What your paycheck buys · Updated every Friday

What a paycheck buys in Alaska this week

Out of reach · #16 of 50 on affordability · rate for the week of October 22, 2026

A median Alaska household earning $102,500 a year can afford a home of about $324,000 at this week’s 7.32% average 30-year rate. The median Alaska listing is $435,000, which would take 37.6% of that household’s gross income, against the usual 28% ceiling.

$324,000

Affordable home price

+$2,134 vs. last week · +$11,554 vs. a year ago

$435,000

Median list price (September 2026)

−$6,450 vs. a year earlier

Affordability index (100 = within reach)

U.S. 66 · Alaska 71 a year ago

37.6%

Share of income the median listing takes

$3,215/mo incl. taxes & insurance · U.S. 42.5%

$103,000

Median household income (2025)

U.S. $87,000

#16

Rank of 50 (1 = most affordable)

See the full ranking

Compared with a year ago

A year ago, with the 30-year rate at 6.19%, a median list price of $441,450 and median income of $89,800 (2024 figure), the same household could afford about $312,000 and the median listing took 39.6% of income. Affordability in Alaska has improved since then.

Nearby in the ranking

#14 Texas: can afford $269,000, median listing $356,000
#15 West Virginia: can afford $195,000, median listing $260,000
#17 North Dakota: can afford $269,000, median listing $371,000
#18 South Carolina: can afford $260,000, median listing $360,000

Run your own numbers →

How this is calculated: 28% of gross monthly income for housing, 10% down, a 30-year fixed loan at Freddie Mac’s weekly average, and 1.45% of the price a year for taxes and insurance. Full method, caveats, and sources on the main index page. An educational gauge, not a mortgage quote.