Number of people leaving Alaska the highest in 25 years (Anchorage: buying, live)

[pittsflyer]

I could see health care being right up there if you have alot of medical issues. I mean yea there is shipping but even if I added up the EXTRA shipping for every item I have ever ordered (including my truck and other big items), it would not touch the 6 figure over price of homes.

I know in our minds we like to make laundry lists but in Anchorage one item sufices and its home prices. Unless you are a medium to large buiness your shipping cost differentials are never going to touch 6 figures.

Originally Posted by RayinAK

The cost of living is not only about homes, but about every product you buy, or pay for on a lease, healthcare, dental, and so on. Look at the different costs for Alaska or any of the other cities listed, add all the costs except for housing, and then compare the total of all the other costs to the cost of housing:
7 most expensive states to live in the U.S.

There is something else I forgot to mention, and that's property tax being one of highest in the nation.
https://smartasset.com/taxes/alaska-...tax-calculator

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by pittsflyer

I could see health care being right up there if you have alot of medical issues. I mean yea there is shipping but even if I added up the EXTRA shipping for every item I have ever ordered (including my truck and other big items), it would not touch the 6 figure over price of homes.

I know in our minds we like to make laundry lists but in Anchorage one item sufices and its home prices. Unless you are a medium to large buiness your shipping cost differentials are never going to touch 6 figures.

From the link I posted above:
7 most expensive states to live in the U.S.

Alaska
Cost of Living Index: 131.8
Grocery Index: 128.4
Housing Index: 147
Utilities Index: 161.7
Transportation Index: 115
Health Index: 144.8
Misc.: 116.8

Groceries = 128.4
Utilities + 161.7
Transp. + 115.0
Health. + 144.8
Misc. + 116.8
________________
Total = $666.7

Housing $147.0

[starlite9]

When you figure cost of living in Alaska verses out of State, you have to figure wages as well. We pay more for a lot of things, but on average we get paid a lot more as well and that is the balance.

But that is going to change shortly as this high end jobs in the oil industry goes away, with it in due time, many of the state jobs as well.

No matter how much they charge in taxes, there simply isn't enough to pay the money the state spends per man, woman and child, which is about $15,000.00 a year per person, working or not. The main money's were oil fed, and that source is drying up. Wait til they shut down the pipeline.... Then watch things get nasty!

[pittsflyer]

Pretty much. The state had decades to work on diversifying the economy but didn't so now it will be time to pay the piper. In theory low oil and gas prices should be good for everyone, but when everyone is just producing natural resources and very few are producing finished products that becomes an issue. There is no reason why we shouldn't be refining our own oil, minerals and even taking it a step further and making plastics, asphalt, etc.

Originally Posted by starlite9

When you figure cost of living in Alaska verses out of State, you have to figure wages as well. We pay more for a lot of things, but on average we get paid a lot more as well and that is the balance.

But that is going to change shortly as this high end jobs in the oil industry goes away, with it in due time, many of the state jobs as well.

No matter how much they charge in taxes, there simply isn't enough to pay the money the state spends per man, woman and child, which is about $15,000.00 a year per person, working or not. The main money's were oil fed, and that source is drying up. Wait til they shut down the pipeline.... Then watch things get nasty!

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by Spazkat9696

No, I bet they're just tired of all the lower 48ers bragging about super highwways, fast food options, and TV shows about Alaska. They want to see what the fuss is about from our perspective.

Personally, I'd love to move back to Alaska one day but I'm not sure my body could take it. It's the most beautiful state in my opinion and it will be safe during the zombie apocalypse. 😊

The article said that Alaska has always had a transient population, and that this recent out flux didn't appear to have anything to do with the economic downturn.

[pittsflyer]

Of course not, people loosing their jobs and having no income to pay for their inflated cost house has nothing to do with it. That would be crazy talk lol.

Of course there are always people moving in and out but it has not been a net loss in a lot of years. Unless someone has a lot of personal safety nets (family, paid for house, rental propertys in another state, what have you) then a job loss is a pretty big deal up here. Espeically since its a small market and if you loose a good money job there are not a lot of jobs that pay well to be had.

Originally Posted by Blind Cleric

The article said that Alaska has always had a transient population, and that this recent out flux didn't appear to have anything to do with the economic downturn.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by pittsflyer

Of course not, people loosing their jobs and having no income to pay for their inflated cost house has nothing to do with it. .

The article noted that the loss of population being documented occurred before oil prices took a nose dive.
It will be interesting to see what the numbers are next time the analysis is done, when the depressed economy could be a factor.

[pittsflyer]

Correct, house prices and population are not directly tied to oil prices they are tied to jobs and the oil companies started cutting late 2014 as they were selling off assets and increasing the efficiency (during the whole prop 2 thing). Then low oil hit and there were further cuts so that the oil companies were at least breaking even.

So its not a direct link its indirect. If the state had bothered to support diversification of the economy we might have had one or 2 other industries that employed a fair segment of people at the 6 figure level but if your not in oil and gas or a good ole boy in govt your a** out. I know of no 6 figure jobs outside of oil.

People don't say, hey im an educated professional lets go to Alaska to make $20/hr lol.

Housing prices have not caught up with the significant events that have been going on but they will soon. You cant have base cuts and mass lay offs of high income people and not having housing take a dump. Housing market is not propped up by people working at best buy.

Originally Posted by Blind Cleric

The article noted that the loss of population being documented occurred before oil prices took a nose dive.
It will be interesting to see what the numbers are next time the analysis is done, when the depressed economy could be a factor.

[terracore]

I haven't visited or posted on the Alaska forum since I left SE about 3.5 years ago. These are the reasons why I left then:

* No healthcare. I understand its available around Anchorage, but watching a family member first commute back and forth to/fro Seattle for chemotherapy, and then eventually dying down south away from home, was an emotional experience.

* Unaffordable housing. Our mortgage payment was so high we were perpetually 3 missed paychecks away from the beginning of possible foreclosure.

* High cost of living. If you're on this forum you already know what this means. There's nothing like running out of heating fuel and having to haul 5 gallon jugs while you wait for your next paycheck.

* Fracking. I knew that fracking would crush the cost of oil and send Alaska into an economic downturn, I just had no idea it would happen so quickly.

* Retiring state employees. The tsunami of upcoming retirees who would subsequently sell their property and move to warmer climates would eventually put me underwater in my Alaska home if the fracking didn't.

Looks like I got out just in time. I sold the house at what was probably the last peak and made some money on it, moved to Hawaii and bought a newer foreclosed home on 6 acres and my mortgage is less than 1/3 of what it was in Alaska. My electricity bill is under $100 month, I grow a lot of my own food, hunt pigs year round, and they've never heard of heating fuel here.

[Metlakatla]

I guess you can run, but you can't hide. I'll be back next season.