Does the Government Pay People to Live in Alaska?
The federal government does not pay individuals to live in Alaska, but the state government maintains a dividend fund from oil revenue known as the Alaska Permanent Fund that it uses to pay its residents an annual fee to live in the state. The State of Alaska has several requirements to qualify for a dividend, and in 2014, the dividend amount received by each eligible resident was $1,884.
To receive the dividend, an individual must be a resident for 1 full calendar year before submitting an application. A full calendar year is January 1 to December 31, so if an individual moved to Alaska on January 3, the calendar year would not start until next January 1. Additionally, the applicant must intend to remain a resident indefinitely. Individuals incarcerated for a state felony or misdemeanor at any point in the year are not eligible for the fund.
