Is moving to anchorage a good idea for a young family of five (Fairbanks: low income, apartments)

[Mckenna5]

My housband and I are thinking about.moving to anchorage we have three small children ages five and under. My husband and I are entry level workers with management and construction expierence. We are a lower income family.

[cjg5]

Oh boy, I can just see some of the responses now. Have you any more information to share? Just how low is your low income? Alaska is an expensive place to live. Everything has to be shipped in. And would you be able to cope with winters that feature very short hours of daylight, consistently sub freezing temperatures and lots of snow? And short, mild summers? (I understand late summer and fall there can be particularly rainy too. In fact I've even heard the nickname "Rainchorage" for the city on a few occasions).

Most people here will tell you to visit first. Make at least two visits, one in winter, and one in summer, (it seems, at least to me, that Alaska in winter and Alaska in summer are two different worlds, each wonderful and beautiful in their own ways!) and take time to check out Anchorage as well as other areas to get a feel as to which, if any, will be the best fit. Make the rounds between Anchorage and Fairbanks, checking out other towns along the way. If nothing more, making these trips will afford you to see first hand some of the most drop dead gorgeous scenery in these United States.

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Mckenna5

Is moving to anchorage a good idea for a young family of five

My housband and I are thinking about.moving to anchorage we have three small children ages five and under. My husband and I are entry level workers with management and construction expierence. We are a lower income family.

Just going on the minimal information given in this post, the answer is an unequivocal NO!

Care to offer more information?

[Mckenna5]

My work expierence is from being in management in a convience store my last hourly wage was $13 an hour and my husband is a skilled roofer pay was based on the job I would put our combined income to be about $30,000

[tigre79]

Originally Posted by Mckenna5

My work expierence is from being in management in a convience store my last hourly wage was $13 an hour and my husband is a skilled roofer pay was based on the job I would put our combined income to be about $30,000

I don't think I'd try to raise three kids on twice that amount up here. It sounds like you need to live somewhere with a year-round construction season and a very low cost of living. Anchorage doesn't have either of those. I know times are tough in a lot of places right now, but moving up here would probably just make things tougher for you guys.

[Mckenna5]

Ok thanks.........im wondering what is the average gost of living there rent and hourly rate of pay

[Mckenna5]

*cost

[gobrien]

Originally Posted by Mckenna5

Ok thanks.........im wondering what is the average gost of living there rent and hourly rate of pay

I made way more than 30K per year and had a very hard time surviving. The cheapest rent you probably would find would probably be 800-850 per month for a 2 bedroom. I don't know what daycare is but even if you got daycare assistance you'd have to pay 15% of your income. Low income apartments have very long waiting lists. I really do not recommend moving to Anchorage. Hourly rate of pay for entry level jobs don't even come close to paying the bills.

[ChargerMatt]

Originally Posted by Mckenna5

Ok thanks.........im wondering what is the average gost of living there rent and hourly rate of pay

It's also not just rent, from the research I've done EVERYTHING is more costly up there. Housing is a large chunk of the increased cost, but the logistics of getting things up there imposes large markups on everyday things.

[AKStafford]

The cost of living is more expensive here... And while our economy has done better than the rest of the nation, jobs are still tight.
I always suggest a visit or two before moving. Obviously that's probably not feasible for you. I also always suggest having plenty of cash reserves in case it takes awhile to find a job. Also most apartments require first/last month's rent plus a deposit.
And I think some solid job leads would also be a must before making the move.
If things don't work out, it can be expensive to get back out of here.
Good luck in whatever you do.