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

Who moves here: 8.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.9% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves: Households moving into Matanuska-Susitna Borough report $76,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $63,600, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need: $69,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy: Median rent is $1,741 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,414 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $446,200.
Getting to work: 34 minutes each way on average; 15.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite: Chena Ridge, AK matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two

Moved from another state1
3.9%
98% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
8.0%
39% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
10.7
above the median place (median -0.6)

All 5 moving measures

Measure	Gateway	Vs median
Moved here in the past year1	8.0%	39% above
Moved from another state1	3.9%	98% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure	10.7	above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure	$76,632	9% above
Income of households moving out7County figure	$63,580	10% below

What it costs to live here

Compared with the 24 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Orting, WA, Plumas Lake, CA and Yosemite Lakes, CA), money left after rent here is higher: $111,800 against a typical $90,500.

Gateway15.2%

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

$69,640

a year, at the 30% line

Rent to income

15.2%

25% below the median place

Home price to income

3.2x

15% below the median place

Could you afford it?

Your household income, before tax

The median rent would take

15%

comfortably under the 30% line

Left after rent, in US prices

$112,100

a year

Vs the typical household here

Same

as the median household

Uses the median rent in Gateway, $1,741 a month, and local prices for everything else (104.5 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Gateway, but easier on the budget

Places that match Gateway 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.

Place	Match	Rent to income	More left a year
Chena Ridge, AK	59	10.0% vs 15.2%	$2,400	Compare
Farr West, UT	49	7.3% vs 15.2%	$10,300	Compare
Byron, MN	48	11.0% vs 15.2%	$6,400	Compare
Sergeant Bluff, IA	44	11.2% vs 15.2%	$6,900	Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Gateway? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.

Median year built1
2003
1% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
34.8%
31% below the median place
Homeownership1
81.5%
23% above the median place

All 16 cost and housing measures

Measure	Gateway	Vs median
Median gross rent1	$1,741	28% above
Rent to income1	15.2%	25% below
Property tax rate1	1.1%	24% above
Home price to income1	3.2x	15% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure	105.4	4% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure	$1,293	20% below
HUD area median income4County figure	$119,300	11% above
Property tax paid (median)1	$5,033	54% above
Median home value1	$446,200	40% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure	5.3%	66% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure	50.1%	3% below
Homeownership1	81.5%	23% above
Renters paying 30%+1	34.8%	31% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1	$2,414	29% above
Vacant homes1	6.3%	10% below
Median year built1	2003	1% above

Work and pay

Mean commute is 34 min, 38% above the median place.

Mean commute1
34 min
38% above the median place
Poverty rate1
4.5%
58% below the median place
Median household income1
$137,772
72% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Unemployment3.8% −22%

Income per person$50,609 +26%

Works from home15.2% +22%

All 10 work and pay measures

Measure	Gateway	Vs median
Median household income1	$137,772	72% above
Income per person1	$50,609	26% above
Unemployment1	3.8%	22% below
Average annual pay6County figure	$61,212	7% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure	4.9%	32% above
Jobs6County figure	29,978	80% below
Poverty rate1	4.5%	58% below
Mean commute1	34 min	38% above
Works from home1	15.2%	22% above
Commutes by transit1County figure	0.4%	54% below

Who lives here

Households average 3.35 people, larger than than in 95% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 24 Alaska places we track.

Household size1
3.4
34% above the median place
Median age1
33.8
13% below the median place
Born abroad1
3.0%
66% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband96.3% +4%

High school or higher96.7% +5%

No health insurance8.4% +31%

Bachelor's or higher35.0% +9%

All 8 people measures

Measure	Gateway	Vs median
Population1	6,845	5481st largest
Median age1	33.8	13% below
Bachelor's or higher1	35.0%	9% above
High school or higher1	96.7%	5% above
Household size1	3.4	34% above
Born abroad1	3.0%	66% below
No health insurance1	8.4%	31% above
Homes with broadband1	96.3%	4% above

Life in Gateway

The nearest National Park Service site is Kenai Fjords National Park, about 117 miles away.

