Census-designated place · Alaska
Happy Valley, Alaska
Happy Valley, census-designated place, in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. Happy Valley had 713 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 775 (±134). GEOID 0231710.
Residents, 2020 Census
713
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 775 ±134
Median household income
$54,464
±$9,923 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$253,600
±$57,577 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$820
±$692 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Happy Valley and what county is it in?
Happy Valley is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. It covers 88.2 square miles of land, 8 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Happy Valley, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 713 residents in Happy Valley, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 775 (±134).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Happy Valley is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Happy Valley | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 775 ±134 | 60,413 | +187 |
| Households | 377 ±58 | 24,371 | +122 |
| Average household size | 2.06 ±0.22 | 2.40 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 605 ±59 | 32,836 | 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 Happy Valley?
The median resident of Happy Valley is 60.9 years old; 16.8% are under 18 and 40.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 74.5%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 11.5%.
| Measure | Happy Valley | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 60.9 ±5.6 | 41.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.8% ±5.8 pts | 22.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 40.3% ±8.4 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Male | 50.7% ±5.1 pts | 52.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.9% ±3.0 pts | 4.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 74.5% ±6.9 pts | 77.5% | −10.2 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±1.8 pts | 1.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 7.9% ±4.7 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 11.5% ±5.5 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.4% ±1.5 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.4% ±2.9 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 20.6% ±6.5 pts | 10.0% | – |
| With a disability | 30.2% ±6.4 pts | 17.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 11.1% ±4.9 pts | 11.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.3% ±4.5 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 21.0% ±6.1 pts | 29.8% | +8.2 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.6% ±4.3 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.1% ±4.2 pts | 88.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.5% ±2.3 pts | 2.5% | – |
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 Happy Valley earn?
Half of Happy Valley's 377 households earn less than $54,464 a year (±$9,923), against $80,538 in Kenai Peninsula Borough and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $65,996 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 19.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Happy Valley | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,464 ±$9,923 | $80,538 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $79,087 ±$13,721 | $105,973 | – |
| Per capita income | $39,488 ±$8,004 | $44,190 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 19.8% ±6.3 pts | 11.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 27.6% ±18.1 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 17.8% ±6.5 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.6% ±3.8 pts | 95.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 73.2% ±7.7 pts | 89.3% | – |
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 Happy Valley?
Owners occupy 86.5% of Happy Valley's occupied homes and renters 13.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $253,600 by its owner (±$57,577).
| Measure | Happy Valley | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $253,600 ±$57,577 | $323,200 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $820 ±$692 | $1,184 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±53.1 pts | 38.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,815 ±$172 | $1,904 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.5% ±6.2 pts | 77.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.5% ±6.2 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Housing units | 605 ±59 | 32,836 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.3% ±1.2 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±36.2 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 93.1% ±3.1 pts | 82.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.3% ±2.3 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.3% ±3.5 pts | 13.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.0% ±3.0 pts | 4.9% | – |
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 Happy Valley work and get to work?
70.1% of Happy Valley's workers drive alone and 17.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 27.0 minutes.
| Measure | Happy Valley | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 41.6% ±6.9 pts | 56.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% ±5.2 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 70.1% ±9.1 pts | 65.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.9% ±4.1 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±9.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 1.6% ±2.1 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 17.7% ±8.6 pts | 10.5% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.0 min ±7.1 | 20.7 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 Happy Valley?
No census tract lies mostly in Happy Valley; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 8Kenai Peninsula Borough | 4,228 | $59,426 |
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 Happy Valley) · Census block assignment files
How does Happy Valley compare with other places in Alaska?
Happy Valley is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
Happy Valley's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Happy Valley 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 Happy Valley?
19 of the 57 figures for Happy Valley 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 Happy Valley 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.