Knik-Fairview, Alaska

Community in Matanuska-Susitna Borough · population 19,297 (2020 Census)

Median home: $340,200
Household income: $96,437
Jan low / Jul high: 8° / 71°
Snow a year: 60 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 0
Median age: 33.2

Knik-Fairview is a community of 19,297 people in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska. The median home is worth $340,200, above the typical Alaska town ($289,500). It ranks better for families than 87% of Alaska towns, easier by car than 80% of Alaska towns, more vibrant than 72% of Alaska towns.

Knik-Fairview in our rankings:

#35 in 50 Towns in America With the Fewest Tornadoes Since 1950

How Knik-Fairview 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 Knik-Fairview is worth $340,200, above the typical Alaska town ($289,500). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $96,437, which is more affordable than 49% of Alaska towns. Median rent is $1,588 a month. 84.5% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Knik-Fairview	Typical Alaska town
Median home value	$340,200	$289,500
Median rent	$1,588	$1,146
Median household income	$96,437	$78,155
Home value ÷ income	3.5×	3.3×
Homeownership	84.5%	72.6%
Median year built	2003	1989
Seasonal / vacation homes	2.9%	—

Who lives in Knik-Fairview

People	Knik-Fairview	Typical Alaska town
Median age	33.2	37.2
Age 65 and over	10.9%	13.2%
Under 18	31.3%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.9%	22.4%
Below the poverty line	9.2%	11.9%
Veterans	13.7%	—
Born outside the U.S.	3.0%	—
Work from home	9.9%	7.4%
Average commute	38.2 min	12.5 min
Homes with broadband	94.3%	88.6%

Weather in Knik-Fairview

July highs average 70.5°F and January lows 7.6°F. About 16.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 60.3 inches of snow (typical Alaska town: 64.0 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 205 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 Eklutna Wtp station (10.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

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

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on August 18, 2015.

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 Knik-Fairview itself the ACS puts it at 4.3%.

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).

Towns near Knik-Fairview

Wasilla, AK
7.4 mi · 9,054 people · home $358,400
Meadow Lakes, AK
9.0 mi · 9,197 people · home $323,100
South Lakes, AK
11.5 mi · 5,229 people · home $377,500
Big Lake, AK
11.6 mi · 3,833 people · home $298,700
Tanaina, AK
12.1 mi · 8,817 people · home $328,500
North Lakes, AK
12.8 mi · 9,450 people · home $357,600
Gateway, AK
13.8 mi · 5,748 people · home $446,200
Farm Loop, AK
17.7 mi · 2,747 people · home $431,300

Knik-Fairview questions

Is Knik-Fairview, Alaska a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Knik-Fairview scores better for retirees than 37% of Alaska towns and quieter than 26%. 10.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.2).

How much does a house cost in Knik-Fairview?

The median owner-occupied home in Knik-Fairview is valued at $340,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $96,437, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $1,588 a month.

What is the weather like in Knik-Fairview?

July highs average 70.5°F and January lows 7.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 16.6 inches of precipitation a year and 60.3 inches of snow.

Does Knik-Fairview get tornadoes?

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

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Knik-Fairview's Census boundary (GEOID 0240645). 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.