Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | North Slope Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $155,000 | $303,164 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -1.1% | 5.4% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,166 | $1,387 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 1.8% | 2.4% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in North Slope Borough is about 49% lower than in Alaska. Rent is about 16% lower than the Alaska average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2019
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in North Slope Borough: home prices fell about 1.1% a year while rent rose about 1.8% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in North Slope Borough rose about 7.4% between 2015 and 2023, from $1,086 to $1,166. Over the same span, rent in Alaska rose about 21.0%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.8 yearly household incomes in North Slope Borough.
Buying the median-priced home in North Slope Borough costs roughly 11.1 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in North Slope Borough. The price-to-rent ratio in Alaska is about 18.2.
| Metric | North Slope Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $155,000 | $303,164 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $85,678 | $90,338 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.8 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2019, the median home price in North Slope Borough fell about 2.1%, while median household income rose about 31.2% between 2009 and 2023 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | North Slope Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 41.4% | 54.5% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 42.2% | 27.3% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 16.5% | 18.2% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2012 | 2011 |
North Slope Borough has a homeownership rate of 41.4%, lower than the Alaska average of 54.5%. Its housing vacancy rate is 16.5%, compared with 18.2% in Alaska.
Housing Stock
| Metric | North Slope Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 3.31 people | 2.63 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1983 | 1985 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.4 | 4.8 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in North Slope Borough was built around 1983. On average, 3.3 people live in a home with about 4.4 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in North Slope Borough, Alaska.
What is the median home price in North Slope Borough, Alaska?
The median home price in North Slope Borough, Alaska is $155,000, lower than the Alaska average of $303,164.
What is the average home price in North Slope Borough, Alaska?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in North Slope Borough, Alaska?
The median gross rent in North Slope Borough, Alaska is $1,166 per month, lower than the Alaska average of $1,387.
What was the median gross rent in North Slope Borough in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in North Slope Borough, Alaska was $1,050 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in North Slope Borough, Alaska?
The price-to-rent ratio in North Slope Borough, Alaska is about 11.1, meaning it would take roughly 11.1 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in North Slope Borough.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in North Slope Borough, Alaska?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in North Slope Borough: home prices fell about 1.1% a year while rent rose about 1.8% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in North Slope Borough, Alaska?
41.4% of households in North Slope Borough, Alaska own their home, lower than the Alaska average of 54.5%.
What is the vacancy rate in North Slope Borough, Alaska?
The housing vacancy rate in North Slope Borough, Alaska is 16.5%, lower than the Alaska average of 18.2%.