Moving to
College.

All College data Compare College

11,924people live here $83,895median household incomeNear US average $1,454median rent per monthNear US average $297,500median home value▼ 11% below US

College is an unincorporated community in Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in College

College is an unincorporated community in Alaska with home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. College deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a population that has been shrinking, brutally cold winters, and heavy snowfall.

The good

Affordable home prices
Short commutes
Highly educated workforce

The not so good

Air quality concerns
Shrinking population
Brutally cold winters
Heavy snowfall — 64" per year
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How College compares

Median household income

College$83,895

Alaska avg$92,788

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

College$1,454

Alaska avg$1,419

US$1,413

Median home value

College$297,500

Alaska avg$352,900

US$332,700

What it takes to move to College

Based on College's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,908

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,160 a year
45% of College renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$59,500

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $29,750
Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,454/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,454 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $297,500. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.

Median home value $297,500 · 45% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

4.1% county unemployment

Unemployment in Fairbanks North Star Borough is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Fairbanks North Star Borough (county-wide)

Getting around▼ 38% below US

16 min average commute

Commutes run short here, averaging 16 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

65%

Carpool

14%

Walk

12%

Work from home

4.9%

Other

2.6%

Public transit

1.1%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 69°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to -8°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 11% above US

40% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 40% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

9 public schools inside the boundary

There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school.

Bottom line

College's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($1,454/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.

See all the data for College →·All Alaska cities →