Census-designated place · Alaska
Big Lake, Alaska
Big Lake, census-designated place, in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska. Big Lake had 3,833 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,585 (±357). GEOID 0207070.
Residents, 2020 Census
3,833
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 3,585 ±357
Median household income
$81,406
±$14,976 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$298,700
±$30,804 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$1,235
±$127 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Big Lake and what county is it in?
Big Lake is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska. It covers 115.3 square miles of land, 33 residents per square mile in 2020.
Big Lake is in the Anchorage, AK metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Big Lake, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 3,833 residents in Big Lake, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 3,585 (±357).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Big Lake is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Big Lake | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,585 ±357 | 112,988 | +907 |
| Households | 1,461 ±116 | 39,869 | +401 |
| Average household size | 2.45 ±0.16 | 2.77 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,770 ±101 | 51,170 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Big Lake?
The median resident of Big Lake is 38.8 years old; 22.7% are under 18 and 15.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 84.0%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 5.3%. 1.1% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Big Lake | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.8 ±4.3 | 36.7 | −6.9 |
| Under 18 years | 22.7% ±4.2 pts | 25.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.6% ±2.8 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Male | 50.9% ±3.5 pts | 52.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.9% ±2.4 pts | 5.4% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 84.0% ±4.0 pts | 75.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±0.7 pts | 1.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 3.7% ±1.9 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.3% ±2.1 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±1.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.1% ±0.7 pts | 2.9% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.9% ±1.4 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.9% ±2.8 pts | 13.3% | – |
| With a disability | 12.6% ±2.7 pts | 14.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 12.5% ±3.8 pts | 11.9% | −8.7 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.2% ±2.3 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.4% ±5.6 pts | 24.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.1% ±1.9 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.6% ±3.9 pts | 88.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.0% ±1.6 pts | 2.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Big Lake earn?
Half of Big Lake's 1,461 households earn less than $81,406 a year (±$14,976), against $94,031 in Matanuska-Susitna Borough and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $66,856 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Big Lake | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $81,406 ±$14,976 | $94,031 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $105,427 ±$12,997 | $115,954 | – |
| Per capita income | $43,537 ±$5,221 | $42,386 | +$6,925 |
| People below the poverty line | 11.4% ±3.6 pts | 10.0% | −5.4 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 14.1% ±10.2 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.5% ±3.5 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.5% ±2.2 pts | 97.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.6% ±3.4 pts | 93.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Big Lake?
Owners occupy 81.9% of Big Lake's occupied homes and renters 18.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $298,700 by its owner (±$30,804). The median renter pays $1,235 a month including utilities, and 44.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Big Lake | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $298,700 ±$30,804 | $346,600 | +$43,946 |
| Median gross rent | $1,235 ±$127 | $1,299 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.0% ±18.5 pts | 41.1% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,728 ±$166 | $2,112 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 81.9% ±5.2 pts | 77.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 18.1% ±5.2 pts | 22.8% | – |
| Housing units | 2,770 ±101 | 51,170 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.3% ±1.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 10.5% ±7.4 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 88.9% ±2.8 pts | 83.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.0% ±1.2 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.4% ±0.9 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 11.4% ±2.6 pts | 17.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.5% ±1.9 pts | 3.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Big Lake work and get to work?
63.8% of Big Lake's workers drive alone and 22.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 42.7 minutes.
| Measure | Big Lake | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.6% ±4.7 pts | 60.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% ±2.2 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 63.8% ±8.0 pts | 71.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.2% ±3.4 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.7% ±0.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 22.0% ±8.2 pts | 11.7% | +16.5 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 42.7 min ±5.7 | 34.8 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Big Lake?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Big Lake, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $77,857 (Tract 5.01) to $83,750 (Tract 5.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 5.01Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 1,916 | $77,857 |
| Tract 5.02Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 1,935 | $83,750 |
| Tract 6.03Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 8,334 | $96,992 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Big Lake) · Census block assignment files
How does Big Lake compare with other places in Alaska?
Big Lake ranks 45th of 69 places in Alaska with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 34th | 71 |
| Residents per square mile | 54th | 71 |
| Median household income | 45th | 69 |
| Per capita income | 38th | 71 |
| Median home value | 43rd | 66 |
| Median gross rent | 35th | 62 |
| Poverty rate | 26th | 57 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 61st | 69 |
| Median age | 38th | 71 |
| Owner-occupied share | 20th | 68 |
| Work from home | 3rd | 50 |
| Travel time to work | 3rd | 69 |
Big Lake's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Big Lake with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Big Lake?
13 of the 57 figures for Big Lake on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Big Lake are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.