The Town Files

The 12 Best Small Towns for Families in Alaska

Ranked on The Town Files lifestyle rankings among 35 towns of 2,500–10,000 people in Alaska. #1 is Fishhook, AK.

Map of the 12 towns123456789101112
Numbers match the ranking.
The 12 Best Small Towns for Families in Alaska1. Fishhook98th pct2. Farm Loop95th pct3. Gateway93rd pct4. Butte91st pct5. Chena Ridge83rd pct6. Steele Creek82nd pct7. Tanaina81st pct8. Kalifornsky78th pct9. North Lakes77th pct10. Sterling72nd pct11. Farmers Loop72nd pct12. Meadow Lakes70th pct
  1. 12Meadow Lakes, Alaska

    Better for families than 70% of Alaska towns

    9,197 people · Matanuska-Susitna Borough · median home $323,100 · income $81,699 · Jan low 11°F · 62 in snow

  2. 11Farmers Loop, Alaska

    Better for families than 72% of Alaska towns

    4,704 people · Fairbanks North Star Borough · median home $279,800 · income $109,950 · Jan low -15°F · 58 in snow

  3. 10Sterling, Alaska

    Better for families than 72% of Alaska towns

    5,918 people · Kenai Peninsula Borough · median home $353,400 · income $102,415 · Jan low 8°F

  4. 9North Lakes, Alaska

    Better for families than 77% of Alaska towns

    9,450 people · Matanuska-Susitna Borough · median home $357,600 · income $101,679 · Jan low 11°F · 62 in snow

  5. 8Kalifornsky, Alaska

    Better for families than 78% of Alaska towns

    8,487 people · Kenai Peninsula Borough · median home $336,800 · income $93,508 · Jan low 5°F

  6. 7Tanaina, Alaska

    Better for families than 81% of Alaska towns

    8,817 people · Matanuska-Susitna Borough · median home $328,500 · income $105,536 · Jan low 11°F · 62 in snow

  7. 6Steele Creek, Alaska

    Better for families than 82% of Alaska towns

    6,437 people · Fairbanks North Star Borough · median home $348,400 · income $121,364 · Jan low -2°F · 53 in snow

  8. 5Chena Ridge, Alaska

    Better for families than 83% of Alaska towns

    6,015 people · Fairbanks North Star Borough · median home $395,500 · income $133,775 · Jan low -15°F · 65 in snow

  9. 4Butte, Alaska

    Better for families than 91% of Alaska towns

    3,589 people · Matanuska-Susitna Borough · median home $374,600 · income $101,042 · Jan low 12°F · 83 in snow

  10. 3Gateway, Alaska

    Better for families than 93% of Alaska towns

    5,748 people · Matanuska-Susitna Borough · median home $446,200 · income $137,772 · Jan low 7°F · 50 in snow

  11. 2Farm Loop, Alaska

    Better for families than 95% of Alaska towns

    2,747 people · Matanuska-Susitna Borough · median home $431,300 · income $119,375 · Jan low 8°F · 83 in snow

  12. 1Fishhook, Alaska

    Better for families than 98% of Alaska towns

    5,048 people · Matanuska-Susitna Borough · median home $416,300 · income $111,375 · Jan low 11°F · 62 in snow

Price vs ranking

Median home value vs ranking, Alaska towns0255075100$268K$317K$366K$415K$463KMedian home valuePercentile
Orange squares are the 12 towns on this list; green dots are other towns on The Town Files in Alaska.

More Alaska rankings

Same ranking, other places

Methodology. We ranked 35 towns of 2,500–10,000 people in Alaska (2020 Census population; towns with 2,500+ people have pages so far). Lifestyle measures are The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025), shown as percentiles. Only towns better than 60% of their peers on this measure qualify, so lists can be shorter than 25. Sources: