Alaska Land for Sale - 785 Properties (2024)

FAQs

What's the average price for 1 acre of land in Alaska? ›

Overview of the Alaskan Land Market

The average price per acre for land in Alaska is around $7,000. However, prices can range from as little as a few hundred dollars per acre for remote wilderness tracts to over $100,000 per acre for highly desirable recreational parcels in accessible areas.

Is “homesteading” allowed anywhere in Alaska today? No. Homesteading ended on all federal lands on October 21, 1986. The State of Alaska currently has no homesteading program for its lands.

Yet in rural areas, vast undeveloped acreage is economical mostly due to sheer abundance and difficult access or buildability. Ultimately Alaska is a state of contrasts, with extreme highs and lows in pricing based on location appeal and market demand.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has three land sale programs: Land Auctions, the Over-the Counter (OTC) Program, and the Remote Recreational Cabin Sites (RRCS) Program. Parcels offered in Land Auctions are awarded to the highest bidders.

The ten states with the cheapest land are Arizona, New Mexico, Mississippi, Colorado, Arkansas, New York, Missouri, Oregon, Alabama, and Michigan. Arizona is the cheapest state to buy land with a median price of $4,164 per acre.

Alaska's adverse possession law is fairly simple. Anyone openly possessing a parcel of property under color of title for at least seven years, or at least 10 years under a good faith (but mistaken) belief that the land was already part of their property, may claim that property.

However, many people still have the mistaken impression they can head to Alaska, pick out a parcel of land, and live on it for free. Unfortunately, that's not possible in Alaska anymore. However, there are legal options for purchasing land from the state, including over-the-counter purchases and land auctions.

Before you build your house in Alaska, you need to shop for land. You will incur two costs related to land: Land Purchase Cost: The average price per acre in Alaska is $62,200. The cost of land depends on the size of the house you wish to build as well as the location.

Alaska is the only state in the United States where a large part of the land mass of the state is not subject to a property tax. Although property tax is the primary method of raising revenues for the majority of the larger municipalities in the state, smaller municipalities favor a sales tax.

Is it true that Alaska gives you land? ›

The State of Alaska no longer offers the homestead and homesite programs of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s that allowed people to “claim” land. As an alternative to these programs, DNR offers the Remote Recreational Cabin Sites Staking Program to Alaska residents.

Wealth of Wildlife and Fisheries

From salmon to crab, Alaska possesses immense fishing resources. Land ownership near prime fishing grounds allows leasing that access to commercial fishermen. Abundant moose, bear and other wildlife also makes Alaska land desirable for hunting/outfitting leases.

Alaska has its own website where Alaskans or their family members can search for unclaimed property, unclaimedproperty.alaska.gov. If a relative can prove they're the legal heir to the property they're eligible to file a claim, Norman said.

Living in Alaska isn't for everybody. If you need to leave quickly, it can be tough to predict the return on your investment. However, if you're committed to the Last Frontier for the long run, you'll have a much better chance of doing well on your real estate investment.

Unlike most states, Alaska does not impose an acreage limit for homestead exemptions. The state allows homestead exemptions of up to $72,900, but does not allow married couples to double that amount. Alaska's homestead exemption applies to one's primary residence (not a vacation home or second property).

Edouard de Stoeckl, Russian minister to the United States, negotiated for the Russians. On March 30, 1867, the two parties agreed that the United States would pay Russia $7.2 million for the territory of Alaska. For less than 2 cents an acre, the United States acquired nearly 600,000 square miles.

With thousands of properties and rural land for sale in the state, these land listings represent a combined 235,200 acres of land for sale in Alaska. The average price of land listings and rural property for sale in Alaska is $392,317.

Land in private ownership (other than Native land) comprises less than one percent of the total land in Alaska. Much of the best land for development around Alaska's communities is, or will be, privately owned.