Department of Numbers

Alaska Residential Rent and Rental Statistics

The median monthly gross residential rent in Alaska was $1,201 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent was $1,183 in 2019. The median rent more accurately depicts rental rates in the middle of the distribution of rents and is thus preferred in the analysis below. 2020 Alaska median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.

Data is also available below for Alaska rental vacancy rates, Alaska rent as a percent of median income and the fraction of renters in Alaska.

Show dollars as: Nominal Real

Real Gross Rent in Alaska (2019 dollars)2

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US Median Gross Rent $1,097 +1.86% +6.82%
Alaska Median Gross Rent $1,201 +0.25% -5.06%

Alaska Real Gross Rent Trends

Median gross rent for Alaska peaked in real terms in 2016 at $1,265 and is now $64 (5.06%) lower. Average gross rent for Alaska peaked in real terms in 2014 at $1,229 and is now $46 (3.74%) lower.

Real Gross Rent in Alaska: Median, Average, US Median

Lower quartile, median and upper quartile real gross rent

Real Gross Rent History for Alaska

Date US Median Alaska Median Alaska Average
2019 $1,097 $1,201 $1,183
2018 $1,077 $1,198 $1,175
2017 $1,043 $1,238 $1,220
2016 $1,027 $1,265 $1,225
2015 $1,017 $1,234 $1,209
2014 $986 $1,249 $1,229
2013 $953 $1,176 $1,168
2012 $940 $1,191 $1,182
2011 $941 $1,133 $1,109
2010 $955 $1,096 $1,066
2009 $960 $1,148 $1,118

more history ...

Alaska Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate is the fraction of homes for rent that are not occupied.3 In 2019 the rental vacancy rate for Alaska was 9.22% according to Census ACS data.

Rental Vacancy Rate in Alaska

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 5.97% -0.18% +0.08%
Alaska 9.22% +0.66% +3.41%

Trends in Alaska Rental Vacancy Rate

At 9.22%, Alaska residential rental vacancy rate in 2019 is at the highest point since 2005, the beginning of our reporting for this series.

Rental Vacancy Rate: Alaska, US

Rental vacancy rate in Alaska

Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Alaska

Date US Alaska
2019 5.97% 9.22%
2018 6.15% 8.56%
2017 6.18% 8.12%
2016 5.89% 5.81%
2015 5.85% 5.74%
2014 6.32% 5.89%
2013 6.49% 7.74%
2012 6.77% 5.62%
2011 7.40% 5.94%
2010 8.17% 3.73%
2009 8.43% 6.82%

more history ...

Alaska Rent as a Fraction of Income

Using median household income data for Alaska, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Alaska, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 19.10% in 2019 according to the ACS.

Alaska Median Annual Rent as a Fraction of Median Household Income

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 20.03% -0.47% -0.40%
Alaska 19.10% +0.10% +0.13%

Trends in Alaska Rent as a Fraction of Income

The fraction of median Alaska household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2012 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 19.85%. Since then it has fallen by 0.75% to 19.10%.

Fraction of Income towards Rent: Alaska, US

Percent of median household income going towards median monthly gross rent in Alaska

Historical Data for Annual Rent as a Fraction of Income in Alaska

Date US Alaska
2019 20.03% 19.10%
2018 20.50% 19.00%
2017 20.13% 19.69%
2016 20.43% 18.96%
2015 20.63% 19.03%
2014 20.89% 19.83%
2013 20.78% 18.56%
2012 20.65% 19.85%
2011 20.70% 18.56%
2010 20.50% 18.23%
2009 20.12% 18.05%

more history ...

Renter Fraction in Alaska

You can calculate the renter fraction in Alaska in at least two ways: by housing units or by population. I've gone with the housing units measure here. This measure looks at the number of renting households in Alaska as a fraction of total Alaska households. In 2019 35.26% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.

Alaska Fraction of Renters by Household Units

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 35.89% -0.16% -0.99%
Alaska 35.26% +0.91% -0.26%

Trends in the Alaska Renter Fraction

The Alaska household renter fraction peaked in in 2014 at 37.51% and is now 2.25% below that level. From a recent low of 34.35% in 2018, the household based renter fraction has now grown by 0.91%. The origin year for the series is 2005.

Fraction of Renting Households: Alaska, US

Fraction of renters in Alaska

History of Alaska Renter Fraction

Date US Alaska
2019 35.89% 35.26%
2018 36.05% 34.35%
2017 36.13% 36.45%
2016 36.88% 35.52%
2015 36.97% 36.08%
2014 36.90% 37.51%
2013 36.50% 36.55%
2012 36.09% 36.65%
2011 35.42% 36.92%
2010 34.65% 36.06%
2009 34.13% 34.77%

more history ...

1. Gross rent is defined as contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer) and fuel (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). Because some rentals include utilities and others don't, gross rent is a way of normalizing the variability.

2. Real dollars are calculated using the CPI-U less shelter series.

3. The rental vacancy rate is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter-occupied units, vacant units that are for rent, and vacant units that have been rented but not yet occupied.