Housing decision brief
Yakutat City and Borough, AK Housing Market
Yakutat City and Borough screens as a below-state 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.
8th lowest home value out of 30 Alaska counties with data | 17th lowest rent out of 30
Median home value
$185,000
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,276/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$633/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.3x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
14.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$643/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Home-value estimate has a $83,764 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$185,000 median home value is 32% below Alaska county median
Rent burden below pressure line
14.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $643/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 97.1 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Health context
Health score is 23.7 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $83,764, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
Poor Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Yakutat 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. | $185,000 | $274,050 | $281,900 | 32% favorable32% below Alaska county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,276 | $1,243 | $1,163 | Near state median3% above Alaska county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $633 | $772 | $1,672 | 18% favorable18% below Alaska county median |
Median household income | $80,625 | $78,158 | $74,755 | Near state median3% above Alaska county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.76% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 24% favorable24% below Alaska county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 14.00% | 23.00% | N/A | 39% favorable14.00% 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
+$29,585
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$53,496
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Yakutat City and Borough is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $1,276/month representing approximately 19.0% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 14.0%.
Rent vs own
At $1,276/month rent versus $633/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $643/month cheaper , a 50% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $51,040/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $27,129/year. With a median household income of $80,625, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 14.0% of renter households in Yakutat City and Borough are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Alaska, Yakutat City and Borough is less affordable than Nome Census Area by roughly 4% ($1,276/mo vs $1,328/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nome Census Area, AK | $201,000 | $1,328/mo | Same-state comparison near $201,000 home value and $1,328/mo rent. |
| Northwest Arctic Borough, AK | $162,500 | $1,336/mo | Same-state comparison near $162,500 home value and $1,336/mo rent. |
| North Slope Borough, AK | $219,600 | $1,167/mo | Same-state comparison near $219,600 home value and $1,167/mo rent. |
| Dillingham Census Area, AK | $163,800 | $1,085/mo | Same-state comparison near $163,800 home value and $1,085/mo rent. |
| Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK | $262,800 | $1,304/mo | Same-state comparison near $262,800 home value and $1,304/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $83,764 ACS margin of error.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Yakutat City and Borough
Is Yakutat City and Borough affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Yakutat City and Borough?
How much income do you need for housing in Yakutat City and Borough?
What should I double-check before moving to Yakutat City and Borough?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.