How Much Land Do The Browns Own?

‍‍‍The Brown family has been the star of the show “Alaskan Bush People” for a few years now. How much land do they own between Alaska and other states?

The subject of a popular TV show about living in the wild, the Brown family has amassed a sizable amount of land for their family to life on. Between their multiple real estate holdings, and moving to Washington, their land stake has grown too.

The Brown's initial plot of land in Alaska was 30 acres. They also own a 435 acre plot in the northern Cascade mountains in Washington. The family has also moved back and forth between Washington and Alaska as the family's matriarch undergoes cancer treatment.

How did the Brown's acquire their land? What do they do with the land? Is their land in Washington different from their land in Alaska?

We've looked up the family and the show and have some answers for you in regards to land ownership for the Browns.

‍How much land do the Browns own?

The Browns own 30 acres of land in Alaska on Chichgoff Island, which is south of Glacier Bay National Park, near southern Alaska. The family has built several homes for family members on the land – while still remaining relatiely private for all family members involved.

The Browns moved. Why?

The matriarch of the family, Ami, developed an advanced lung cancer that required more care than their remote Alaskan hospital and care centers could provide comfortable. The family was forced to finish their homes in Alaska so they were saleable.

Where did the Browns move to?

The Browns sold “Browntown” in 2019 and annnounced they were excited to move to Washington state and build a ranch on over 400 acres of land. They spent about $1.6 million on four parcels of land for North Star Ranch.

A fire did occur near the ranch, which surely scared the family. They do intent to rebuild to remain in Washington state. Much of the family remains in Washington state though Billy Brown died of complications from a seizure in early 2021.

Do the Browns really live on their property?

Some tabloids have presented the claim that the Browns don't live in the wild – or on their own remote ranch. While this is somewhat true – it appears to be for a reason. First, they are still building the ranch – and may continue to do so after the death of the family father, Billy Brown. Second, a wildfire did affect their property. It's not exactly a surprise that the family wouldn't live on the property full time during a period of transition and geographical problems. Some even went back to Alaska as their mother went through cancer treatments and completed them.

Locals do say that the Browns don't live on their property actively, but it is worth noting that some locals don't want them there, believing that the family purchased the property with ill-gotten money from the Alaskan government as well as their TV show.

Is the show fake?

All reality TV shows have a twist on reality. A normal situation for a family living in Alaska, intentionally off the grid, is completely different for a family living on the grid with running water, electricity, and lots of modern amenities. A bear wandering the near home isn't that big of a deal, and probably a subject of natural admiration instead of the deadly twist played on by TV cameras.

The family also lived in some fairly posh settings while they were in Washington – which was of course reported and exaggerated in the media.

Is their Alaskan home rural?

Their Alaskan home is certainly rural compared to most suburbs, or even the most remote parts of rural counties in the United States.Their home is located about 30 miles away from the state capital of Juneau Alaska.

What is worth noting is the difference between rural and the practices of the family. One can choose to live on a plot of land near a major city and not use the resources available to them, with modern luxuries like electricity. In reality, there aren't many locations anywhere that would put a family in a truly remote location. In the case of the Browns, the show features their scenery, as well as their philosophy toward life, and method of living off the land as an entertainment package. A family that truly wanted to get completely off the grid and live in the most remote parts of the world probably wouldn't want to be on television.

Is their Alaskan home sold?

The Browns put their Alaskan property with 30 acres up for sale in 2019 for $795,000. It's not clear who purchased the property, but it is clear that the family no longer lives in Alaska and has since separated across parts of Washington and other states.

How did they afford their land?

The Brown's have a variety of income sources. Some are odd jobs as featured on the job- often dramatically. Billy Brown is a known author, though it's not believed he made much money off the books he wrote. While the family receives a salary from the Discovery Channel for their show – they are also frequently shown as struggling economically, going so far as to barter for dental care with fish. Viewers in the states and across the world have been known to send them donations, thinking that the TV family lives in dire straits when the reality is that some of these events are dramatized for the show. Part of the truth is that some families living in Alaska do live on similar bartering systems as the Browns portray – though some prefer it that way anyway.

While there aren't many specifics about the now adult children owning land, they received some money for being on the show, and we are sure that helped pave the way for adult life.

The Brown family did also commit what amounts to welfare fraud when they received money from the state of Alaska while lying about where they actually lived. They were ordered to pay the money back after pleading guilty to knowingly lying about their location.