The cost of living in Dawson City reflects the community's location, well off the Alaska Highway, which is the main transportation route to and through the Yukon. Prices for most goods and services are substantially higher than in Whitehorse. In general, living in Dawson City is almost 17 percent more expensive than living in Whitehorse.
In 2001, according to the Census, Dawson City contained 540 occupied dwellings. The average value was $135,300 for a two-to-three-bedroom house. Rental housing cost, on average, $550-600 a month in 2001. The First Nation manages 120 houses. Because Dawson City attracts many job seekers in the summer, housing is typically very hard to obtain in the summer months. A campsite has been set up across the Yukon River from the community to provide space for temporary summer residents.
