Housing decision brief
Sitka City and Borough, AK Housing Market
Sitka City and Borough screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
30th lowest home value out of 30 Alaska counties with data | 22nd lowest rent out of 30
Median home value
$442,100
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,350/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,587/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
4.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
29.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$237/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
Clean
No major county-specific caveat detected.
What Works
Rent burden below pressure line
29.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 76.2 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Best Fit For
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
Poor Fit For
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Sitka City and Borough is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $442,100 | $274,050 | $281,900 | 61% pressure61% above Alaska county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,350 | $1,243 | $1,163 | 9% pressure9% above Alaska county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,587 | $772 | $1,672 | 106% pressure106% above Alaska county median |
Median household income | $101,207 | $78,158 | $74,755 | 29% favorable29% above Alaska county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.47% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 53% favorable53% below Alaska county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 29.00% | 23.00% | N/A | 26% pressure29.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$47,207
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$33,193
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Sitka City and Borough is affordable. The median rent is $1,350/month against a median household income of $101,207, putting rent at 16.0% of income.
Rent vs own
At $1,350/month rent versus $1,587/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $237/month cheaper , a 15% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $54,000/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $68,014/year. With a median household income of $101,207, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 29.0% of renter households in Sitka City and Borough are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Alaska, Sitka City and Borough is less affordable than Fairbanks North Star Borough by roughly 5% ($1,350/mo vs $1,424/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juneau City and Borough, AK | $432,500 | $1,462/mo | Same-state comparison near $432,500 home value and $1,462/mo rent. |
| Anchorage Municipality, AK | $375,900 | $1,453/mo | Same-state comparison near $375,900 home value and $1,453/mo rent. |
| Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK | $379,000 | $1,388/mo | Same-state comparison near $379,000 home value and $1,388/mo rent. |
| Skagway Municipality, AK | $430,000 | $1,228/mo | Same-state comparison near $430,000 home value and $1,228/mo rent. |
| Aleutians West Census Area, AK | $419,100 | $1,886/mo | Same-state comparison near $419,100 home value and $1,886/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- No major county-specific data caveat was detected in the current housing fields.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Sitka City and Borough
Is Sitka City and Borough affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Sitka City and Borough?
How much income do you need for housing in Sitka City and Borough?
What should I double-check before moving to Sitka City and Borough?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.