267 | $1,276 | $1,543 |
| 24 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | $-30 | $893 | $863 |
| 25 | Northwest Arctic Borough | $-38 | $1,336 | $1,298 |
| 26 | Kusilvak Census Area | $-113 | $832 | $719 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Counties Where Renting Costs Far Less Than Owning across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Alaska