Moving to
North Lakes.

All North Lakes data Compare North Lakes

10,223people live here $101,679median household income▲ 26% above US $1,441median rent per monthNear US average $357,600median home valueNear US average

North Lakes 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 North Lakes

North Lakes is an unincorporated community in Alaska with household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, 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. North Lakes deals with commute times longer than most cities, cold, harsh winters, heavy snowfall, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Clean air
Average class sizes

The not so good

Above-average commute times
Cold, harsh winters
Heavy snowfall — 62" per year
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How North Lakes compares

Median household income

North Lakes$101,679

Alaska avg$92,788

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

North Lakes$1,441

Alaska avg$1,419

US$1,413

Median home value

North Lakes$357,600

Alaska avg$352,900

US$332,700

What it takes to move to North Lakes

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

To rent

$2,882

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

Income to keep rent under 30%: $57,640 a year
40% of North Lakes renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$71,520

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $35,760
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

$1,441/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,441 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 $357,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $357,600 · 40% 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▲ 17% above US

30 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 30.3 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; 16% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

71%

Work from home

16%

Carpool

8.0%

Other

4.1%

Walk

0.9%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 65°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 13°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▼ 29% below US

26% bachelor's degree or higher

College degree attainment runs below average at 26%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.

Schools

7 public schools inside the boundary

There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, 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 (34 miles away).

Bottom line

North Lakes'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 commute times longer than most cities and cold, harsh winters. A year of median rent ($1,441/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.

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