Median Adjusted Rents in Alaska Rise Over 2012

The cost of renting a home or apartment in Alaska has gone up.

State labor department economists report the median adjusted rental price in Alaska rose from $1,065 a month in 2012 to $1,119 this year for all housing-unit types and survey areas combined. Economist Karinne Wiebold says that percentage of increase is not unreasonable.

Median adjusted rent includes the estimated cost of utilities, such as heat, lights, water and garbage.

The report finds rents in Fairbanks rose more since 2012 than any other surveyed area, though they were slightly below the median average for all units. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough was the only surveyed area where rents fell.

Kodiak had the highest median rent in the survey, at $1,365 a month, followed by Anchorage at $1,154 and Valdez-Cordova at $1,150.