Census tract · Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Census Tract 8, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska
Census Tract 8, GEOID 02170000800, in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, mostly within Wasilla (99% of its census blocks). 5,517 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±377); the 2020 Census counted 5,621.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,517
±377 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,621
Median household income
$58,028
±$15,177 (90% margin)
Matanuska-Susitna Borough: $94,031
Median home value
$328,900
±$33,268 (90% margin)
Matanuska-Susitna Borough: $346,600
Median gross rent
$1,141
±$100 (90% margin)
Matanuska-Susitna Borough: $1,299
Where is Census Tract 8?
Census Tract 8 is one of 24 census tracts in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska. It covers 4.54 square miles of land, 1,238 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 02170000800, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Wasilla | 99% |
| South Lakes | 1% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 8: Tract 7.03 ($83,482), Tract 7.05 ($89,573), Tract 9 ($84,615), Tract 10.03 ($109,861) and Tract 10.04 ($104,423). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 8?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 8's population at 5,517 (±377) in 2,543 households; the 2020 Census counted 5,621 residents and 2,383 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 8 | Wasilla |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,517 ±377 | 9,720 |
| Households | 2,543 ±225 | 4,183 |
| Average household size | 2.13 ±0.17 | 2.29 |
| Housing units | 2,707 ±223 | 4,437 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 8?
The median resident of Census Tract 8 is 33.1 years old; 22.0% are under 18 and 14.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 66.9%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 15.3%. 2.8% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 8 | Wasilla |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.1 ±2.0 | 34.8 |
| Under 18 years | 22.0% ±3.8 pts | 23.3% |
| 65 years and over | 14.4% ±2.8 pts | 17.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.4% ±2.7 pts | 5.1% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 66.9% ±7.1 pts | 71.0% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±1.1 pts | 2.5% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±0.9 pts | 1.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 15.3% ±5.5 pts | 9.5% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 10.9% ±3.7 pts | 10.0% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% |
| Born outside the United States | 2.8% ±1.5 pts | 3.0% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.6% ±3.0 pts | 6.2% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.8% ±3.5 pts | 10.3% |
| With a disability | 17.1% ±4.4 pts | 17.2% |
| No health insurance coverage | 11.6% ±3.6 pts | 9.9% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 97.4% ±1.7 pts | 96.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.6% ±5.8 pts | 21.7% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.5% ±4.8 pts | 8.5% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 78.9% ±6.3 pts | 79.9% |
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 Census Tract 8 earn?
Half of the 2,543 households in Census Tract 8 earn less than $58,028 a year (±$15,177), against $94,031 across Matanuska-Susitna Borough: 24th highest of the county's 24 tracts with a reliable estimate. 21.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 8 | Wasilla |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,028 ±$15,177 | $67,234 |
| Mean household income | $86,116 ±$15,960 | $89,448 |
| Per capita income | $40,554 ±$7,424 | $39,552 |
| People below the poverty line | 21.3% ±6.6 pts | 17.5% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 26.5% ±14.5 pts | 20.9% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 17.8% ±5.3 pts | 17.9% |
| Households with a computer | 96.9% ±3.1 pts | 94.9% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.7% ±3.7 pts | 91.4% |
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 Census Tract 8?
Owners occupy 40.9% of Census Tract 8's occupied homes and renters 59.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $328,900 by its owner (±$33,268). The median renter pays $1,141 a month including utilities, and 49.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 8 | Wasilla |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $328,900 ±$33,268 | $358,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,141 ±$100 | $1,153 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 49.0% ±12.0 pts | 48.5% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,908 ±$182 | $2,170 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 40.9% ±6.5 pts | 48.2% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 59.1% ±6.5 pts | 51.8% |
| Housing units | 2,707 ±223 | 4,437 |
| Single-family detached homes | 40.5% ±7.0 pts | 47.9% |
| Mobile homes | 1.8% ±2.0 pts | 2.0% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.1% ±1.6 pts | 0.7% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 18.3% ±5.5 pts | 17.5% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 0.5% |
| Households with no vehicle | 15.2% ±5.8 pts | 14.3% |
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 Census Tract 8 get to work?
71.8% of Census Tract 8's workers drive alone and 7.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 32.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.7%.
| Measure | Tract 8 | Wasilla |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.5% ±6.0 pts | 57.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% ±2.9 pts | 8.2% |
| Drove alone to work | 71.8% ±6.6 pts | 72.8% |
| Carpooled | 6.6% ±4.7 pts | 7.6% |
| Public transportation | 1.6% ±1.8 pts | 1.0% |
| Walked | 1.3% ±1.9 pts | 1.2% |
| Worked from home | 7.8% ±4.1 pts | 8.3% |
| Mean travel time to work | 32.7 min ±4.4 | 29.8 min |
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
How does Census Tract 8 compare with the other tracts in Matanuska-Susitna Borough?
Among Matanuska-Susitna Borough's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 8 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Matanuska-Susitna Borough |
|---|---|
| Population | 10th of 24 |
| Residents per square mile | 1st of 24 |
| Median household income | 24th of 24 |
| Per capita income | 16th of 24 |
| Median home value | 12th of 24 |
| Median gross rent | 18th of 23 |
| Poverty rate | 1st of 24 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16th of 24 |
| Median age | 22nd of 24 |
| Owner-occupied share | 24th of 24 |
The tracts next to it on Matanuska-Susitna Borough's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 7.01 | 21st | $69,020±$15,096 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 2 | 22nd | $64,813±$11,135 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1.02 | 23rd | $61,250±$23,199 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8 | 24th | $58,028±$15,177 |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 8?
2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 8 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections