Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska
Population 112,988 · Wasilla, Palmer, Houston
- Overall cost of living: +5.4% vs the US average, higher than 96% of US counties.
- Terrain relief: 8,653.6 ft, higher than 99% of US counties.
- Hot days (90°F+): 0 days, the lowest in the US.
Cost & Housing
| Overall cost of living (vs US avg) | ≈+5.4% | higher than 96% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Shared figure for the whole Anchorage, AK metro area. Prices are published for areas, not single counties. | ||
| Median home price | $346,600 | higher than 86% of US counties |
| Median rent | $1,299 | higher than 87% of US counties |
| Electric bill | $160/mo | lower than 65% of US counties |
| Child care (preschool) | $12,020/yr | higher than 91% of US counties |
| Property tax rate | 1.06% | higher than 68% of US counties |
| Sales tax | 1.8% | lower than 96% of US counties |
| State income tax | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| Property tax paid / yr | $3,685 | higher than 91% of US counties |
Jobs & Career
| Median household income | $94,031 | higher than 93% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | higher than 82% of US counties |
| Job growth (5 yr) | +14.4% | higher than 94% of US counties |
| Jobs per 1k residents | 220.6 | lower than 66% of US counties |
| Profession jobs per 1k residents | N/A |
Climate & Environment
| Sunny days / yr | ≈135 days | lower than 98% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Regional estimate: satellite grid cell about 100 km across. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| July high | 68°F | lower than 99% of US counties |
| January low | 9°F | lower than 88% of US counties |
| Annual snowfall | 62 in | higher than 92% of US counties |
| Hot days (90°F+) | 0 days | the lowest in the US |
| Freezing days (32°F or colder) | 194 days | higher than 97% of US counties |
| Severe drought | 0% of weeks | the lowest in the US |
| Summer dew point | ≈45.6°F | lower than 92% of US counties |
| ≈ Regional estimate: NASA grid cell about 50 km across, read at where the county’s people live. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| Annual precipitation | 17.8 in | lower than 89% of US counties |
| Disaster damage per $100k | $350/yr | higher than 96% of US counties |
| Flood damage per $100k | $25/yr | lower than 99% of US counties |
| Hurricane damage per $100k | $0/yr | the lowest in the US |
| Earthquake damage per $100k | $313/yr | higher than 99% of US counties |
| Tornado damage per $100k | $0/yr | the lowest in the US |
| Wildfire damage per $100k | $11/yr | higher than 85% of US counties |
| PM2.5 air pollution | 5.3 µg/m³ | lower than 92% of US counties |
| Distance to coast | 15.3 mi | lower than 91% of US counties |
| Terrain relief | ≈8,653.6 ft | higher than 99% of US counties |
| ≈ Estimated from about 75 elevation points sampled across the county, so the true range is usually somewhat larger. | ||
Education & Health
| % Adults with a high school diploma | 94.1% | higher than 84% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| % Adults with a bachelor's degree | 24.4% | higher than 59% of US counties |
| % Adults with a graduate degree | 8.7% | higher than 63% of US counties |
| Colleges within 30 mi | 1 | lower than 63% of US counties |
| Student-teacher ratio | 19.7:1 | higher than 96% of US counties |
| On-time high school graduation | 86% | lower than 71% of US counties |
| 8th-grade math (grade level) | N/A | |
| 8th-grade reading (grade level) | N/A | |
| 3rd-grade math (grade level) | N/A | |
| Library visits per resident | 3.1 | higher than 68% of US counties |
| Primary care docs / 100k | 49/100k | higher than 55% of US counties |
| Hospitals within 25 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Hospital quality (avg stars) | 3★ | lower than 48% of US counties |
| Life expectancy | 76.2 yrs | higher than 56% of US counties |
| % Uninsured (under 65) | 12.4% | higher than 73% of US counties |
| Mental health providers / 100k | 412/100k | higher than 87% of US counties |
| Dentists / 100k | 53/100k | higher than 63% of US counties |
| Lyme disease cases | 0/100k | the lowest in the US |
| % Near parks or rec facilities | 65.3% | higher than 52% of US counties |
Transit & Connectivity
| Airport drive time | 49 min | lower than 61% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Int'l airport drive time | 51 min | lower than 86% of US counties |
| Avg commute | 35 min | higher than 96% of US counties |
| Broadband coverage | 93.2% | higher than 92% of US counties |
| Transit commute share | 0.4% | higher than 65% of US counties |
| Work-from-home share | 11.7% | higher than 73% of US counties |
| Drive to a big city | 51 min | lower than 89% of US counties |
| Street intersections | 15 per sq mi | lower than 61% of US counties |
Community & Safety
| Violent crime | N/A | |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime | N/A | |
| Population | 112,988 | higher than 82% of US counties |
| Median age | 36.7 | lower than 86% of US counties |
| Net domestic migration | +15.2 per 1k/yr | higher than 89% of US counties |
| % Democratic vote | N/A | |
| % Republican vote | N/A | |
| % Third-party vote | N/A | |
| % White | 75.7% | lower than 58% of US counties |
| % Hispanic or Latino | 5.4% | higher than 52% of US counties |
| % Black | 1.1% | lower than 62% of US counties |
| % Asian | 1.6% | higher than 78% of US counties |
| % American Indian & Alaska Native | 5.4% | higher than 95% of US counties |
| % Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.4% | higher than 95% of US counties |
| % Two or more races | 9.8% | higher than 98% of US counties |
| % Some other race | 0.6% | higher than 78% of US counties |
Recreation & Lifestyle
| Parks & protected areas | 1101 parks | higher than 96% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants / 10k | 13.6 | lower than 57% of US counties |
| Arts & rec venues / 10k | 6.4 | higher than 86% of US counties |
| Drive to dark skies | 16 min | lower than 57% of US counties |
| Lakes & rivers | 1.1% | lower than 49% of US counties |
| Ski areas within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Golf courses within 30 mi | 4 | lower than 74% of US counties |
| Marinas & boat tours within 90 mi | 9 | lower than 50% of US counties |
| Trails (km) within 30 mi | 941 km | higher than 84% of US counties |
| Named paved greenways (km) within 15 mi | 10 km | higher than 71% of US counties |
| Gyms & fitness centers within 30 mi | 10 | lower than 50% of US counties |
| Bars within 30 mi | 13 | lower than 51% of US counties |
| Music & theater companies within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Museums within 30 mi | 3 | higher than 58% of US counties |
| Breweries within 30 mi | 6 | higher than 75% of US counties |
| Wineries within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Theme parks & arcades within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Casinos & casino hotels within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Campgrounds & RV parks within 30 mi | 4 | higher than 68% of US counties |
| Sports teams & arenas within 90 mi | 4 | lower than 71% of US counties |
| Bike paths (km) within 15 mi | 226 km | higher than 94% of US counties |
Most similar counties
Closest across all well-covered metrics.
Every number is from a public dataset; N/A means the source doesn't cover this county. Percentages compare against all US counties. ≈ marks a value not measured in the county itself; the line under it says where it comes from. Report bad data