29 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents8.8 −14%

Playgrounds per 10k14.6 +55%

Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%

Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k17.5 +57%

Libraries per 10k1.5 +68%

Named paths and bike trails58 km 29.1×

Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.1 −48%

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

Kenai Fjords National Park 117 miles
Denali National Park and Preserve 118 miles
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve 145 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars18.5 −11%

Shops24.4 −19%

Arts, recreation and fitness6.7 +63%

Doctors' offices and clinics24.8 +23%

Child care centers2.4 +4%

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

Nearest National Park Service site10
116.7
279% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
6.7
63% above the median place
Shops per 10k8
24.4
19% below the median place

All 18 schools and local life measures

Measure	Gateway	Vs median
Public schools12County figure	49	above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure	19,495	298% above
Students per teacher12County figure	19.3	25% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure	18.5	11% below
Shops per 10k8County figure	24.4	19% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure	6.7	63% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure	24.8	23% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure	2.4	4% above
Parks per 10k9	8.8	14% below
Playgrounds per 10k9	14.6	55% above
Grocery stores per 10k9	0.0	below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9	17.5	57% above
Libraries per 10k9	1.5	68% above
Named paths and bike trails9	58.1	above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi9	0.1	48% below
Nearest National Park Service site10	116.7	279% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10	0	below (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure	29	123% above

Safety, weather and risk

Median air quality index is 9, 79% below the median place.

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 Gateway. Larger places are fetched first.

Median air quality index15
9
79% below the median place
Average temperature13
29°F
46% below the median place
July average high13
60°F
31% below the median place

All 9 weather and risk measures

Measure	Gateway	Vs median
July average high13County figure	60°F	31% below
January average low13County figure	3°F	87% below
Average temperature13County figure	29°F	46% below
Annual precipitation13County figure	34.8 in	21% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure	93.3	1% above
Tornado risk14County figure	0.9	99% below
Wildfire risk14County figure	94.7	55% above
Median air quality index15County figure	9	79% below
Good air days15County figure	91.5%	34% above

How it is changing

Compared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Orting, WA, Plumas Lake, CA and Yosemite Lakes, CA), home value growth here is lower: 6.8% a year against a typical 10.8% a year.

Five-year survey estimates, one point per release. Between the 2019 and 2024 releases, which share no survey years, the median rent went from 12.7% to 15.2% of the median income.

Median gross rent

Up 55.9% from 2019 to 2024.

Median household income

Up 30.5% from 2019 to 2024.

Median home value

Up 39.0% from 2019 to 2024.

Citytistics measures

Paycheck stretch

$111,800

left a year after rent, in US prices. Better than 86% of places

Pay vs rent

-3.8 pts

a year, rent outrunning pay. Better than 11% of places

Family fit

of 100 on cost, space and class size

Affordability trend

+2.5 pts

rent share of income, 2019 to 2024 (12.7% to 15.2%)

Rent vs fundamentals Experimental

+1%

against places with the same traits in this market

Growth

n/a

Population figure is the county's

Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas

Gateway in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 15% 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, Gateway does better than 78% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 35%.

Measure	Latest	2030 projection	Likely range	Avg. per year
Median rent	$1,741/mo (2024)	$2,280/mo	$1,870 to $2,770/mo	+4.6%
Median household income	$137,772 (2024)	$175,500	$148,500 to $208,000	+4.1%
Median home value	$446,200 (2024)	$634,000	$460,000 to $873,000	+6.0%

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.

Places like Gateway

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

Place	Rent	Income
Mont Belvieu, TX	$1,701	$132,781	Compare
Stansbury Park, UT	$1,707	$126,526	Compare
Johnstown, CO	$1,835	$128,995	Compare
West Point, UT	$1,783	$120,687	Compare

Nearby

Compare Gateway with

Places built like Gateway

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 Gateway performs against places like it.

Place	Rent to income	Income growth	Pop. change
Gateway, AK	15.2%	5.5%/yr	n/a
Orting, WA	20.6%	10.5%/yr	-1.6%	Compare
Plumas Lake, CA	22.9%	3.4%/yr	n/a	Compare
Yosemite Lakes, CA	23.4%	5.6%/yr	n/a	Compare
Silver Lakes, CA	17.8%	10.8%/yr	n/a	Compare
Woods Cross, UT	17.6%	9.3%/yr	0.5%	Compare
West Richland, WA	15.9%	3.7%/yr	18.3%	Compare

Common questions

Is Gateway a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 80 out of 100, better than 80% of the places we rate and 4th of 24 in Alaska. Half the homes were built after 2003, newer housing than in 94% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-highest of 24 Alaska places we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 99 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Gateway expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 15.2% 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 $446,200.

What salary do you need to live in Gateway?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $69,640 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Gateway?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Mont Belvieu, TX, Stansbury Park, UT, Johnstown, CO and West Point, UT.

Sources and methods

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

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
Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
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.
County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
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
National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
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 Gateway with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Gateway itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/gateway-alaska

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

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

Gateway

What stands out about Gateway

Moving to Gateway