what are the pros and cons of living in Alaska?

Question

it would be helpful if you have lived there previously or live there currently.

Answer 1

Pros and cons of living in Alaska….

This is like asking the pros and cons of living in New York state. You couldn’t pay me to live in New York City, but the Niagara region around Buffalo is great.

For a frame of reference, I grew up in Juneau and now live in the Chicagoland area. Depending on where you want to live in Alaska, each area will have different pros and cons. If you move someplace like Barrow above the arctic circle or Dutch Harbor out in the Aleutian Islands, I’d be hard pressed to find any pros. I’m assuming you are talking about a city like Anchorage or Juneau.

Pros:
Sales taxes are low if there is any
Permanent fund gives every resident money every year
Relaxed, laid back lifestyle
Great hunting and fishing
Diverse population
Excellent skiing
Cities tend to have excellent Parks and Rec departments and low cost activities (Juneau had skateboard parks, free shooting range, etc..)
People are friendly



Cons:
Can be isolated from the rest of the world
Few good paying jobs
Daylight/darkness can screw with people mentally
Certain items can be expensive
Shopping choices can be few (I used to have to order clothes from a catalog as a kid…not many major stores in Juneau…Anchorage has a much better selection)
Gas is expensive
Lots of drunks and fighting
Can be expensive to get there
Wildlife can be an annoyance and/or dangerous
Weather can suck, depending on location (rains constantly in SE Alaska)

I'll post more as I think of them.

Personally, I'd give almost anything to go back. I've been to over 20 foreign countries and lost count of how many cities in the US and I have yet to find a place better than Juneau. The people tend to be friendly and helpful. A person tends to only be as good as their word in AK.

Jobs are the major downfall. Houses are spendy (equal with the Chicagoland market), yet good paying jobs are few and hard to get. If you have a job before you get there, great. If not, have some friends to room with or be prepared for hard times.

If you are going without a plan, make sure you have enough money to get home (or have a parent or someone else willing to get you home). Like I said, jobs are low paying and falling flat on your face is a real possibility.

Good Luck. If nothing else, you won't regret seeing Alaska, even if it only is for a short time.

Answer 2

pros:

No sales tax
no bugs during the winter
annual dividend(free money from government for residents)
summers are awesome(lots of stuff to do)
abundance of drunk locals soliciting money on the streets

cons:

21 hours of darkness during the winter
21 hours of sunlight during the summer
food costs more than the lower 48
freezing weather, dangerous driving conditions, shoveling snow

Answer 3

it's freaking cold there and very few women to boink. pros are lots of men and lots of ice and no need for airconditioning

Answer 4

Con--its cold
Pro--no bugs

Answer 5

the ratio between men and women is not equal. way more men.

Answer 6

Cold, expensive and dirty.