In short
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $376,500 in Alaska and $429,600 in Anchorage, against $360,600 nationwide, according to the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey. The FHFA House Price Index shows Alaska prices up 8.3% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026, the largest gain of any state in that release.
What the median home value is
The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) asks owners: “About how much do you think this house and lot, apartment, or mobile home (and lot, if owned) would sell for if it were for sale?” The median value in table B25077 is the middle answer among all owner-occupied homes in an area.
This is the owner’s own estimate. It is not a sale price, not an appraisal and not a list price. It covers every home that owners occupy, including homes bought decades ago, so it describes the existing stock rather than what buyers paid this year.
The latest one-year ACS estimates cover 2024. The Census Bureau plans to release the 2025 one-year estimates on October 29, 2026, so the figures below will change at that point.
What it costs: median value in 2024
| Area | Median value, 2024 | Margin of error (90%) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $360,600 | ±$618 |
| Alaska | $376,500 | ±$7,020 |
| Anchorage, AK metro area | $410,900 | ±$13,685 |
| Municipality of Anchorage | $429,600 | ±$16,429 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates 2024, table B25077, universe: owner-occupied housing units. Anchorage is a unified city-borough, so the Census Bureau reports the same figure for the municipality as a city and as a county-equivalent.
Three points stand out:
- The Alaska median is $15,900 above the national median.
- Anchorage sits $53,100 above the Alaska median and $69,000 above the national median. The metro-area figure is $18,700 lower than the municipality’s.
- The margin of error for Anchorage (±$16,429) is wider than for the state’s, because the sample is smaller. The true median is very likely between about $413,000 and $446,000.
How prices have moved: the FHFA index
The ACS gives a level. To see the trend, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) publishes a House Price Index built on repeat sales: it compares the prices of the same single-family homes each time they sell. FHFA’s flagship index uses seasonally adjusted, purchase-only data from mortgages bought or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The latest quarterly release, published August 25, 2026, covers the second quarter of 2026. FHFA’s release lists Alaska first among the five states with the highest annual appreciation, at 8.3%.
| Area | 1-year change (Q2 2025 to Q2 2026) | 5-year change (Q2 2021 to Q2 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | +2.1% | +33.4% |
| Alaska | +8.3% | +37.3% |
Source: FHFA House Price Index, purchase-only, seasonally adjusted, quarterly files for states and the U.S. Changes calculated by Payotte from the published index values. FHFA flags that Alaska has fewer than 15,000 transactions over the latest ten years, so its state index rests on a small sample.
Anchorage: no purchase-only index
FHFA does not publish a purchase-only index for the Anchorage metro area. It does publish two other indexes for it, built on different data, so they are not directly comparable with the state figures above:
| Anchorage metro index (FHFA) | 1-year change | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|
| All-transactions, not seasonally adjusted | +4.5% | +38.1% |
| Expanded-data, seasonally adjusted | +10.4% | +36.7% |
Source: FHFA House Price Index master file, Q2 2021, Q2 2025 and Q2 2026 values. Changes calculated by Payotte.
The two series disagree on the last year (+4.5% against +10.4%), which is a reason to read them as a range for direction, not as a precise figure. Both show Anchorage prices well above their level five years ago.
A worked example
Take an Alaska home worth $430,000 in the second quarter of 2021. If it had followed the state’s purchase-only index exactly, it would have been worth about $590,600 in the second quarter of 2026 (+37.3%). A home worth $400,000 in the second quarter of 2025 would have gained about $33,200 over the last year (+8.3%). A single home can move very differently from the index: location, condition and renovations matter more than the average.
How to use these figures when buying
- Use the ACS median for budgets and comparisons between places. It is the only measure here that gives a dollar level for the state, the metro area and the city with the same method.
- Use the FHFA index for the direction of prices. It tells you whether prices are rising or falling, not what a given home is worth.
- For a specific home, look at recent sales and the appraisal. Your lender orders an appraisal before it approves the loan; see our guide to home appraisal costs.
To see what a purchase in the largest city costs beyond the price, read buying a home in Anchorage. For help with the down payment, see first-time buyer programs in Alaska.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median home price in Alaska?
The Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in Alaska at $376,500 (±$7,020). This is what owners think their home is worth, not the median sale price of recent sales.
What is the median home value in Anchorage?
The same survey gives $429,600 (±$16,429) for the Municipality of Anchorage and $410,900 (±$13,685) for the Anchorage metro area.
Are home prices in Alaska rising?
According to the FHFA purchase-only index, Alaska prices rose 8.3% between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026, against 2.1% nationally. Over five years they rose 37.3%.
Is there an FHFA price index for Anchorage?
FHFA publishes all-transactions and expanded-data indexes for the Anchorage metro area, but no purchase-only one. They show +4.5% and +10.4% over the past year. Treat them as a range, not a precise figure.
Why do the Census and FHFA figures differ?
The Census median is owners’ estimates of value at one point in time. The FHFA index measures price change in repeat sales of the same homes. One gives a level, the other a direction.
Compare with the other states: Median home price by state.
More Alaska guides
- Closing costs in Alaska: what buyers and sellers pay
- Real estate transfer tax in Alaska: none, by law
- Property tax in Alaska: rates, exemptions and appeals
- What must a home seller disclose in Alaska?
- Do you need a real estate attorney to close in Alaska?
- How does foreclosure work in Alaska, and how long does it take?
- First-time home buyer programs in Alaska and Anchorage
- How to verify a real estate license in Alaska
- Community property and buying a home in Alaska
- Natural hazards and home insurance in Alaska
Sources
- Table B25077, Median Value (Dollars), ACS 1-Year Estimates 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau) (consulted October 13, 2026)
- 2025 ACS Data Release Schedule (U.S. Census Bureau) (consulted October 13, 2026)
- U.S. House Prices Rise 2.1 Percent Year over Year, Up 0.3 Percent Quarter over Quarter (FHFA, August 25, 2026) (consulted October 13, 2026)
- FHFA House Price Index datasets, quarterly purchase-only indexes (state, metro, U.S.) (consulted October 13, 2026)
- FHFA House Price Index, master file (all-transactions and expanded-data indexes by metro area) (consulted October 13, 2026)