What actually sets Alaska apart
Large parts of Alaska sit in the Unorganized Borough and levy no property tax whatsoever. A statewide average therefore describes the boroughs where people actually buy houses rather than the state's land area, and heating cost is usually a bigger line in an Alaskan housing budget than tax.
Property taxes in Alaska at a glance
- Average effective tax rate: 1.14% of home value per year
- Median home value: $333,300
- Estimated tax on a median-value home: $3,785 per year (about $315 per month)
- Rank by tax rate: 16th of 50, highest first
- Rank by amount actually paid: 13th of 50, highest first
- Where these figures come from: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, for the Alaska statewide averages shown above — ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates, last reviewed September 2026.
Rate and bill agree in Alaska
Alaska sits 16th of the fifty by tax rate and 13th by the amount a median-value owner actually pays. That agreement is less common than it sounds: 19 of the 50 states move ten places or more between the two rankings, because home values vary far more widely than rates do. In Alaska the 1.14% headline is a fair summary rather than a figure that needs correcting.
How Alaska works out what you owe
Property is assessed at full and true market value as of 1 January. Alaska has no state property tax at all: everything you pay is levied by a borough or city.
Alaska sets no statutory limit on how fast a home's taxable value can rise, so an Alaska assessment tracks the market more closely than it would in a capped state.
Exemptions Alaska homeowners should claim
Each of these reduces an Alaska bill every year you hold the property, and almost none are granted without a claim:
- Senior citizen and disabled veteran exemption: A mandatory statewide exemption removes the first portion of assessed value for owners aged 65 or older and for qualifying disabled veterans on a primary residence.
- Optional municipal residential exemption: Boroughs may exempt a share of residential assessed value by ordinance, which is why two homes of identical value in different boroughs can owe very different amounts.
Where you buy inside Alaska changes the bill
A statewide average hides its extremes. Where they show up in Alaska:
- Municipality of Anchorage: the largest tax base in the state, where most Alaskan mortgages are written
- Fairbanks North Star Borough: carries a comparatively high mill rate to fund services across a large, cold and sparsely settled area
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough: the commuter belt north of Anchorage, where lower rates are part of the reason buyers move out there
How Alaska compares with the mainland
Alaska does not border another state, so the useful comparison is with the national spread. Its 1.14% average is the 16th highest of the 50 states, against a 50-state average near 0.99%.
At the extremes, New Jersey averages about 2.23% and Hawaii about 0.27%. On a $333,300 home that spread is worth roughly $6,533 a year.
Appealing an Alaska assessment
If the assessed value on your Alaska home overstates what it is worth, the route is an appeal to the borough or municipal Board of Equalization. The window is usually within 30 days of the assessment notice, and it is strict — missing it means waiting a full cycle.
Frequently asked questions
When are Alaska property taxes due, and when must exemption claims be filed?
Billing and due dates are set by each borough or municipality, commonly with a summer instalment and an autumn instalment. Applications go to the borough or municipal assessor, typically early in the calendar year for that year's roll.
Does this calculator use my exact Alaska county tax rate?
No — it applies the Alaska statewide average of 1.14%. Rates are set locally, and the spread inside Alaska is wide enough to matter: on a $333,300 home, $515 a year separates Alaska from an averagely taxed state before any county variation is counted. Check the parcel's own rate with its Alaska county before relying on this figure.
Reference sources
Related calculators
How this estimate is built
Principal and interest come from the standard amortization formula, worked through in full on the formula reference page. Property tax, insurance, PMI and loan-program figures layer on top from published assumptions — each one sourced, dated and listed on the methodology page. Every result here is an estimate built from public data, not a quote: confirm the specifics with a lender before relying on it.
For developers
This calculation is also available as a REST API and through an MCP server, both running the same engine as this page — so the figures match by construction rather than by convention. No key required.