The Town Files

Eielson AFB, Alaska

Community in Fairbanks North Star Borough · population 2,610 (2020 Census)

Map: where Eielson AFB is in AlaskaEielson AFB
Household income
$68,199
Jan low / Jul high
-18° / 72°
Snow a year
68 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
22.3

Eielson AFB is a community of 2,610 people in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. It ranks better for young professionals than 100% of Alaska towns, more of a college town than 96% of Alaska towns, more upscale than 86% of Alaska towns.

How Eielson AFB ranks

Percentile among Alaska towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Alaska towns.

Eielson AFB lifestyle rankings vs other Alaska townsRetirement7th pctFamilies15th pctQuietbottomWalkability10th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals100th pctVibrancy67th pctHip & trendy62nd pctCollege town96th pctUpscale86th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving84th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

Median rent is $2,103 a month. 0.0% of households own their home.

Eielson AFB vs Fairbanks North Star Borough vs typical Alaska townEielson AFBFairbanks North Star BoroughTypical Alaska townHousehold income$68,199$88,267$78,155Monthly rent$2,103$1,459$1,146
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Alaska towns with 500+ people.
HousingEielson AFBTypical Alaska town
Median home value—$289,500
Median rent$2,103$1,146
Median household income$68,199$78,155
Home value ÷ income—×3.3×
Homeownership0.0%72.6%
Median year built20001989
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Eielson AFB

PeopleEielson AFBTypical Alaska town
Median age22.337.2
Age 65 and over0.4%13.2%
Under 1837.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher43.5%22.4%
Below the poverty line3.9%11.9%
Veterans15.8%—
Born outside the U.S.0.9%—
Work from home2.2%7.4%
Average commute9.8 min12.5 min
Homes with broadband99.2%88.6%

Weather in Eielson AFB

July highs average 71.6°F and January lows -17.6°F. About 12.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 67.7 inches of snow (typical Alaska town: 64.0 in). Expect about 0 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 223 nights at or below freezing.

Eielson AFB monthly temperatures and precipitation-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing0°-18°Jan11°-11°Feb25°-3°Mar45°21°Apr61°36°May71°47°Jun72°50°Jul66°44°Aug54°34°Sep33°16°Oct10°-6°Nov3°-14°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.58.50.46.50.36.90.33.50.71.72.12.72.61.52.60.912.90.513.40.411.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Eielson Fld station (1.3 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Eielson AFB since 1950.

Severe weather in Fairbanks North Star Borough since 1996

Storm events in Fairbanks North Star Borough since 1996 by typeHeavy Snow19Winter Storm7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Fairbanks North Star Borough, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Fairbanks North Star Borough has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
July 6, 2025FireFM-5597: Nenana Ridge Complex
June 23, 2025FireFM-5596: Himalaya Road Fire
August 3, 2023FireFM-5473: Lost Horse Creek Fire
March 24, 2022Severe StormDR-4648: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds
April 9, 2020BiologicalDR-4533: Covid-19 Pandemic

Jobs and pay in Fairbanks North Star Borough

Fairbanks North Star Borough had 37,015 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,700 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Eielson AFB itself the ACS puts it at 14%.

Largest industries in Fairbanks North Star BoroughHealth care & social assistan…5,403 jobs · $76,996Retail4,581 jobs · $44,032Hotels & restaurants3,866 jobs · $31,662Construction2,884 jobs · $112,504Transportation & warehousing2,023 jobs · $76,526Professional & technical serv…1,212 jobs · $76,170
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Fairbanks North Star Borough, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Fairbanks North Star Borough 3.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Eielson AFB

2 public schools with 784 students, about 18.7 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Anderson Crawford ElementaryPK-542719.4
Ben Eielson Jr/Sr High School6-1235717.9

Towns near Eielson AFB

Eielson AFB questions

Is Eielson AFB, Alaska a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Eielson AFB scores better for retirees than 7% of Alaska towns and quieter than 0%. 0.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 22.3).

What is the weather like in Eielson AFB?

July highs average 71.6°F and January lows -17.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.9 inches of precipitation a year and 67.7 inches of snow.

Does Eielson AFB get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Eielson AFB in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Eielson AFB's Census boundary (GEOID 0221370). Comparisons use the median of Alaska towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.