Cost Of Living in Barrow, AK

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B+

11%

Overall NAT. AVG.

18%

Groceries NAT. AVG.

4%

Housing NAT. AVG.

Date & Last Updated: These cost of living estimates reflect 2026 modeled data using U.S. Census housing inputs and AI-assisted city-level pricing models.

The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living score is 90, then the estimated cost of living is 10% lower than the national average. If the score is 110, then the estimated cost of living is 10% higher than average. The overall index is calculated using weighted estimates across major everyday expense categories, including housing (30%), groceries (16%), transportation (12%), healthcare (10%), utilities (8%), lifestyle and entertainment (8%), household expenses (8%), and education and childcare (8%). All values are AI-assisted city-level estimates designed for directional comparisons.
Index	Barrow	Alaska	National
Cost of living	111	122	100
Groceries	118	119	100
Health care	108	110	100
Housing	104	137	100
Transportation	112	113	100
Utilities	123	124	100
Lifestyle & Entertainment	115	117	100
Household Items	108	110	100
Education & Childcare	114	114	100

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Homes For Sale In Barrow, AK

4181 Herman St

Barrow, AK

7241 Karluk St

Barrow, AK

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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

The cost of living in Barrow is 9% lower than the Alaska average
The cost of living in Barrow is 11% higher than the national average
Barrow housing is 4% higher than the national average
Alaska general sales tax is 100% lower than the national average
Alaska state income tax is 100% lower than the national average

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index
Lifestyle index
Household index
Educare index

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$104,786	$8,732	$2,445	$3,144
Renters	$118,898	$9,908	$2,774	$3,567

A good way to judge both the affordability of the housing and the cost of living in Barrow is by simply calculating the maximum that should be spent on housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The plan is to avoid spending more than 28 percent of the gross income on costs that pertain to housing and no more than 36 percent on all expenses and debts. Barrow has a median income of about $104,786 for people who own homes. Based on that number, a maximum of $2,445 should be spent on expenses related to housing. Renters have a slightly different median income, which is $118,898. Based on this average, renters should spend no more than $2,774 on all rental costs if they want to maintain a non-impoverished standard of living.

Alaska Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Alaska	0%	7%

Alaska Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Alaska	0%	0%

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Barrow, AK	4,426	111	11.1%

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Woodruff, SC	4,426	86	13.6%
Coleman, TX	4,425	83	17.0%
North Richmond, CA	4,427	144	44.1%
Dillon, MT	4,427	97	3.2%
Canton, NC	4,427	95	5.3%
Barrow, AK	4,426	111	11.1%