Do You Want To Be A Digital Nomad in Alaska? Here’s How You Do It
Congratulations, you’ve become a digital nomad and you can work from anywhere. Your office now takes the form of a tropical beach or better yet, any city in the world. Unfortunately for you, tropical paradises and urban playground are not what you want out of life. Here you are reading this blog post because Alaska keeps calling you. Becoming a digital nomad in Alaska is possible and if it’s the path you choose, it will be the most profitable and fulfilling decision of your life. Alaska is the “last frontier” and if you’re a digital nomad, living here will test your pioneering spirit.
Working Remotely In Alaska. It’s Dark! (In the Winter)
The extreme northern latitude of Alaska means the sun does not stay up long during winter months. I’ve compiled the length of daylight on the winter solstice in 4 locations across the state, each is a potential digital nomad destination.
- Ketchikan, Alaska. One of the most southerly cities in the state. Total daylight: 7hours, and 5 minutes
- Homer, Alaska. North of Juneau but south of Anchorage. Total Daylight 5hours: and 59 minutes
- Anchorage, Alaska. The largest city in the state. Total daylight: 5hours and 27 minutes
- Fairbanks, Alaska. The second largest city in the state, and much further north. Total daylight: 3hours and 41 minutes
Winter is a highly enjoyable season if you’re prepared. This means investing in skis, a snowmachine, and maybe some ice fishing equipment. The Alaska backcountry opens up for travel after it freezes over. You can explore more territory than you ever could in the summertime.
Why Alaska Is The Perfect Place For Digital Nomads
Just because you haven’t heard of anyone working remotely in Alaska doesn’t mean you can’t do it. You’re still on the bleeding edge of remote work choosing Alaska as your permanent residence. Think of all the cities that are unaffordable because of digital nomads, how do you think they got their start?
Nothing Will Stand In Your Way
Nothing and nobody in Alaska will prevent you from working to achieve your dream. Hell, some might even help you! In reality, you are on your own and that’s a double edge sword because it means you can fail but it also means you have the potential to be as successful as you want. There is no government red tape, there are no nosy neighbors, there is no organization that is already doing it. It’s just you v the elements, and it’s up to you to determine how wealthy you will become.
Want to build a house? There are tens of thousands of acres (many on the road system) that don’t even have building codes. Alaska is the last frontier and if you have a pioneer mentality, you have the potential for extreme success. There are no income taxes, no business taxes, and if you do have property taxes, they will most likely be extremely low. Plus, the state does pay you to live here, and that’s never a bad thing.
Get In Early
Have you heard of Austin, Tx, what about Portland, OR, or Boise, ID? All these cities exploded in popularity and the earliest adopters won the most. All across the West, outdoor cities like Missoula, MT, and Boulder, CO have become hotbeds of migration and home construction. Don’t you wish you moved to a hip outdoor place before it got popular? Alaska is next on the list of growing states, you just haven’t heard of it yet.
Outdoor Activities For Every Season
Do you like hiking? What about fishing? Do you hunt? How about ski? Ever been on a snowmachine? What about ice fishing? Cross-country skiing? Do you want to start trapping? Do you like boating? Are you a pilot? Do you mountain climb? Do you like shooting? Ever surf in the north Pacific before? Do you like kayaking? How about swimming? What about mountain biking? Want to start a dog sled team? Do you want to own a horse?
It’s Alaska, you can do whatever you want.
Absolute Freedom
There’s a saying in Alaska, “there are rules and then there’s enforcement, and those are two different things”. Live your life however you want, there is nobody looking over your shoulder. Are you an atheist and want to start a commune with all your sexual partners? You’re in luck, you won’t be the first cult to call Alaska home. Maybe you’re religious and want to live the most traditional life you can – welcome to Alaska, you won’t be alone with that lifestyle. Perhaps you want to save stray dogs or raise chickens, whatever you want to do, you can have that lifestyle here.
Take advantage of your digital nomad income and build a lifestyle that you want. You can live in a way that’s not possible in any other part of the United States and potentially, the world!
You Are Unique To The Alaska lifestyle
Most Alaskans work in industries connected to resource extraction, like oil, fishing, or construction. The fact that you are able to work on the computer from anywhere means the entire state is open to you in ways that other people will never experience. You can buy the house that’s low cost because it’s far from the city. You can go on that extreme hunting trip and you can fish in the middle of the week. In Alaska, you will not compete with other digital nomads for parking spaces at the mountain bike trailhead.
You Already Have An Income
The largest obstacle preventing people from moving to Alaska is the lack of jobs. However, this is not a problem for you, you’re a digital nomad. You can live a lifestyle of freedom never before realized by Alaskans, you are independent of the oil and fishing industry! You are not a seasonal employee, you have options because you took the risk of becoming a digital nomad pioneer.
Must Know Tips For Digital Nomads In Alaska
Invest in Good Internet
Alaska has fast internet but you must be willing to pay for it. GCI is the main company here and they provide wired internet to the majority of the state. If you’re living on the road system, there’s a good chance you can get it.
If you can’t get wired internet, don’t worry, there are other options!
- AT&T has good infrastructure and I used a mobile hotspot my first two years on the Kenai peninsula.
- GCI is the local company that offers hardwired internet for most houses. It’s expensive but it works without problems, usually.
- SpitwSpot offers fast wireless internet, perfect if you don’t have a cable connection
- Starlink is the new kid on the block and when it works, it’s the best. The only problem is, it doesn’t work all the time.
Understand the Alaska Time Zone
Alaska is the only part of the world in the Alaska time zone, which means your clients are definitely in a different time zone than you. In Alaska, you are permanently 4 hours behind New York City, not a bad place to be. I have plenty of clients who first contact me around their lunch breaks and I’m able to finish work after they are done for the day.
Book A Rental Before Summer
Rentals in Alaska are expensive during the tourist season (summer), with most renting for at least $200/day. If you have the “brilliant” idea of coming to Alaska during the summer months and not staying for at least a full year, well, it might be out of your budget. However, if you plan to move to Alaska long term, I recommend coming to Alaska in the early spring or fall, (April or October) and booking a 12 month lease, this will be easier to find and much more affordable.
Bring A Car With You
There’s no public transportation options, sorry. It’s the last frontier and it’s full of ice and snow, bring a car with you. If you plan on buying one in Alaska, expect to pay more than you would down south and expect it to have issues from all the road salt. Bringing a reliable vehicle will make your time in Alaska extremely enjoyable.
Fly to Hawaii
During the winter months, most people leave to warmer pastures for a month or two. A flight to Hawaii is only 6 hours, why wouldn’t you go? There are also direct flights to Seattle, Phoenix, and Chicago from Anchorage. Alaska Airlines offers a 49 club which lets any Alaska citizen two free checked bags, not a bad perk of living in the last frontier.
Alaska For Digital Nomads
Choosing the right city to move to should take you roughly one year. Many people decide to move to Anchorage first and then visit other parts of the state. Use your remote work to your advantage, find a good town to call home. I recommend resisting the urban urge to live the same lifestyle you did when you lived down south. Find a place with low cost land and live the Alaskan dream. Use your digital nomad skills to invest in the Alaska way of life.
Nobody is saying moving to Alaska is easy but it will be worth it.
