Moving to
Knik-Fairview.

All Knik-Fairview data Compare Knik-Fairview

19,972people live here $96,437median household income▲ 19% above US $1,588median rent per month▲ 12% above US $340,200median home valueNear US average

Knik-Fairview is an unincorporated community in Matanuska-Susitna 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 Knik-Fairview

Knik-Fairview is an unincorporated community in Alaska with household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, a growing population, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Knik-Fairview deals with long average commutes, college degree attainment below the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold, harsh winters.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Clean air
Growing population
Average class sizes

The not so good

Long commutes
Low college degree attainment
High rent burden for renters
Cold, harsh winters
Heavy snowfall — 62" per year
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Knik-Fairview compares

Median household income

Knik-Fairview$96,437

Alaska avg$92,788

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Knik-Fairview$1,588

Alaska avg$1,419

US$1,413

Median home value

Knik-Fairview$340,200

Alaska avg$352,900

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Knik-Fairview

Based on Knik-Fairview's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,176

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

Income to keep rent under 30%: $63,520 a year
50% of Knik-Fairview renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$68,040

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $34,020
Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 12% above US

$1,588/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,588 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $340,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $340,200 · 50% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

5.1% county unemployment

Unemployment in Matanuska-Susitna Borough is 5.1%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Matanuska-Susitna Borough (county-wide)

Getting around▲ 47% above US

38 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 38.2 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

71%

Carpool

11%

Work from home

9.9%

Other

6.1%

Walk

1.2%

Public transit

0.7%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 69°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 10°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▼ 42% below US

21% bachelor's degree or higher

College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.

Schools

5 public schools inside the boundary

There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Alaska Public Lands (22 miles away).

Bottom line

Knik-Fairview's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are long average commutes and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,588/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes, anyone who doesn't drive, and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.

See all the data for Knik-Fairview →·All Alaska cities →