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: 6.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.3% 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: $55,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy: Median rent is $1,398 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,062 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $328,500.
Getting to work: 38 minutes each way on average; 7.4% work from home.
If it is close but not quite: Steele Creek, AK matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two

Moved from another state1
1.3%
34% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
6.3%
11% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
10.7
above the median place (median -0.6)

All 5 moving measures

Measure	Tanaina	Vs median
Moved here in the past year1	6.3%	11% above
Moved from another state1	1.3%	34% below
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

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 93 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

Tanaina15.9%

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

$55,920

a year, at the 30% line

Rent to income

15.9%

22% below the median place

Home price to income

3.1x

18% below the median place

Could you afford it?

Your household income, before tax

The median rent would take

16%

comfortably under the 30% line

Left after rent, in US prices

$85,400

a year

Vs the typical household here

Same

as the median household

Uses the median rent in Tanaina, $1,398 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 Tanaina, but easier on the budget

Places that match Tanaina 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
Steele Creek, AK	78	12.1% vs 15.9%	$16,300	Compare
Big Lake, MN	67	13.3% vs 15.9%	$16,100	Compare
Chena Ridge, AK	67	10.0% vs 15.9%	$29,400	Compare
Evanston, WY	62	12.6% vs 15.9%	n/a	Compare

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

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

Median year built1
1997
1% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
40.8%
19% below the median place
Homeownership1
80.5%
21% above the median place

All 16 cost and housing measures

Measure	Tanaina	Vs median
Median gross rent1	$1,398	2% above
Rent to income1	15.9%	22% below
Property tax rate1	1.2%	27% above
Home price to income1	3.1x	18% 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	$3,799	16% above
Median home value1	$328,500	3% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure	5.3%	66% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure	50.1%	3% below
Homeownership1	80.5%	21% above
Renters paying 30%+1	40.8%	19% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1	$2,062	10% above
Vacant homes1	7.2%	2% above
Median year built1	1997	1% above

Work and pay

Mean commute is 38 min, 52% above the median place.

Mean commute1
38 min
52% above the median place
Works from home1
7.4%
40% below the median place
Median household income1
$105,536
31% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$45,455 +13%

Poverty rate8.6% −20%

Unemployment4.9% +0%

All 10 work and pay measures

Measure	Tanaina	Vs median
Median household income1	$105,536	31% above
Income per person1	$45,455	13% above
Unemployment1	4.9%	0% above
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	8.6%	20% below
Mean commute1	38 min	52% above
Works from home1	7.4%	40% below
Commutes by transit1County figure	0.4%	54% below

Who lives here

No health insurance is 12.3%, 92% above the median place.

No health insurance1
12.3%
92% above the median place
Born abroad1
3.2%
64% below the median place
Household size1
2.9
17% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age35.0 −10%

Homes with broadband95.6% +4%

High school or higher95.1% +3%

Bachelor's or higher24.5% −24%

All 8 people measures

Measure	Tanaina	Vs median
Population1	9,646	4268th largest
Median age1	35.0	10% below
Bachelor's or higher1	24.5%	24% below
High school or higher1	95.1%	3% above
Household size1	2.9	17% above
Born abroad1	3.2%	64% below
No health insurance1	12.3%	92% above
Homes with broadband1	95.6%	4% above

Life in Tanaina

OpenStreetMap shows 1 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 91% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 24 Alaska places we track.

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

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents1.0 −90%

Playgrounds per 10k10.4 +10%

Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%

Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%

Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%

Named paths and bike trails6 km 2.8×

Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.1 −52%

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

Denali National Park and Preserve 110 miles
Kenai Fjords National Park 122 miles
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve 141 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
110.2
258% 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	Tanaina	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	1.0	90% below
Playgrounds per 10k9	10.4	10% above
Grocery stores per 10k9	0.0	below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9	0.0	below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k9	0.0	below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails9	5.6	180% above
Transit stops per sq mi9	0.1	52% below
Nearest National Park Service site10	110.2	258% 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 Tanaina. 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	Tanaina	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

Rent took 18.7% of the median income in the 2019 survey and 15.9% in 2024. In the 25 places most like it the share rose 0.4 points on average, so affordability held up better here.

Five-year survey estimates, one point per release. Between the 2019 and 2024 releases, which share no survey years, the median rent went from 18.7% to 15.9% of the median income.

Median gross rent

Up 16.5% from 2019 to 2024.

Median household income

Up 36.8% from 2019 to 2024.

Median home value

Up 27.8% from 2019 to 2024.

Citytistics measures

Paycheck stretch

$84,900

left a year after rent, in US prices. Better than 68% of places

Pay vs rent

+3.4 pts

a year, pay outrunning rent. Better than 86% of places

Family fit

of 100 on cost, space and class size

Affordability trend

-2.8 pts

rent share of income, 2019 to 2024 (18.7% to 15.9%)

Rent vs fundamentals Experimental

-3%

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

Tanaina 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 16% 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, Tanaina does better than 80% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 10%.

Measure	Latest	2030 projection	Likely range	Avg. per year
Median rent	$1,398/mo (2024)	$1,780/mo	$1,460 to $2,170/mo	+4.1%
Median household income	$105,536 (2024)	$134,500	$113,500 to $159,000	+4.1%
Median home value	$328,500 (2024)	$456,000	$331,000 to $628,000	+5.6%

The median home would be worth 3.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.1 now.

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

Places like Tanaina

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

Place	Rent	Income
Spring Creek, NV	$1,386	$105,154	Compare
Robinson, TX	$1,419	$99,289	Compare
North Lakes, AK	$1,441	$101,679	Compare
Pilot Point, TX	$1,430	$97,933	Compare

Nearby

Compare Tanaina with

Places built like Tanaina

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 Tanaina performs against places like it.

Place	Rent to income	Income growth	Pop. change
Tanaina, AK	15.9%	6.5%/yr	n/a
Orting, WA	20.6%	10.5%/yr	-1.6%	Compare
Knik-Fairview, AK	19.8%	2.0%/yr	n/a	Compare
Elk Plain, WA	24.3%	8.9%/yr	n/a	Compare
Meadow Lakes, AK	20.2%	3.5%/yr	n/a	Compare
North Lakes, AK	17.0%	6.2%/yr	n/a	Compare
Badger, AK	20.1%	3.7%/yr	n/a	Compare

Common questions

Is Tanaina a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 41 out of 100, better than 41% of the places we rate and 16th of 24 in Alaska. Household income rose 6.5% a year while rent rose 3.1% between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, pay gained on rent more than in 77% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 24 Alaska places we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 95 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Tanaina expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 15.9% 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 $328,500.

What salary do you need to live in Tanaina?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $55,920 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Tanaina?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Spring Creek, NV, Robinson, TX, North Lakes, AK and Pilot Point, TX.

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

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

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

Tanaina

What stands out about Tanaina

Moving to Tanaina