KJNP-FM (King Jesus North Pole) Radio station in North Pole, Alaska, 1980
Badger’s story
Badger in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1980 and 3 maps from 1949 on.
Explore the history →
BadgerAK
A town of 18,677.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: RadioKAOS · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
18,677
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$311K
Census ACS
Household income
$97K
median
Median age
35.1
years
Land area
67 sq mi
TownGrade
C
#33 of 41 in AK
Is Badger a good place to live?
Badger is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, 33rd among Alaska's 41 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is health: it is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $311K, 3.5 years of the Fairbanks metro’s $88K median household income. Badger’s January low is -16°F, below both the Alaska town median (7°F) and the median of U.S. towns (22°F). Only 4 of Alaska’s 68 towns score lower on walkability. Chena River Lakes Recreation Area, at 2,057 acres with 5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
How Badger grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Badger is from typical.
Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.1 of 20; 1.3% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →HealthBassett Ach (Ft Wainwright) 7 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →Jobs & income$97K median household income; 4.2% below the poverty lineB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Badger: who provides what
Badger is unincorporated, so Fairbanks North Star Borough and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerGolden Valley Elec Assn31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNorth Pole UtilitiesNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesFairbanks North Star BoroughFairbanks North Star Borough provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Alaska you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAbsentee and Petition OfficeState of Alaska; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9970599705 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Badger.
Badger has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Alaska.
#10for trails in AK
14.5%
conserved · 6,109 of 42,238 acres
67 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chena River Lakes Recreation Area | 5 mi | 2,057 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB
Badger’s public schools outperform 56% of Alaska districts
Its public schools are run by the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
56%of AK districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ticasuk Brown ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 351 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Earthquakes leads a very high hazard risk in Badger
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 85% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Badger since 2014.
85risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesCold wavesWildfire
1
paid flood claims since 2014
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB+
Badger’s grade for health is a B+
Within Alaska it is less healthy than 55% of the 41 graded towns: Alaska sets a high bar.
65% of adults had a checkup this year in Badger. Badger beats the Alaska average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 7.7% of adults have diabetes in Badger.
71%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Badger | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 65% | 68% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.7% | 8.8% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
11 better19 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Badger | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.4% | 13.5% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.5% | 5.7% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 64.1% | 68% |
Bassett Ach (Ft Wainwright)
7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
45th
percentile among AK towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Badger has snowy winters and pleasant summers
The N Pole weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 110 days, shorter than in 98% of U.S. towns. January nights average -15.8°, colder than in 100% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 72.6°. The N Pole weather station records that 54 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 75% of Alaska places with climate records.
Badger has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Badger’s July high is 73°F.
54″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter-12–4°
Spring20–45°
Summer49–70°
Fall17–32°
Sep 5
typical first frost
May 18
typical last frost
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
An age mix much like Alaska’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Alaska average. 12% of Badger residents are 65 or older. 24% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Alaska.
35.1median age · AK 35.8
| Badger | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.1 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 13% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 29% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 24% | 24% | 22% |
BadgerAlaskaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school28%
Some college27%
Associate’s15%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
42.7% women, 57.3% men
About 134 men for every 100 women. Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 64% are men (AK 54%).
| Badger | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.3% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.4% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.3% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.7% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.5% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.7% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.9% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.2% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.6% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.8% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.6% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.9% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
HousingCost of living grade C+
A home in Badger sells for about $390K at the median
The median rent in Badger is $1,629 a month.
$390Kmedian sale price
| Badger | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,629 a month | $1,402 a month | $1,185 a month |
Market temperature
63
days on market
101%
sale-to-list price
31
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 6 attractions →Pioneer Park and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Badger. Close and well known come first.
11 mi Park & preservePioneer Park
14 mi MuseumUniversity of Alaska Museum of the North20 mi Ski areaMoose Mountain Ski Resort98 runs · 1,311 ft vertical17 mi Ski areaSki Land (Mt Aurora)45 runs · 1,084 ft vertical
14 mi GardenGeorgeson Botanical GardenSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Pioneer Park: Enrico Blasutto, CC BY-SA 4.0 · University of Alaska Museum of the North: Maureen amerune, CC BY 2.0 · Georgeson Botanical Garden: Abalg, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Badger
17pages on Badger
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Badger
About 7 of every 100 Badger residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
About Badger
CDP in Alaska, United States
Badger is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Fairbanks North Star Borough of Alaska. It was one of the CDPs created in 2010 out of small suburbs and outskirts of Fairbanks. It has an area of 66.71 sq. mi, 65.63 of land and 1.08 of water. The population of the CDP was 19,031 as of the 2020 Census, down from 19,482 in 2010. Badger's designation as a Place made it number 5 by population, behind Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Knik-Fairview, in a list of Alaska Cities and census-designated places (by population). Badger is a major community of the Fairbanks, AK Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 67 sq mi
Badger’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Badger.
North PoleSteele CreekFairbanksMoose CreekBadger
How the neighbors grade
| Town | AK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badger | #33 | C | C+ | — | B | B+ |
| North Pole | — | — | C | C− | B | A− |
| Steele Creek | #5 | B+ | B− | — | B | A |
| Fairbanks | #38 | C− | C | D | B | B+ |
| Moose Creek | — | — | — | — | — | — |
North Pole has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Badger and Steele Creek report no FBI crime data of their own. Moose Creek isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Badger with a neighbor →
Questions about Badger
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Badger, AK a good place to live?
Badger grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #33 of 41 in Alaska. It grades B+ for health and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Badger, AK expensive?
The typical home is worth about $311,000, 22% below the Alaska typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.