The Shocking Price of Groceries in Rural Alaska

The village of Unalakleet, on the western coast of Alaska, is accessible only by plane, boat, or—depending on the time of year—snowmobile. Most of the items in the village’s two grocery stores arrive by cargo plane. Food is expensive everywhere in the state, but, as we report in a New Republic feature story, it is particularly costly in rural parts. Indeed, prices in Unalakleet far outstrip those in more urban areas. For low-income households that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, this means that roughly the entire amount of their average daily benefits could be spent on just one food item.

On October 30, Nathaniel Wilder, a photographer on assignment for The New Republic, went shopping in Unalakleet at Ransom’s Grocery, where he compared the cost of a cart of groceries and basic paper products to the cost of the same items on the same day at a Carr’s supermarket in Anchorage, where he lives. (It should be noted that the food items photographed by Wilder are eligible to be covered by SNAP benefits, but the paper products are not.)

In Anchorage, the groceries Wilder bought totaled $75.43. In Unalakleet, they amounted to $134.83—a difference of $59.40. Prices in Unalakleet, in other words, can be nearly 80 percent higher than in Anchorage. The comparison is harrowing—and instructive.As federal SNAP benefits lapse in November due to the government shutdown, food security has become an even greater concern for Alaskans. The steep cost of groceries in Unalakleet could exacerbate the struggles faced by its most vulnerable residents.

Spam Classic
Carr’s in Anchorage: $4.99
Ransom’s in Unalakleet: $8.69

Bananas
Carr’s in Anchorage: $0.95/lb
Ransom’s in Unalakleet:$3.29/lb
(Ransom’s offered a discount because the bananas were overripe and darkened.)

Huggies Diapers
Carr’s in Anchorage: $12.99
Ransom’s in Unalakleet: $19.95

Birds Eye Deluxe California Blend Vegetables
Carr’s in Anchorage: $8.99
Ransom’s in Unalakleet: $12.05

Campbell’s Tomato Soup
Carr’s in Anchorage: $1.69
Ransom’s in Unalakleet: $4.25

Ruffles potato chips
Carr’s in Anchorage: $6.79
Ransom’s in Unalakleet: $10.49

Cabbage
Carr’s in Anchorage: $2.49/lb
Ransom’s in Unalakleet:$4.35/lb

Wesson Vegetable Oil
Carr’s in Anchorage: $5.49
Ransom’s in Unalakleet: $11.99

Darigold Heavy Whipping Cream
Carr’s in Anchorage: $6.99
Ransom’s in Unalakleet: $9.59

Signature Select 100% Apple Juice
Carr’s in Anchorage: $3.29
Ransom’s in Unalakleet: $10.65

Progresso Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup
Carr’s in Anchorage: $4.49
Ransom’s in Unalakleet: $8.49

Signature Select Peach Halves
Carr’s in Anchorage: $1.79
Ransom’s in Unalakleet: $4.35

Signature Select Ultra Strong toilet paper, 12 rolls
Carr’s in Anchorage: $14.49
Ransom’s in Unalakleet: $26.69

Anchorage total =$75.43
Unalakleet total =$134.83