State ranking · HUD FMR
Alaska: Most Expensive Counties
The highest-cost counties in Alaska by 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY 2026.
- $1,719
- Priciest 1BR — Bethel Census Area
- $1,194
- AK avg 1BR
- 30
- Counties ranked
The most expensive county for rent in Alaska is Bethel Census Area with a 1-bedroom FMR of $1,719/mo, which is 44% above the state average of $1,194. The national average 1-bedroom FMR is $959.
What "most expensive" really means for Alaska renters
These rankings come straight from HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, which reports the 40th percentile of gross rents (utilities included, except telephone) for every county in Alaska. The top entry is Bethel Census Area with a 1-bedroom at $1,719, a studio at $1,688, 2-bedroom at $1,938, 3-bedroom at $2,324, and 4-bedroom at $2,566. Because HUD sets FMR per county (or per metro FMR area), these figures are the ceilings local housing authorities use to calibrate Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards — typically between 90% and 110% of FMR — which means they also approximate the moderate end of each county's documented rental market.
Compared with the Alaska state average of $1,194 for a 1-bedroom, the most expensive county is 44% above the state benchmark, and 79% above the US average of $959. High-rent counties almost always cluster in dense metropolitan FMR areas where housing supply is constrained, transit access is strong, and local wages support premium rents — which is also why voucher recipients frequently find fewer units at payment-standard rates in these counties without the help of HUD's Small Area FMR program. The ranking across all 30 counties shows the intra-state spread: moving between a top-ranked county and a mid-ranked one can mean hundreds of dollars per month in baseline rent before any amenity premium.
For budgeting, the 30% affordability rule says a household needs roughly $68,760/year to afford the most expensive 1-bedroom FMR in Alaska without being cost-burdened — well above the $47,760/year needed to afford the state average. That gap translates directly into rent-burden rates: counties at the top of this list tend to have the highest share of households paying more than 30% of income for rent, and the highest share of severely burdened renters (above 50% of income). Pair this ranking with the year-over-year FMR growth and rent burden pages to see whether today's most expensive counties are still tightening, or whether lower-ranked counties are catching up fastest.
Top 30 Most Expensive Counties in Alaska
| # | County | 1-BR | 2-BR | 3-BR | vs State Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bethel Census Area | $1,719 | $1,938 | $2,324 | +44% |
| 2 | Aleutians West Census Area | $1,670 | $2,191 | $2,652 | +40% |
| 3 | Kodiak Island Borough | $1,581 | $2,075 | $2,488 | +32% |
| 4 | Northwest Arctic Borough | $1,471 | $1,930 | $2,547 | +23% |
| 5 | Chugach Census Area | $1,374 | $1,506 | $2,094 | +15% |
| 6 | Sitka City and Borough | $1,350 | $1,566 | $2,178 | +13% |
| 7 | Juneau City and Borough | $1,340 | $1,758 | $2,368 | +12% |
| 8 | Nome Census Area | $1,334 | $1,533 | $2,132 | +12% |
| 9 | Fairbanks North Star Borough | $1,277 | $1,676 | $2,331 | +7% |
| 10 | Aleutians East Borough | $1,263 | $1,385 | $1,661 | +6% |
| 11 | Skagway Municipality | $1,253 | $1,644 | $2,245 | +5% |
| 12 | Anchorage Municipality | $1,243 | $1,631 | $2,268 | +4% |
| 13 | North Slope Borough | $1,239 | $1,625 | $1,958 | +4% |
| 14 | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | $1,238 | $1,625 | $2,260 | +4% |
| 15 | Petersburg Borough | $1,211 | $1,463 | $1,754 | +1% |
| 16 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | $1,198 | $1,313 | $1,826 | +0% |
| 17 | Dillingham Census Area | $1,138 | $1,247 | $1,734 | -5% |
| 18 | Bristol Bay Borough | $1,134 | $1,243 | $1,729 | -5% |
| 19 | Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | $1,113 | $1,460 | $1,751 | -7% |
| 20 | Yakutat City and Borough | $1,094 | $1,388 | $1,753 | -8% |
| 21 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | $1,049 | $1,376 | $1,914 | -12% |
| 22 | Haines Borough | $1,033 | $1,321 | $1,771 | -13% |
| 23 | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | $1,030 | $1,153 | $1,464 | -14% |
| 24 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | $1,019 | $1,126 | $1,566 | -15% |
| 25 | Kenai Peninsula Borough | $1,000 | $1,312 | $1,825 | -16% |
| 26 | Denali Borough | $935 | $1,187 | $1,651 | -22% |
| 27 | Copper River Census Area | $930 | $1,130 | $1,572 | -22% |
| 28 | Wrangell City and Borough | $928 | $1,217 | $1,682 | -22% |
| 29 | Lake and Peninsula Borough | $894 | $1,030 | $1,391 | -25% |
| 30 | Kusilvak Census Area | $767 | $973 | $1,353 | -36% |
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Methodology
Rankings are based on FY 2026 Fair Market Rents (FMR) published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FMR represents the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard quality units in a given area. Counties are ranked by 1-bedroom FMR in descending order. "vs State Avg" compares each county's 1-bedroom FMR to the Alaska average.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.