CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

64.81° N · 147.39° W · GEOID 0205000

Badger

Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska · part of the Fairbanks, AK metro

AlaskaBadger, AKBadgerBadger

The short answer

Badger is home to 18,677 people. Median household income is $97,183 a year and median rent is $1,629 a month, 20.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $310,600, about 3.2x annual median household income.

What sets Badger apart is how tight household budgets are. 25% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 99% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 23 Alaska places we track. Also notable: OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of places its size. It is the lowest of 24 Alaska places we track.

35OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Badger scores better than 35% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 17th of 24 in Alaska.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%61
Economy 20%42
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%19
Education 10%30
Commute 10%66
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,629
19% above the median place
Median household income
$97,183
21% above the median place
Median home value
$310,600
3% below the median place
Unemployment
7.1%
46% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Badger

  • Who lives here3% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 87% of the 2,199 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Badger

Fairbanks North Star Borough loses about 18.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in6,691
Moved out8,129
Net−1,438

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Alaska, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within AlaskaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$55K
Leavers$66K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Fairbanks North Star Borough; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
7.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 5.4% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Fairbanks North Star Borough report $54,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $66,000, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$65,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,629 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,123 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $310,600.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 5.3% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Tanaina, AK matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
5.4%
171% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
7.3%
27% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-18.2
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBadgerAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year17.3%27% above
Moved from another state15.4%171% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-18.2below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$54,67023% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$65,9646% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 24.5%, 52% below the median place.

Badger20.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$65,160
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
20.1%
1% below the median place
Home price to income
3.2x
16% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
20%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$73,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Badger, $1,629 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Badger, but easier on the budget

Places that match Badger on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Tanaina, AK8915.9% vs 20.1%$11,300Compare
Evanston, WY8512.6% vs 20.1%n/aCompare
South Lakes, AK8314.4% vs 20.1%$6,700Compare
Kenai, AK8215.7% vs 20.1%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Badger.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Badger? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
24.5%
52% below the median place
Homeownership1
80.6%
21% above the median place
Vacant homes1
11.6%
64% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureBadgerAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,62919% above
Rent to income120.1%1% below
Property tax rate11.1%25% above
Home price to income13.2x16% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure103.22% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,5534% below
HUD area median income4County figure$116,3008% above
Property tax paid (median)1$3,5489% above
Median home value1$310,6003% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.0%57% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure35.8%30% below
Homeownership180.6%21% above
Renters paying 30%+124.5%52% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,12313% above
Vacant homes111.6%64% above
Median year built119850% above
03

Work and pay

5% of workers mostly work from home, fewer than in 90% of the 2,241 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Poverty rate1
4.2%
61% below the median place
Works from home1
5.3%
58% below the median place
Unemployment1
7.1%
46% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$54,127 +35%
Median household income$97,183 +21%
Mean commute23 min −10%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBadgerAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$97,18321% above
Income per person1$54,12735% above
Unemployment17.1%46% above
Average annual pay6County figure$72,25510% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs6County figure37,07475% below
Poverty rate14.2%61% below
Mean commute123 min10% below
Works from home15.3%58% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.7%24% below
04

Who lives here

4.2% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 87% of the 2,223 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 22 Alaska places we track.

No health insurance1
12.9%
102% above the median place
Born abroad1
3.0%
65% below the median place
Median age1
35.1
10% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.8 +11%
Bachelor's or higher23.6% −27%
Homes with broadband93.3% +1%
High school or higher93.0% +1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureBadgerAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population118,6772460th largest
Median age135.110% below
Bachelor's or higher123.6%27% below
High school or higher193.0%1% above
Household size12.811% above
Born abroad13.0%65% below
No health insurance112.9%102% above
Homes with broadband193.3%1% above
05

Life in Badger

OpenStreetMap shows 1.6 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

36 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents1.6 −84%
Playgrounds per 10k8.6 −9%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k2.7 −76%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails19 km 9.7×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve 135 miles
  • Denali National Park and Preserve 142 miles
  • Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve 263 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.9 +10%
Shops28.4 −6%
Arts, recreation and fitness9.0 2.2×
Doctors' offices and clinics22.3 +10%
Child care centers2.6 +13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
135.2
339% above the median place
Students per teacher12
33.7
119% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
9.0
120% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureBadgerAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure35289% above
Public school students12County figure23,420378% above
Students per teacher12County figure33.7119% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure22.910% above
Shops per 10k8County figure28.46% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure9.0120% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure22.310% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.613% above
Parks per 10k91.684% below
Playgrounds per 10k98.69% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k92.776% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails919.3above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site10135.2339% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles100below (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure36177% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

January average low is -3°F, below the median place (median 25°F).

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Badger. Larger places are fetched first.

January average low13
-3°F
below the median place (median 25°F)
Average temperature13
28°F
48% below the median place
Tornado risk14
0.7
99% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureBadgerAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure69°F21% below
January average low13County figure-3°Fbelow (median 25°F)
Average temperature13County figure28°F48% below
Annual precipitation13County figure16.9 in61% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure88.54% below
Tornado risk14County figure0.799% below
Wildfire risk14County figure97.659% above
Median air quality index15County figure442% above
Good air days15County figure56.4%18% below
08

Badger in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 20% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 20% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Badger does better than 60% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 28%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,629/mo (2024)$2,070/mo$1,700 to $2,520/mo+4.1%
Median household income$97,183 (2024)$122,000$103,000 to $144,500+3.9%
Median home value$310,600 (2024)$439,000$319,000 to $605,000+5.9%

The median home would be worth 3.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.2 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Badger

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Josephine, TX$1,688$91,000Compare
Knik-Fairview, AK$1,588$96,437Compare
Crowley, TX$1,725$95,030Compare
Pilot Point, TX$1,430$97,933Compare
Pilot Point, TXCrowley, TXKnik-Fairview, AKJosephine, TXBadger, AKBadgerJosephineKnik-FairviewCrowleyPilot PointBadgerJosephineKnik-FairviewCrowleyPilot Point

Places built like Badger

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Badger performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Badger, AK20.1%3.7%/yrn/a
Tanaina, AK15.9%6.5%/yrn/aCompare
Golden Hills, CA17.3%8.1%/yrn/aCompare
Elk Plain, WA24.3%8.9%/yrn/aCompare
Kingsburg, CA19.9%2.3%/yr7.0%Compare
Calimesa, CA24.5%8.9%/yr10.9%Compare
Prairie Ridge, WA20.6%6.0%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Badger a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 35 out of 100, better than 35% of the places we rate and 17th of 24 in Alaska. 3% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 87% of the 2,199 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 92 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Badger expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 20.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $310,600.

What salary do you need to live in Badger?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $65,160 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Badger?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Josephine, TX, Knik-Fairview, AK, Crowley, TX and Pilot Point, TX.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Badger with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Badger itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/badger-alaska

Citytistics. “Badger, Alaska.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/badger-alaska/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.