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Bristol Bay Borough, AK

Rent vs Own in Bristol Bay Borough, Alaska

In Bristol Bay Borough the ownership stack ($1,485/mo) sits only modestly above HUD's $1,243/mo 2-bedroom rent, a thin premium, not a blowout. Small assumption changes in the calculator can flip the verdict. Owner-occupied homes: 156.

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Renting is cheaper in Bristol Bay Borough

HUD's 2-bedroom rent is $1,243/mo - only a thin step below the $1,485/mo ownership stack. That is a $242/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Bristol Bay Borough

Primary driver

Income supports the median purchase price

Median household income is $95,625, and the 2.6x home-price-to-income ratio leaves room for the ownership stack (property tax alone is 2.1% of median income). The monthly gap above is more about mortgage rate and insurance assumptions than about the purchase price being out of reach.

Decision signal 2

Renting wins, but only by a thin premium

At $245,800 for the median home and $2,045/yr in tax (0.83%), Bristol Bay Borough's ownership stack (~$1,485/mo) only narrowly exceeds the $1,243/mo HUD 2-bedroom rent - a $242/mo premium. That is the band where a rate drop or a larger down payment most often flips the cash-flow verdict.

Decision signal 3

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Bristol Bay Borough from $1,253/mo in FY2025 to $1,243/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $10/mo (-0.8%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

Decision signal 4

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Bristol Bay Borough ranks 14 of 28 Alaska counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 14 other Alaska counties on this measure.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$1,485
Mortgage (P&I) $1,243
Property Tax $170
Insurance (est.) $72
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,243
Studio$891
1-Bedroom$1,134
2-Bedroom$1,243
3-Bedroom$1,729
4-Bedroom$2,047

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$95,625
$7,969/mo
Home Price / Income
2.6x
Affordable (≤3x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
2.1%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Most Bristol Bay Borough households that own outright land between $800 and $1,499 a year, at the national middle, so the tax neither argues for renting nor against it and the decision turns on price and mobility instead.

Layered on a thin rent-vs-own premium, that annual bill is often the swing factor: a paid-off owner still faces a real yearly charge even when the mortgage payment itself would have looked competitive.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Anchorage Municipality
Home: $395,900 Tax: $4,982/yr
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Home: $346,600 Tax: $3,685/yr
Fairbanks North Star Borough
Home: $298,200 Tax: $3,550/yr
Kenai Peninsula Borough
Home: $323,200 Tax: $2,049/yr
Juneau City and Borough
Home: $449,300 Tax: $4,251/yr
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Home: $393,300 Tax: $2,619/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Bristol Bay Borough? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,243/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $1,156/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bristol Bay Borough, Alaska? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom rent is only a thin step cheaper than owning in Bristol Bay Borough (about $242/mo) on the standard 20%-down / 6.5% assumptions. A larger down payment or a rate drop often closes it; equity is still the ownership-only bonus.
How much house can you afford in Bristol Bay Borough? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $95,625 household here can afford up to $286,875, which comfortably covers this county's $245,800 median home price -- a healthier affordability picture than many of the counties tracked on this site.
What is the median home price in Bristol Bay Borough? ▼
$245,800, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.83% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
Is rent going up or down in Bristol Bay Borough? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 0.8% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.
How does Bristol Bay Borough compare to other Alaska counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 28 Alaska counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Bristol Bay Borough lands at spot 14, roughly in the middle of the pack statewide. The <a href="/states/alaska">Alaska state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

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