Royal Alaskan Movers
Helpful Articles - Living in Alaska

Location plays a big role in a happy and fulfilling retirement. It affects your finances, your social life, your health, and your overall quality of life. As you look for the perfect place to spend your golden years, the more you know about your future home, the better.  If you’re considering retiring in Alaska, we’ll walk you through five areas that will shape the landscape of your life in the Last Frontier, including:  What’s 65+ population look like in Alaska? How much is the cost of living? What can I expect in terms of taxes? What are the top places to retire? What activities will fill my...

Did you know Alaska was once named the most expensive state to purchase a Quarter Pounder with Cheese? And for many years The Frontier State occupied a top slot as the most expensive state to live. But in USA Today‘s estimates for 2022, Alaska ranks as the fourth-most expensive state, just behind New York, Washington DC, and Hawaii. So if the price of a burger is an indicator of the economy, we have some good news:  Seattle, San Francisco, and Manhattan have since dethroned Alaska in the race for the most expensive Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Plus, since Alaska residents enjoy a yearly Permanent Fund Dividend...

We love Anchorage! In fact, we hold such a deep affection for the City of Lights and Flowers that we even created a list of the 10 reasons why we think you’ll love Anchorage, too.   But, realistically, we also know that moving to Anchorage isn’t for everyone. (And neither is living in Alaska, for that matter!) To help you decide whether Anchorage, Alaska is the right place for you, we sat down and sketched out a list of all the pros and cons of living in Anchorage. Below, we’ll lay out all the upsides and downsides for you. We think they’ll give you a pretty good sense of what it’s like to live here—and whether Anchorage sounds like the kind of place you’d like to call home.  We’ll start with...

Moving to Alaska is the adventure of a lifetime. As with any great adventure, you’ll need some supplies along the way to help you enjoy your journey to the fullest.  Here’s the great news: You’ll find a lot of what you need in Alaska. However, there may be some things you want to buy before you make the move. After all, it’s true that items in Alaska can be more expensive than in the lower 48. Additionally, since Alaska is a remote destination, availability of certain items can be limited. And, finally, many online retailers simply won’t ship to Alaska, or they tack on a pricey delivery fee.  However, before you stock up, take a look at our list...

By the numbers, Anchorage is the most popular place to live in Alaska. A whopping 40% of the state population lives within the municipality. When you take into account the whole Anchorage/Matanuska-Susitna economic region, that percentage balloons to 54%. It’s no wonder that Anchorage is an attractive location. The area offers the best of both worlds—the convenience of city living with easy proximity to Alaska’s gorgeous natural wonders. You can grab an artisan cup of coffee in downtown Anchorage, stop by Cabela’s for a few supplies, then arrive at Denali National Park in under four hours. If that sounds like your kind of Alaskan adventure,...

633,300 square miles. That’s how big Alaska truly is. To offer you some perspective, that’s 2.5 times as big as Texas. In fact, Alaska is even larger than the combined areas of Texas, California, and Montana. Given its size, it’s clear why living in different areas of Alaska will offer radically different experiences. Case in point: Soldotna in Southcentral Alaska is 762 miles from Utquiagvik in the Far North. That’s nearly the same distance from San Diego to the Oregon state line. In other words, massive distances offer massively different lifestyles. If you’re researching the best places to live in Alaska, we’ll take you on...