$ PlainPropertyTax

Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK

Rent vs Own in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska

HUD prices a 2-bedroom in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area at $1,313/mo while the ownership stack lands near $1,787/mo. That mid-sized gap is large enough that rate or down-payment tweaks usually cannot close it alone. Owner-occupied homes: 1,865.

🏘️
Renting is cheaper in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area

A 2-bedroom rental here runs $1,313/mo, meaningfully below the $1,787/mo ownership stack on the default assumptions. That is a $474/mo difference.

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

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area

Primary driver

Renting wins by a mid-sized monthly gap

Southeast Fairbanks Census Area lists a $282,000 median home with $3,350/yr property tax (1.19%). HUD's $1,313/mo 2-bedroom rent undercuts the ~$1,787/mo ownership stack by a mid-range margin of about $474/mo. Closing that gap usually takes more than a cosmetic rate tweak, price, tax load, or both.

Decision signal 2

Price and income sit in the middle band

Median household income is $73,882, for a 3.8x home-price-to-income ratio in the middle of the national distribution; property tax takes 4.5% of that income. Small changes in down payment or rate move this county across the rent-vs-own line more than they would in a high-ratio market.

Decision signal 3

HUD moved the rent benchmark up

HUD raised its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area from $1,250/mo in FY2025 to $1,313/mo in FY2026: it increased by $63/mo (+5.0%). A rising rent benchmark widens the gap in favour of owning over time, because the mortgage share of the ownership cost below is fixed at origination while the rent it is compared against reprices every year.

Decision signal 4

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area ranks 18 of 28 Alaska counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 10 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
$1,787
Mortgage (P&I) $1,426
Property Tax $279
Insurance (est.) $82
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,313
Studio$942
1-Bedroom$1,198
2-Bedroom$1,313
3-Bedroom$1,826
4-Bedroom$2,162

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$73,882
$6,157/mo
Home Price / Income
3.8x
Moderate (3-5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
4.5%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

The typical mortgage-free owner in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area is billed $1,500 to $1,999 annually, rather more than a single month of median two-bedroom rent nationally, the level at which buyers start budgeting the tax as its own line rather than folding it into escrow.

With ownership already mid-range more expensive than rent month-to-month, that annual bill reinforces why cash-flow renters stay put unless they are deliberately buying for tenure rather than monthly savings.

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

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska? ▼
Renting the HUD 2-bedroom is the clearer monthly path in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area by roughly $474/mo under default loan assumptions. Closing a gap this size usually needs a meaningfully lower price or rate, not a cosmetic tweak.
What is the average rent in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,313/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $1,220/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
How much house can you afford in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $73,882 household here can afford up to $221,646 -- about $60,354 short of this county's $282,000 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the median home price in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area? ▼
$282,000, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 1.19% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
Is rent going up or down in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has risen 5.0% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.
How does Southeast Fairbanks Census Area compare to other Alaska counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 28 Alaska counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area lands at spot 18, 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

Verify with HUD →