CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

64.81° N · 147.79° W · GEOID 0272230

South Van Horn

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

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

AlaskaSouth Van Horn, AKSouth Van HornSouth Van Horn

The short answer

South Van Horn is home to 572 people. Median household income is $73,214 a year and median rent is $1,459 a month, 23.9% 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 $41,500, about 0.6x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,459
7% above the median place
Median household income
$73,214
9% below the median place
Median home value
$41,500
87% below the median place
Unemployment
5.3%
9% 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 South Van Horn

  • The median home is worth 0.6 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 24 Alaska places.
  • Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 23 Alaska places.
  • Household income has grown 0.4% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 93% of places its size. It is the lowest of 24 Alaska places.
  • 92% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 92% of places its size. It is the highest of 24 Alaska places.
  • The median resident is 46.2 years old, older than in 83% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 24 Alaska places.
01

Moving to South Van Horn

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
9.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 6.8% from another state. County figure.
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
$58,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,459 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,194 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $41,500.
Getting to work
19 minutes each way on average; 6.5% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Finneytown, OH matches it on character. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-18.2
below the median place (median -0.6)
Moved from another state1
6.8%
242% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
9.7%
70% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSouth Van HornAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure9.7%70% above
Moved from another state1County figure6.8%242% 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

Property tax rate is 8.6%, above the median place (median 0.9%).

South Van Horn23.9%
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
$58,360
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
23.9%
17% above the median place
Home price to income
0.6x
85% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
24%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$52,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in South Van Horn, $1,459 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in South Van Horn.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to South Van Horn? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
8.6%
above the median place (median 0.9%)
Renters paying 30%+1
0.0%
below the median place (median 50.6%)
Median home value1
$41,500
87% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSouth Van HornAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,4597% above
Rent to income123.9%17% above
Property tax rate18.6%above (median 0.9%)
Home price to income10.6x85% 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)1County figure$3,5509% above
Median home value1$41,50087% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.0%57% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure35.8%30% below
Homeownership191.8%38% above
Renters paying 30%+10.0%below (median 50.6%)
Owner costs with a mortgage1County figure$2,19417% above
Vacant homes1County figure14.8%110% above
Median year built119720% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Median household income1
$73,214
9% below the median place
Income per person1
$41,998
5% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSouth Van HornAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$73,2149% below
Income per person1$41,9985% above
Unemployment1County figure5.3%9% above
Average annual pay6County figure$72,25510% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs6County figure37,07475% below
Poverty rate1County figure6.1%43% below
Mean commute1County figure19 min23% below
Works from home1County figure6.5%47% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 71.6%, 22% below the median place.

Homes with broadband1
71.6%
22% below the median place
Median age1
46.2
18% above the median place
Household size1
2.7
8% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureSouth Van HornAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15726646th largest
Median age146.218% above
Bachelor's or higher1County figure33.1%3% above
High school or higher190.5%2% below
Household size12.78% above
Born abroad1County figure5.6%37% below
No health insurance1County figure9.3%45% above
Homes with broadband171.6%22% below
05

Life in South Van Horn

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

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.

Students per teacher10
33.7
119% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
9.0
120% above the median place
Public school students10
23,420
378% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureSouth Van HornAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure35289% above
Public school students10County figure23,420378% above
Students per teacher10County 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
National Register listings9County 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 South Van Horn. Larger places are fetched first.

January average low11
-3°F
below the median place (median 25°F)
Average temperature11
28°F
48% below the median place
Tornado risk12
0.7
99% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureSouth Van HornAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure69°F21% below
January average low11County figure-3°Fbelow (median 25°F)
Average temperature11County figure28°F48% below
Annual precipitation11County figure16.9 in61% below
Natural hazard risk12County figure88.54% below
Tornado risk12County figure0.799% below
Wildfire risk12County figure97.659% above
Median air quality index13County figure442% above
Good air days13County figure56.4%18% below
08

South Van Horn in 2030: where the trends point

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.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$73,214 (2024)$91,000$77,000 to $108,000+3.7%
Median home value$41,500 (2024)$62,000$45,000 to $86,000+7.0%

The median home would be worth 0.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 0.6 now.

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

09

Places like South Van Horn

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

PlaceRentIncome
Finneytown, OH$1,456$83,424Compare
Horseheads, NY$1,181$61,223Compare
Derby, CT$1,452$79,500Compare
Stroudsburg, PA$1,565$66,674Compare
Stroudsburg, PADerby, CTHorseheads, NYFinneytown, OHSouth Van Horn, AKSouth Van HornFinneytownHorseheadsDerbySouth Van HornFinneytownHorseheadsDerby

Common questions

Is South Van Horn a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median home is worth 0.6 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 24 Alaska places. Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 23 Alaska places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is South Van Horn expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.9% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $41,500.

What salary do you need to live in South Van Horn?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $58,360 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to South Van Horn?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Finneytown, OH, Horseheads, NY, Derby, CT and Stroudsburg, PA.

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. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 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
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  13. 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 South Van Horn with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for South Van Horn itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/south-van-horn-alaska

Citytistics. “South Van Horn, Alaska.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/south-van-horn-alaska/

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