Census-designated place · Alaska

Steele Creek, Alaska

Steele Creek, census-designated place, in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. Steele Creek had 5,928 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±1,252). GEOID 0272985.

Residents, 2020-2024

5,928

±1,252 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 6,437

Median household income

$121,364

±$12,686 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788

Median home value

$348,400

±$46,235 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900

Median gross rent

$1,223

±$771 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419

Where is Steele Creek and what county is it in?

Steele Creek is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. It covers 92.9 square miles of land, 69 residents per square mile in 2020.

Steele Creek is in the Fairbanks-College, AK metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).

Steele Creek (marked with a dot) in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Steele Creek, and is it growing?

The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Steele Creek's population at 5,928 (±1,252). The 2020 Census counted 6,437 residents.

The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Steele Creek is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.

ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (counts) with the change from 2015-2019
Measure Steele CreekFairbanks North Star BoroughAlaska Change since 2015-2019
Total population 5,928 ±1,252 95,460 735,706 −1,776
Households 2,196 ±379 36,359 270,533 −638
Average household size 2.70 ±0.40 2.51 2.61 no clear change
Housing units 2,669 ±418 42,680 328,491 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 Steele Creek?

The median resident of Steele Creek is 39.7 years old; 21.5% are under 18 and 12.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.8%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 7.7%.

Age, origin, education and moves, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure Steele CreekFairbanks North Star BoroughAlaska Change since 2015-2019
Median age 39.7 ±9.3 32.5 35.8 no clear change
Under 18 years 21.5% ±5.4 pts 23.7% 24.1% –
65 years and over 12.3% ±4.6 pts 12.7% 13.8% –
Male 49.1% ±4.9 pts 54.6% 52.5% –
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1.3% ±1.2 pts 8.5% 7.3% –
White alone, not Hispanic 83.8% ±7.6 pts 66.8% 57.7% no clear change
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 1.5% ±1.9 pts 3.9% 2.9% –
Asian alone, not Hispanic 1.9% ±1.8 pts 2.8% 6.4% –
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 2.7% ±2.3 pts 5.8% 13.2% –
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±0.4 pts 0.7% 1.5% –
Two or more races, not Hispanic 7.7% ±5.1 pts 10.6% 10.3% –
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 1.0% ±1.9 pts 0.9% 0.7% –
Born outside the United States 2.7% ±1.9 pts 5.6% 7.7% –
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 3.1% ±2.5 pts 9.8% 15.1% –
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 10.1% ±4.0 pts 13.7% 10.7% –
With a disability 10.8% ±4.2 pts 14.5% 13.6% –
No health insurance coverage 6.7% ±4.3 pts 9.3% 11.0% –
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 95.3% ±5.2 pts 94.7% 93.6% –
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 35.3% ±9.1 pts 33.1% 31.7% no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 11.1% ±4.8 pts 12.9% 11.8% –
Lived in the same house a year earlier 89.6% ±6.6 pts 82.2% 85.5% –
Moved from another state in the past year 5.1% ±4.9 pts 6.8% 3.9% –

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 Steele Creek earn?

Half of Steele Creek's 2,196 households earn less than $121,364 a year (±$12,686), against $88,267 in Fairbanks North Star Borough and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $122,309 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; 2015-2019 dollars adjusted with the R-CPI-U-RS
Measure Steele CreekFairbanks North Star BoroughAlaska Change since 2015-2019
Median household income $121,364 ±$12,686 $88,267 $92,788 no clear change
Mean household income $130,883 ±$14,103 $112,548 $118,985 –
Per capita income $49,507 ±$6,200 $45,905 $46,573 no clear change
People below the poverty line 3.3% ±2.6 pts 6.1% 10.1% –
Children under 18 below the poverty line 3.3% ±5.6 pts 5.2% 12.2% –
Households receiving SNAP 10.0% ±7.3 pts 6.8% 10.1% –
Households with a computer 97.2% ±3.3 pts 98.0% 97.1% –
Households with a broadband subscription 98.1% ±2.2 pts 91.5% 91.9% –

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 Steele Creek?

Owners occupy 89.7% of Steele Creek's occupied homes and renters 10.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $348,400 by its owner (±$46,235). The median renter pays $1,223 a month including utilities, and 50.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Home values are owners' own estimates.
Measure Steele CreekFairbanks North Star BoroughAlaska Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied) $348,400 ±$46,235 $298,200 $352,900 no clear change
Median gross rent $1,223 ±$771 $1,459 $1,419 no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 50.5% ±30.7 pts 36.9% 35.1% –
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $1,935 ±$121 $2,194 $2,229 –
Owner-occupied homes 89.7% ±5.1 pts 61.7% 66.8% no clear change
Renter-occupied homes 10.3% ±5.1 pts 38.3% 33.2% –
Housing units 2,669 ±418 42,680 328,491 no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate 0.0% ±1.3 pts 0.6% 0.9% –
Rental vacancy rate 0.0% ±10.5 pts 8.9% 7.0% –
Single-family detached homes 86.7% ±5.9 pts 60.0% 63.2% –
Mobile homes 4.5% ±3.9 pts 2.8% 3.9% –
Built 2020 or later 0.0% ±0.9 pts 0.7% 0.9% –
Built 2010 to 2019 15.4% ±9.4 pts 8.2% 9.3% –
Built 1939 or earlier 0.0% ±0.9 pts 0.9% 1.7% –
Households with no vehicle 4.7% ±2.9 pts 4.6% 9.0% –

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 Steele Creek work and get to work?

67.8% of Steele Creek's workers drive alone and 11.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 27.7 minutes.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (workers 16 and over)
Measure Steele CreekFairbanks North Star BoroughAlaska Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+) 67.0% ±9.3 pts 68.5% 66.3% –
Unemployment rate 0.5% ±0.8 pts 5.3% 5.9% –
Drove alone to work 67.8% ±9.9 pts 71.5% 65.0% –
Carpooled 15.5% ±8.9 pts 12.4% 11.9% –
Public transportation 0.0% ±0.8 pts 0.7% 1.0% –
Walked 1.4% ±2.5 pts 5.7% 7.2% –
Worked from home 11.3% ±7.2 pts 6.6% 9.7% no clear change
Mean travel time to work 27.7 min ±5.0 19.2 min 19.4 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 Steele Creek?

No census tract lies mostly in Steele Creek; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).

Census tracts in Steele Creek, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractResidents, 2020-2024Median household incomeMedian home valueShare of tract in Steele Creek
Tract 12Fairbanks North Star Borough6,558 $113,369 $322,70045%
Tract 19.02Fairbanks North Star Borough4,588 $105,761 $277,40020%

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 Steele Creek) · Census block assignment files

How does Steele Creek compare with other places in Alaska?

Steele Creek ranks 4th of 69 places in Alaska with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.

Steele Creek's rank in Alaska (1 = highest): by population among the state's incorporated places with a 2025 estimate; by the other measures among places of 1,000+ residents with a reliable estimate
MeasureRankOf
Population (ACS 2020-2024)20th71
Residents per square mile42nd71
Median household income4th69
Per capita income16th71
Median home value23rd66
Median gross rent37th62
Bachelor's degree or higher15th69
Median age35th71
Owner-occupied share4th68
Work from home25th50
Travel time to work22nd69

Steele Creek's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)

Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Steele Creek 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 Steele Creek?

21 of the 57 figures for Steele Creek 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 Steele Creek 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.