Move Up? (Anchorage: apartment, rental market, job)

[leavingIL]

Two years ago, my girlfriend and I kicked off a grand design to travel around the country, living in as wide a range of places as we can. First, we moved to Colorado Springs from Chicago with little money, no job, no apartment, and no real plan other than to go with the flow. It worked out well, but now we're moving on. Next on the list is Phoenix, AZ. HOWEVER, we always like to daydream about what will be the following stop on our circus living tour of the United States, and we've spoken many times about Anchorage or the Pacific Northwest. What's the job market in Anchorage like? Is it robust enough that one could expect to find a job in a relatively short amount of time? Does pay keep pace even slightly with the high cost of living? Or are wages low and EVERYTHING ELSE really expensive? How is the rental market? I've heard it's sky-f***ing high, but HOW high are we talking, say, for a 1 bedroom in the least expensive part of town?

Anyway, any more information you could offer would be awesome. Thanks a lot!

[AKStafford]

A seasonal job is a good way to get your feet wet in Alaska, and often they can help with housing. Cool Works is a good resource for seasonal jobs: Alaska Jobs | CoolWorks.com