Calculate your property tax for AK. Enter your home value, apply exemptions, and see your estimated annual tax.
Alaska has the lowest effective property tax rates in the country, commonly 0.3% to 0.6% of market value, because the state collects enormous oil and gas revenue that funds government and reduces the local burden. There is no state income tax and no statewide sales tax, and boroughs (not counties) are the main taxing units; some parts of the state are in unorganized borough areas with minimal property taxation. Property is assessed at 100% of market value. Relief centers on a senior/disabled exemption and the absence of a heavy rate. This guide explains the calculation and relief; the calculator below estimates your bill.
Alaska's boroughs and cities assess at 100% of market value (the state's 'full and true value'); your tax is the assessed value times the local mill rate (dollars per $1,000). Because oil revenue funds much of state government, the local property-tax ask is small. The unorganized borough — most of the state's land area — has no borough government and therefore little or no property tax, while the organized boroughs (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Mat-Su, Juneau, etc.) set their own rates. Your bill depends almost entirely on which borough you are in.
Alaska's Senior Citizen and Disabled Veterans Exemption removes a set amount of assessed value for owners 65+ or qualifying disabled veterans, with the amount indexed to the prior year's average assessed value of a single-family home (commonly removing the first portion — often the equivalent of roughly $150,000 of value or more in recent years). It is claimed with the borough and is one of the main reliefs for older Alaskans. The exact dollar amount is set annually by the state and published by each borough.
Alaska grants a disabled veterans' exemption (a set dollar reduction, larger for service-connected disability) and exemptions for surviving spouses of veterans and first responders. There is also a residential exemption in some boroughs that reduces the first portion of a primary residence's value before the mill rate is applied. Because the baseline rate is already very low, these exemptions are a secondary benefit rather than the main reason Alaska bills are small.
The defining feature of Alaska property tax is that state oil revenue pays for schools, the university, and much of local government through aid, which keeps local mill rates low. When oil prices fall, boroughs may raise mill rates or cuts may follow; the Permanent Fund Dividend (paid to residents) is separate from property tax but reflects the same resource wealth. Homeowners should watch the borough budget and the state's oil-revenue forecast, because a sustained downturn is the main scenario in which local rates rise.
Alaska has no Prop 13-style cap; boroughs set mill rates within their budgets. The restraint comes from oil revenue, not a statutory lid, so rates can drift — but they start from a very low base. Borough assemblies set the rate each year after a public hearing.
The figures below draw on our county datasets where available; rates differ by jurisdiction, so use your specific locality's rate in the calculator.
Alaska has no county property tax; the organized boroughs (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Mat-Su, Juneau, Kenai, Ketchikan, etc.) and cities are the taxing units, and much of the state is unorganized with little or no property tax. Enter your borough's rate in the calculator below.
Alaska boroughs and cities set their own due dates; many bill annually or in two installments, and sustained delinquency can lead to a tax lien on the property. Because oil revenue keeps rates very low, the absolute dollar amount is usually small, but the senior/disabled exemption is claimed separately with the borough, so budget for the full bill and expect the exemption as a reduction. Confirm your borough's exact schedule on the annual tax statement.
To lower your Alaska bill: (1) claim the senior/disabled exemption (a set-dollar reduction, indexed annually, often worth roughly $150,000 of value) with your borough; (2) claim any veterans' or surviving-spouse exemption; (3) verify your assessment if comparable sales are lower, using the borough board of equalization; (4) if you live in the unorganized borough, you may owe little or no property tax at all; (5) follow the borough budget process, since rates are set locally each year. The senior exemption is the main relief for older Alaskans.
In practice, an Alaska bill is the borough (or city) mill rate times the assessed value, plus any service-area charges. Because oil revenue funds so much of government, the rate is low; the unorganized borough has essentially no property tax, while the organized boroughs (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Mat-Su, Juneau, Kenai, etc.) set their own rates. The senior/disabled exemption is applied by the borough before the rate is multiplied. Read the borough's annual tax statement, which shows the mill rate and any service-area lines; because the base is small, even a rate change moves the bill only modestly.
If you are buying in Alaska, confirm which borough the home is in — the rate (and whether you are in the unorganized borough with little tax) drives your cost. Ask whether the seller claimed the senior/disabled exemption and reapply after you move in. Because oil revenue suppresses rates, the main risk is a future downturn that nudges rates up; budget for that possibility. Obtain the current tax statement and compare borough rates. The low baseline means property tax is rarely the deciding factor, but verify the exemption is active in your name.
To appeal in Alaska, respond to the spring assessment notice. (1) Compare your assessed value to recent sales of similar homes. (2) File with the borough board of equalization by the stated deadline. (3) If unresolved, appeal to the state assessment appeal process with your evidence. (4) Confirm any senior/disabled exemption is applied. Because rates are low, appeals are lower-stakes, but a clear error is worth correcting.
Alaska's property-tax debate is inseparable from oil revenue: when prices fall, boroughs face pressure to raise mill rates or cut services, and there are periodic discussions of a statewide residential exemption or a stable revenue mechanism. The senior/disabled exemption amount is set annually and sometimes adjusted. Because the unorganized borough has little tax, reform focuses on the organized boroughs. Homeowners should watch the borough assembly's annual rate vote and the state's oil-revenue forecast.
Borough — Alaska's taxing unit (organized boroughs and cities; much is unorganized with little tax). Senior/disabled exemption — a set-dollar removal of value for owners 65+/disabled veterans. Unorganized borough — the area with minimal property tax. Mill rate — dollars per $1,000 of assessed value. Permanent Fund Dividend — the resident payment from oil revenue (separate from property tax).
Two $350,000 homes. Homeowner A in an organized borough with a 0.5% effective rate owes about $1,750. Homeowner B, a 65-year-old, claims the senior exemption (removing a large share of value) and may owe toward $1,000–$1,200 or less. A home in the unorganized borough may owe little or nothing. The example shows why Alaska's rate is among the lowest — oil revenue, not a high rate, funds government.
Alaska homeowners with a mortgage pay tax through escrow; because rates are low, the escrow is a small part of the payment, but a borough rate change (or an oil-revenue-driven increase) still flows through. If you claim the senior/disabled exemption, tell the lender so the escrow reflects the lower base. Buyers should confirm which borough the home is in, since the unorganized borough has little tax — an estimate using a neighboring borough's rate will be wrong.
Why are Alaska property taxes so low? The state collects large oil and gas revenues that fund government and local aid, so borough mill rates are very low — often 0.3% to 0.6% of market value.
What is the Alaska senior exemption? A set-dollar exemption (indexed annually, often equivalent to roughly $150,000 of value or more) for owners 65+ or qualifying disabled veterans, claimed with the borough.
Does Alaska have counties? No. Organized boroughs and cities tax property; much of the state is in the unorganized borough with minimal or no property tax.
Is there a property tax cap in Alaska? No statewide cap; borough assemblies set mill rates annually within their budgets, restrained mainly by oil revenue.
How do I appeal my Alaska assessment? File with the borough board of equalization by the spring deadline, then to the state assessment appeal process if needed, using comparable sales.
Enter your home value, select your state, and see your estimated annual property tax.