Considering a move to Sitka from Missouri (Anchorage, Hope: for sale, rentals)

[edria]

Hello all!

I am seriously considering a move from Missouri to Sitka, AK for myself, my mother, and my children. I am looking for information or links to information concerning housing costs, neighborhoods, and schools for my children. Also, what is the weather like in Sitka? Snow, wind, rain...I can handle all of that, but how intense is the wind? How deep is the snow?

What kinds of issues does one encounter when there are no roads in or out of town? What are the costs associated with a weekend trip to Juneau, Anchorage, or Seattle? How difficult is it to leave Sitka?

Lastly, and perhaps most important, is Sitka a safe community in which to raise children?

Looking forward to your responses! Thanks for reading!

[Dakster]

Probably isn't all that difficult to leave Sitka, just expensive. As far as a weekend trip out. Consult the Alaska Marine Highway System. https://www.dot.state.ak.us/oars/res...chMainFM.amhsf I did 3 people aged 12-64 and an small SUV from Sitka to Juneau 2nd week in January 2016 and without a cabin it's $460... It's a 12 hour 30 minute sailing time too... Summer time, these can book up... So planning ahead is a good idea.

Flights: SIT to ANC and SIT to SEA seem to run around $550 round trip on Alaska Airlines per person. If you move here join their Club 49 - get their credit card, link to grocery stores if you can... Build miles... Funny thing, I fly round trip from Anchorage to Miami/Ft. Lauderdale for about the same price. These prices are now and not in season. In the summer, prices can go up a bit... At key school recess times prices go up too.

I came from a a major metropolitan area - and at times Anchorage with it's 300k people feels small. There are only 9k people on Sitka... Are you in a rural area of MO or used to being in a major city?

Also, I would make sure my health insurance covers medevac by helicopter/airplane insurance. If it doesn't, It is sold separately and is in the few hundred dollar range for a family. One person uses it ONCE and it just paid for itself man times over for the next 30 years... It can be in the tens of thousands, especially if it is a Level 1 Trauma, because you could end up going to Seattle....

Looking at the weather averages, Sitka has rain or snow 235 days out of the year. Gets 86 inches of rain and 33 inches of snow on average... Although as I have found out, those may be averages but it could rain or snow a whole lot less or more than that.

We never researched Sitka in depth so I cant help with the other questions... Hopefully someone else here will chime in on that. I did look at it briefly when we were looking at jobs and one was on Sitka.

If Metlatka sees this, she probably has some really good insights into it, since she has a lot of SE Alaska experience and I don't. I can only use the 'net to find things out.

One thing is for certain, it is certainly a very pretty area and if you are outdoorsy and adventurous this is a good place for you...

[edria]

Dakster,

Thank you so much for your reply! So much great information. I had not thought about building airline miles as a way to supplement air fare. Great advice! Also, I appreciate the advice concerning medical insurance supplementation. We have the same here but I have always considered it superfluous. However, I can see the vast importance of such a plan in a place like Sitka without roads to/from bigger cities. So, again, thanks for the great advice!

I do live in a rural part of Missouri. Travel time to a major airport (STL or MCI) is between 3 and 4 hours. So, I don't think the size of Sitka will bother me much.

I really hope someone can give some info on the school system and housing. Those are huge factors for me.

Again, thanks so much for your reply!

[Dakster]

No problem... I wish I had more about actual life in Sitka to give you... While I have visited and spent time in different areas of the state, I haven't hit SE Alaska yet.

Another suggestion is Amazon prime. We even get groceries off Amazon because the local stores don't carry it. And with free shipping as part of your paid membership it isn't all that bad price wise. It takes a LONG time to get mail though. Even priority mail via USPS and 2nd day UPS/Fedex. Use USPS flat rate when possible.... I bet people in Sitka team up for container shipping of items too. (I've heard about it, but don't know anything about it) I also see people from off the road system villages in Anchorage buying bulk to bring back.

Another thing to look into is the cost of heat, water/sewer (if not septic), Phone, Internet and Cable (this could be REALLY REALLY high), trash pickup. Not sure what you pay for those items where you are, but even in an area that I would call "high" priced, it is a relative bargain compared to Anchorage. Don't take anything you pay for or get for granted. It could end being less or decent, but at least you will know and won't get sticker shock.

[6.7traveler]

I've never been to Sitka but my only adivce would be to not underestimate the rain and the affect it can have on your psyche. It doesn't bother some people, but rain/grey clouds for days on end can get depressing for some. Good luck.

[rntim]

It rains a lot here, does not get bone chilling cold. We get a few snowfalls here that doesn't stick around too long. This is a very safe place to raise kids. As for leaving "the rock," can't tell you yet--the ferry system is cutting out several fast ferries over to Juneau this year. Use to cost like 140 one way with a vehicle but too is going to change. I think I've seen 72 degrees as a high once a couple summers back. Its 40 degrees as I write this. There is 14 miles of road and that's it. Lots of hiking trails and loads of places to fish. Only big game here are brown bears (lots of'em), Sitka deer and some mountain goat. Housing market fluctuates--right now there is like 6 or 7 places for rent. Sitka sentinel is the local paper and you can see rentals on-line. We pay 70 a mth for internet/landline/cable. We have to have a landline as we work at the hospital. There is no "bad" area of town. Don't have little kids, can't help you with schools except that friends kids seem quite happy. Lots of stuff for kids to do here--real into sports here. Only have a McD.s and subway for fast food. Two regular grocery stores and two gas stations. Two stop lights. Your cell phone will work most places, doesn't matter what carrier. Did I mention it rains A Lot?! The people are great and its a wonderful place to live if you just ignore the rain and go about what you want to do!

[rntim]

And you can get most anything you want at the grocery stores, we rarely shop on-line. Never were wal-mart Costco types. Always people moving out of here so there are always things for sale. Lots of Coast Guard folks rotating through. Seamart is one of the local grocery stores that you can look up on-line to see what grocery prices are. Liquid stuff is more expensive than lower 48 prices I guess. Gas is running 3.18/gallon right now--but you don't have a lots of driving to do! They are way into bicycling here(I'm not) and there are some bike lanes. Well, there ya go off the top of my head!

[Dakster]

Nurse Tim - What is health care like in Sitka?

[Metlakatla]

Housing in Sitka is scarce and expensive. For example, there's a two-bedroom trailer on CL for almost $1000 per month, and the amount doesn't seem to include utilities. Some years get snow and others get none. Average temps in the middle of winter are above freezing. 6.7 Traveler is right about the gloom, and it simply isn't as easy for some people to just ignore it as it is for others -- I think a lot of it's physiological. As far as wind, Sitka's the only SE community situated right on the open ocean and gets more wind than most other places. No clue about the schools or whether Sitka's a good place to raise a family or what the schools are like, but I can honestly say that I've never cared for the focus of SE schools on sports because I thought it was just too much. You probably don't want to ask me about healthcare anywhere in SE Alaska because I have nothing good to say, but you should be all right if you and your family are relatively healthy. If anyone in your family develops a serious illness, go to Seattle or Portland for diagnosis and treatment.

[jrpuff]

if you have kids that enjoy music/arts check out the Sitka Fine Arts Camp held in the summer there.
also, get some wetsuits and boards for you and your family. You can learn to SURF in Sitka!