Moving from Vermont to Alaska
Everyone compares rent and groceries. Almost nobody compares the two numbers that actually decide whether a move works: state income tax and property tax. Here is Vermont and Alaska, side by side.
Moving to Alaska costs about
About the same
Vermont and Alaska work out within $50/mo of each other
Worth knowing
State income tax is what separates these two states
Of everything that changes when you move from Vermont to Alaska, state income tax moves the most: about $246 a month less, which is most of the whole difference.
Vermont vs Alaska at a glance
| Vermont | Alaska | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $316,600 | $352,900 |
| Median rent | $1,234/mo | $1,419/mo |
| State income tax | Up to 8.75% | No state income tax |
| Property tax rate | 1.59% | 1.11% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 97 | 106 |
| Utilities | 126 | 119 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
What changes each month
| Monthly | VT | AK | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,234 | $1,419 | +$185 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income taxBiggest factor | $246 | $0 | -$246 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $93 | $0 | -$93 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,783 | $1,949 | +$166 |
| Utilities | $514 | $486 | -$28 |
| Total | -$20 | ||
What the move itself costs
$6,200 to $12,400
A move involving Alaska goes by sea rather than road, so the range is wider and rougher.
Shipping one car adds about $1,500 to $2,500, against roughly $1,800 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 10-day trip yourself.
These are statewide figures. Burlington is not Vermont-average and Anchorage is not Alaska-average, so a specific city can look nothing like its state. Compare metro areas instead to narrow it to 387 real places, including which side of a state line you would live on.
Run this with your own numbers
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Every figure is a statewide median or average and will not match any particular household.