Picking a new home address in Alaska comes down to jobs and lot prices in 2026. The Matanuska-Susitna Valley north of the state’s largest city has pulled in the bulk of new residents. Wasilla and Palmer lead that growth, with Knik-Fairview right behind them.
Quick Guide
- State: Alaska
- Fastest-Growing Region: Matanuska-Susitna Valley
- Popular With: Families, retirees, remote workers, commuters
- Top Reasons People Are Moving: Lower housing costs, larger properties, outdoor recreation, job access
- Notable Growth Areas: Wasilla, Palmer, Knik-Fairview, Soldotna
- Best For: Homebuyers seeking more space and affordability than Anchorage
- Source: worldatlas
The Kenai Peninsula draws a smaller but steady flow, with Soldotna and Kalifornsky carrying most of it. The seven communities ahead are where Alaskans are putting down roots in 2026.
Wasilla
Wasilla sits as the largest city in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and the most popular landing spot for new residents in the state. The Census counted 9,054 people in 2020, and the Population Estimates Program put the figure near 9,945 by 2023. The borough around it grew from 107,081 to roughly 117,400 by 2025, a gain of nearly 10%.
Most of those new residents come from Anchorage, the state’s largest city. About a third of Wasilla’s workforce still drives the George Parks Highway to jobs in Anchorage, but the pull for moving here is price. A typical Valley home carries a median value near $319,200, well below comparable housing in Anchorage. Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, sited between Wasilla and Palmer, handles hospital care for the corridor.
Knik-Fairview
Knik-Fairview shows the scale of the shift better than any incorporated city. The community never incorporated, yet it is the largest census-designated place in Alaska. The Census counted 19,297 residents in 2020, up from 14,923 in 2010, marking a 29% rise across the decade. That total already passed Wasilla, the borough’s largest city, and the 2024 American Community Survey put the figure near 19,970.
The area lies about 17 miles northeast of Anchorage on the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet, close enough for a daily commute. Buyers come for room: large lots and new construction priced below what the same money buys in town. The result is a spread of welcoming subdivisions rather than a downtown core, with growth continuing along the highway corridor.
Tanaina
Tanaina fills the gap directly north of Wasilla, and it has grown into one of the Valley’s larger communities without ever incorporating. The Census recorded 8,817 residents in 2020, up from 8,197 in 2010, ranking it among the most populous census-designated places in the state. The households moving in skew young, with a median age around 33, and many are families that work in Wasilla or commute into Anchorage…