Alaska

How Alaska ranks among the states

Alaska ranks 41st for household distress, yet its jobs part scores 65. Its bankruptcy rate is lowest among states. The borough and census-area spread appears below.

The state score has been higher before

Which Alaska boroughs and census areas are poorest or most distressed?

Kusilvak Census Area has Alaska’s highest Census poverty estimate, 34.9%, but ranks 5th on the local distress index. Northwest Arctic Borough has the highest distress score, 74. Juneau City and Borough has the lowest score, 4. Poverty and the wider index answer different questions.

Every borough and census area, by score

Northwest Arctic Borough stands alone in the 70s. Another 7 areas score between 50 and 69. 16 areas score below 30.

All Alaska boroughs and census areas, ranked →

Is Alaska expensive to live in?

The Census Bureau puts Alaska’s median gross rent at $1,419 a month in its 2020–2024 survey, near the U.S. figure of $1,413. A separate 2024 survey finds 18.4% of renter households spent at least half their income on housing. Food, energy and transport costs vary beyond these rent measures.

Rent and the share of income spent on it

The chart follows renter households that spent at least half their income on housing. That share measures both housing payments and household income; it is not a price index.

How is Alaska’s economy doing?

Alaska’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.1% nationally (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Its median household income was $96,336 in 2024, 11th highest among the states and D.C. (U.S. Census Bureau).

The income estimate and the monthly jobs rate describe different periods. Alaska’s September employment release appears in the dated events below, apart from the older index input.

The jobs history

The chart shows monthly unemployment in Alaska and the U.S. through August 2026.

Is Alaska a poor state?

The Census Bureau estimates 10.3% of Alaska residents lived in poverty in 2024, against 12.1% nationally. Alaska’s median household income was $96,336, but that statewide figure coexists with a 34.9% poverty estimate in Kusilvak Census Area.

The Census poverty estimate is different from the federal poverty guideline used by some benefit programs. Alaska has its own higher guideline; the annual estimate here describes measured poverty, not program eligibility.

The poverty estimate over time

The annual Census series below keeps Alaska and the U.S. on the same poverty measure. The borough and census-area table above shows where the statewide figure has limits.

How many Alaskans receive food assistance?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture counted 69,522 Alaska residents receiving SNAP in July 2026. That was 9.4% of the state’s 2025 population estimate. Participation is a program count, not a count of everyone who needs food help.

Alaska’s Department of Health describes the current SNAP rules and the listed end date of its good-faith exemption. A program count can change with eligibility or administration as well as household need. Read the state’s SNAP page.

How many Alaska borrowers are behind on bills?

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found 10.5% of Alaska credit-card holders at least 90 days behind in early 2025, versus 13.5% nationally. The state’s court bankruptcy rate was the nation’s lowest in 2025, but filings and late card payments count different events and populations.

The chart uses the Philadelphia Fed’s share of people with a credit record. Each Alaska figure is paired with the same measure for the U.S.

Alaska’s serious late-payment shares are below the U.S. shares

Credit-record holders in early 2025; loans are 90 or more days late.

Credit cards

Alaska 10.5% U.S. 13.5%

Car loans

Alaska 5.1% U.S. 8.5%

Mortgages

Alaska 0.8% U.S. 1.2%

Collections

Alaska 11.2% U.S. 13.2%

The dollar measure answers a different question

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York puts household debt per person with a credit report at $69,460 at the end of 2025. Its late-payment shares count dollars, while the Philadelphia Fed’s chart counts people.

What changed in Alaska in the past year

Recent jobs, food-benefit and utility decisions reach household budgets on different dates. They are not treated as causes of the older index readings.

1. Oct. 16, 2026

   Alaska reports September jobs

   The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development estimated 347,000 jobs in September 2026, up 0.1% from September 2025. The September report came after the August jobs data used in today’s index.

   State of Alaska, September jobs release

2. Oct. 1, 2026

   The federal SNAP year begins with Alaska-specific amounts

   The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new benefit standards distinguish urban Alaska from two rural areas. The standards set eligibility and maximum benefits.

   U.S. Department of Agriculture, fiscal 2027 SNAP standards

3. Oct. 1, 2026

   Juneau-area electricity rates change

   Alaska Electric Light & Power posted new rates effective in October. These tariffs apply in the Juneau area.

   Alaska Electric Light & Power, current rates

4. June 24, 2026

   The state enacts its fiscal-year budget

   The governor signed Alaska’s fiscal 2027 budget with funding for school infrastructure and energy costs.

   Alaska governor’s office, budget signing

How common is bankruptcy in Alaska?

Alaska recorded 238 bankruptcy filings in 2025, or 32.3 per 100,000 residents using the 2025 population. That was the lowest state rate, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Filings are cases, not everyone in financial trouble.

The count was 404 in 2019. See the national bankruptcy table.

How does foreclosure work in Alaska?

Alaska law allows a nonjudicial foreclosure process under a deed of trust. The notices, loan documents and facts of a case matter; the Alaska foreclosure law guide gives the sourced state process and free-help resources.

In September 2025, 1.2% of Alaska mortgages were 30 to 89 days behind, against 1.6% nationally (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). This mortgage measure does not count foreclosure starts.

What mortgage problems do Alaska borrowers report?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes Alaska mortgage complaints about payments and help with a loan. It does not verify the allegations before publication. These reports are examples, not a rate or a ranking of companies.

What to watch before the next edition

These scheduled changes and releases fall after the October 2026 figures.

1. Oct. 31, 2026

   Alaska’s SNAP good-faith exemption reaches its listed end date

   The Alaska Department of Health lists this as the end of a federal exemption period. A later department notice will show whether it was renewed.

   Alaska Department of Health, SNAP rules

2. Nov. 20, 2026

   October state employment figures are scheduled

   The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics schedules its October state release for this date. Those figures are not in the edition.

   U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics release schedule

3. Jan. 2027

   Medicaid community-engagement rules are scheduled to begin

   Alaska’s Department of Health says federal rule changes will affect some adults beginning in January. Its own page lists exemptions and says details may change.

   Alaska Department of Health, Medicaid requirements

Where Alaska ranks highest and lowest

Alaska’s income rank sits high, while its bankruptcy and severe renter-burden rates sit near the low end. These rows use different producers and years.