Moving in Alaska requires a lot of logistics, but it can be done if you prepare and hire the right moving company. The cost to move in Alaska will vary depending on your needs, the time of year, and how much work you are willing to do. At Move.org we provide you with planning, packing, and budgeting resources. We also provide expert recommendations on top moving companies. Whether you’re moving to Fairbanks, Anchorage, or elsewhere, we’re happy to help you feel confident about your move in America’s last frontier.
Compare Alaska moving companies
Moving company | Move type | Move.org rating | Cost | Learn more |
| Full-service (long distance) | 
| $$$$ | Check Prices Check Prices | |
| Full-service (local) | 
| $$$ | Check Prices Check Prices | |
| Moving container | 
| $$$ | Check Prices Check Prices | |
| Truck rental | 
| $$ | Check Prices Check Prices | |
| Hourly labor | 
| $$ | Check Prices Check Prices |
International Van Lines—Best long-distance moving company
International Van Lines is our pick for the best long-distance moving company. It can move you anywhere in the country and is upfront about its prices (most moving companies aren’t). IVL also offers substantial discounts if you’re a senior or need to ship a car. Plus, the moving company provides 30 days of free storage to provide a buffer when moving into your new home. On the downside, it has below-average customer reviews and annoying website pop-up ads.
Pros
Transparent pricing
Local and long-distance moving
15% car shipping discount
15% senior discount
30 days of free storage 
Cons
Below-average customer reviews
Annoying pop-up ads First National Van Lines—Best local moving company
First National Van Lines is our pick for the best local moving company. While most moving brokers focus on helping you move between states, FNVL’s expertise enables you to move within the same state. It has a network of movers in nearly all US cities and receives above-average customer reviews. First National Van Lines can also give you a quote virtually or in person and provides attractive storage options. For example, it offers all customers a free month of storage and a remote video stream of their storage space. On the downside, FNVL’s website isn’t always up-to-date.
Pros
Services most U.S. cities
Excellent customer reviews
In-home and virtual quotes
30 days of free storage
Remote video storage Cons
Out-of-date website PODS—Best moving container company
PODS is one of your best moving options. Think of the company’s containers as storage units that you can hang onto until you've set a date with a driver to pick up and hook onto the back of a specialized truck. A PODS truck drops off a moving container at your home. Once you load it, PODS picks the container up and transports it to your new home, where you unload it. The container company has top-notch customer reviews, excellent storage options, and nationwide availability. And despite confusing invoices, PODS has some of the lowest rates for moving containers in the United States. In some cases, it's even more convenient and cheaper than rental trucks.
Pros
Low prices
Multiple container sizes
Lots of storage options
Positive customer reviews
46-state availability Cons
Confusing prices Penske—Best moving truck company
Penske Truck Rental is our pick for the best moving truck company. Renting a truck is the cheapest way to move, and Penske brings a lot to the table. It offers local and long-distance moving services everywhere in the country (except Alaska), provides reliable reservations, and has moving discounts. In addition, Penske has the highest customer satisfaction rating of any rental truck company. So if you’re able to pack, load, and drive, there’s no better option than Penske Truck Rental.
Pros
Lowest moving prices
Local and long-distance rentals
Excellent customer reviews
Moving discounts
Reliable reservations Cons
No service in Alaska HireAHelper—Best hourly moving labor company
HireAHelper is an excellent solution if you need help with only a few parts of the moving process. The company’s professional contractors can help you with everything from packing and loading to furniture assembly and junk removal. It’s also easy to find, with nearly 5,000 locations in all 50 states. Plus, HireAHelper movers get excellent customer reviews. Just be aware that you must hire your workers for at least two hours. It’s not cheap compared to other hourly moving labor companies, but customer reviews suggest the premium price is worth it.
Pros
Professional contractors
Packing and loading services
4,750+ locations
50-state availability
Positive customer reviews Cons
High prices
Two-hour minimum Move.org's top pick
International Van Lines is our pick for the best long-distance moving service. It has a vast network of cross-country movers, provides one month of free storage, and offers military and senior discounts. Want to move with Move.org's #1 pick?
What type of moving company is right for you?
Professional movers
They handle it all.
Professional movers load your stuff, ship it to your new home, and unload it all for you. It’s the easiest—but most expensive—option. Learn more.
Containers
You load, they ship.
You load up all your belongings, but the movers transport your container to your new home. It’s the middle road for effort and cost. Learn more.
Moving truck rentals
You do all the work.
Worried about costs? Rent a truck, load it yourself, drive it to your new home, and unload all your things. You do it all—and save a lot. Learn more.
What to know about living in Alaska
Population
There are roughly 733,583 people living in Alaska, the largest state in America.1 The ethnic demographics among Alaska residents include roughly 65% White, 16% American Indian and Native Alaskans, 8% Hispanic or Latino, 7% Asian, 4% Black, and 8% two or more races. Roughly 8% of residents were born in a foreign country, and nearly 16% of households speak another language at home aside from English.
