Alaska is a beautiful place to spend your holidays. But if you plan to live here, there are many things you have to consider. Every place has some good and the bad things about it. Same is the case with Alaska. Every person has a different choice and a different way of living. Here I give you a list of the general pros and cons of living in Alaska.
Let’s start with the positives and list down some good things about living in Alaska:
1. The Nature
The very first thing that strikes about Alaska is its natural beauty. Since the place is sparsely populated, the natural beauty is untouched. You can live anywhere in Alaska and be closer to nature. There are so many different types of landscapes and a lot of wildlife. So if you love to be closer to nature and want to spend your time in a place that is calm and away from the city’s hustle and bustle, Alaska is the place to choose.
2. Taxes
Most of the cities in Alaska has no tax. Since the government earns enough from various activities, they do not take any money from the residents.The residents pay no income tax, no house taxes, and no sales tax. If you buy something, you will have to only pay the price of the product and no extra charge. So, you save a lot of money.
3. Permanent Fund Dividend
If you were happy with the fact that you will not have to pay taxes, this is going to make you even happier. The government pays you PFD every year. Every member of the family gets around $800 to $2000 depending on the revenue of the government in that year. So, in reality, you are being paid to live in Alaska. How cool is that?
4. Friendly people
The people all over Alaska are very friendly and supportive. Since the population is very less, most of the people help each other with anything and everything. Because of the small size of towns and villages, people know each other and are warm towards each other.
5. Employment
If you have the skills and you want a nice paying job, Alaska is the place to be. Alaska is also a business-friendly state. You can easily get a business license in Alaska and also an EIN number through the internet. You can also take a business loan and set up your own business. This is practically a land of many possibilities.
6. Outdoor activities
You can go hunting if you have a valid hunting license. You can go fishing and kayaking in the Alaskan water. And the best of all is the Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis are the most visible from here.
There are some downsides to living in Alaska too. Some of them are:
1. Living Cost
The cost of living is very high in Alaska. You have to pay a high price to even buy general commodities like milk or food. The housing is also costly. Apart from this, it’s cold all throughout the year, so that adds to the cost of the electricity and higher fuel usage. The gas and diesel are also very costly in the State.
2. The weather
It is true that Alaska is cold all throughout the year. The Alaskan people sometimes describe the weather only in two terms i.e. very cold and less cold. So, there is no warm summer. The winters last for a good seven to eight months and for the people who do not like snow, it is not a place to be. It is also dark for six months out of twelve and if you are moving here from some tropical country, it might be a little hard for you to adjust.
3. Transportation
Road connectivity in Alaska is next to nil and transportation is very expensive. There are no accessible roads to most of the places in Alaska and you have to either take a ferry or travel by a plane.
4. Wild Animals
The fear of attack by a wild animal is another disadvantage of living in Alaska. As exciting it is to see the wild animals roaming in the middle of the city, it can be very dangerous. The moose attacks are fairly common and even wild bear are found almost everywhere and can attack you. So if you are scared of animals, this is not the place for you.
Wulik.com
I am James Doe. I am a weather station owner from Alaska. I have a small weather station and since the weather here is very unpredictable, I constantly assist people by providing them an overview of the day’s temperatures. I have lived in Alaska since childhood and I love this place.