Sutton-Alpine, Alaska

Community in Matanuska-Susitna Borough · population 1,038 (2020 Census)

Median home: $236,200
Household income: $75,119
Jan low / Jul high: 9° / 69°
Snow a year: 72 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 0
Median age: 50.0

Sutton-Alpine is a community of 1,038 people in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska. The median home is worth $236,200, below the typical Alaska town ($289,500). It ranks quieter than 90% of Alaska towns, better for retirees than 80% of Alaska towns, better for young professionals than 80% of Alaska towns.

Sutton-Alpine in our rankings:

#13 in The 25 Quietest Small Towns in Alaska

How Sutton-Alpine 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.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Sutton-Alpine is worth $236,200, below the typical Alaska town ($289,500). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $75,119, which is more affordable than 59% of Alaska towns. Median rent is $961 a month. 88.6% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Alaska towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Sutton-Alpine	Typical Alaska town
Median home value	$236,200	$289,500
Median rent	$961	$1,146
Median household income	$75,119	$78,155
Home value ÷ income	3.1×	3.3×
Homeownership	88.6%	72.6%
Median year built	1989	1989
Seasonal / vacation homes	15.8%	—

Who lives in Sutton-Alpine

People	Sutton-Alpine	Typical Alaska town
Median age	50.0	37.2
Age 65 and over	19.2%	13.2%
Under 18	15.1%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.4%	22.4%
Below the poverty line	3.2%	11.9%
Veterans	10.1%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.3%	—
Work from home	6.4%	7.4%
Average commute	37.0 min	12.5 min
Homes with broadband	89.1%	88.6%

Weather in Sutton-Alpine

July highs average 68.5°F and January lows 8.8°F. About 18.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 72.4 inches of snow (typical Alaska town: 64.0 in). Expect about 0 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 227 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Sutton 1 W station (2.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Sutton-Alpine since 1950.

Severe weather in Matanuska-Susitna Borough since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Matanuska-Susitna Borough has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, biological.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
April 7, 2026	Winter Storm	DR-4904: Severe Storm
March 14, 2022	Severe Storm	DR-4646: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds
April 9, 2020	Biological	DR-4533: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3446: Covid-19
August 22, 2019	Fire	FM-5290: Deshka Landing Fire

Jobs and pay in Matanuska-Susitna Borough

Matanuska-Susitna Borough had 29,515 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $58,329 a year. Unemployment was 4.8% in 2023; in Sutton-Alpine itself the ACS puts it at 9%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Sutton-Alpine

1 public school with 45 students, about 11.2 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Sutton Elementary	PK-5	45	11.3

Towns near Sutton-Alpine

Lazy Mountain, AK
6.0 mi · 1,506 people · home $352,800
Buffalo Soapstone, AK
9.0 mi · 1,021 people · home $289,300
Farm Loop, AK
11.8 mi · 2,747 people · home $431,300
Palmer, AK
12.7 mi · 5,888 people · home $294,900
Fishhook, AK
13.4 mi · 5,048 people · home $416,300
Butte, AK
14.8 mi · 3,589 people · home $374,600
Gateway, AK
16.6 mi · 5,748 people · home $446,200
North Lakes, AK
16.6 mi · 9,450 people · home $357,600

Sutton-Alpine questions

Is Sutton-Alpine, Alaska a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sutton-Alpine scores better for retirees than 80% of Alaska towns and quieter than 90%. 19.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.0).

How much does a house cost in Sutton-Alpine?

The median owner-occupied home in Sutton-Alpine is valued at $236,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $75,119, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $961 a month.

What is the weather like in Sutton-Alpine?

July highs average 68.5°F and January lows 8.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 18.8 inches of precipitation a year and 72.4 inches of snow.

Does Sutton-Alpine get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Sutton-Alpine in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Sutton-Alpine's Census boundary (GEOID 0274525). 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.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.