Employment
Roughly 65% of Alaskans participate in the labor force, which has an unemployment rate of 4.5%.3 Alaska’s largest revenue industries include tourism, oil drilling and gas extraction, and gasoline and petroleum bulk stations.4 Its largest employers by employment numbers include Providence, The Kroger Co., and the Home Depot. And the sectors that contributed the most employment in 2022 were health care and social assistance, retail trade, and information.
Cost of living
It depends on where you live in Alaska, but the overall cost of living is 28% higher than the national average with Juneau, Anchorage, Kodiak, and Fairbanks being some of the most expensive places in Alaska to live.5 Utilities in Alaska are roughly $391.13 a month, including natural gas, electricity, water, streaming, phone, and internet.6 The current median sale price of a home is $347,100,7 and the average household income is $80,287 annually.1
Politics
Alaska has voted Republican in every presidential election aside from the one in 1964 (the vote went to Lyndon Johnson). Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan are senators, while Mike Dunleavy is the governor.8 Current policy issues leaders are addressing:
- Water and sanitation construction to remote areas
- Building resilience to environmental threats
- Expansion of elder care and family wellness
- Higher prioritization in suicide prevention
- Reclamation and revitalization of Native languages
- Maintain funding for fisheries and marine mammal research and management
- Domestic production of oil and gas in the Arctic
Which long-distance movers have the best quality?
American Van Lines is our pick for the highest-quality interstate moving company. It’s expensive, but the company has decades of experience moving high-value items like pianos and artwork.
Best Alaska movers FAQ
The cost of a moving company in Alaska varies depending on the type of move you’re doing (full service, moving container, or truck rental, for example), household size, distance you’re moving, and time of year.9 A full service moving company costs on average $9,060 while a moving and storage container move costs $3,800 on average. Moving with a rental truck is the cheapest with an average of $1,128 per month, but this can vary depending on where you’re coming from or leaving.
International Van Lines, our top-rated moving company, can move you to Alaska and handle any of the complex logistics that go along with an Alaska move. You can also move with a U-Pack moving container or U-Haul U-Box or rent and drive a moving truck rental.
The cheapest way to move to Alaska is with a rental truck. This will require you to do the most amount of work, however, and may cost similarly to a moving container, depending on your distance.
You can move to Alaska with or without a job, but we hope that you have a job game plan before you move to one of the most remote states in the US. If you’re hoping to qualify for the Permanent Fund Dividend—which pays out annual dividends from Alaska's oil and gas reserve investments to every Alaskan citizen—you need to maintain residency in the state for at least a year. The 2022 dividend amount was $3,284.10 Keep in mind that Alaska’s living wage for a single working adult with no children is $16.72 per hour or $34,786 (before taxes) annually,11 and Alaska has an overall cost of living that is 28% above the national average.7
Methodology
We conducted intensive research to identify the best moving companies for long-distance moves and local moves, in addition to container moves, truck rentals, and hourly moving labor. During our searches, we:
- Compare pricing transparency. We gather quotes, check for binding estimates, and read customer reviews about pricing to ensure each moving company’s prices are trustworthy.
- Review accreditation. We check every company’s records in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s database to confirm companies are properly authorized to transport household goods.
- Go mystery shopping. We review every company’s website, pose as customers in calls to companies, and read customer reviews to analyze every company’s moving services, transit protection, and customer service. We also interview actual customers to learn how their moves went from start to finish.
- Perform site visits. We invite moving companies to our headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT, to share data and expertise. We verify the information they provide by comparing it to data gathered through independent research and interviews with other movers.
- Set up regular reviews. We routinely repeat this process to update our recommendations to reflect current data and trends. We also revise each review annually and make updates throughout the year.
Sources
- The United States Census Bureau, “QuickFacts: Alaska,” Published July 2022. Accessed Jan 30, 2022.
- The United States Census Bureau, “Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census,” Published August 21, 2021. Accessed Jan 30, 2023.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Economy at a Glance: Alaska,” Published January 25, 2023. Accessed Jan 30, 2023.
- IBIS World, “Alaska Industry Trends.” Accessed January 30, 2023
- RentCafe, “Cost of Living in Alaska 2023,” Published in September 2022. Accessed January 30, 2023.
- Sarah Cimarusti, Move.org, “Utility Bills 101: Utilities Tips, Average Costs, Fees, and More,” December 29, 2022. Accessed January 30, 2023.
- Redfin,“Alaska Real Estate,” December 2022. Accessed January 30, 2023.
- 270toWin, “Alaska Elections,” Accessed January 30, 2023.
- Colin Holmes, Move.org, “How Much Does it Cost to Move?” December 22, 2022. Accessed January 30, 2023.
- Official Alaska State Website: State of Alaska, “Permanent Fund Dividend,” Accessed January 30, 2023.
- MIT Living Wage Calculator, “Living Wage Calculation for Alaska,” Accessed January 30, 2023.
