Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,819.
Fishhook grades C+ overall, ranked 27th of 41 in Alaska, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools rank ahead of 77% of Alaska towns and it has 38 miles of trail and 55% conserved land. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities, with avalanches at the top. 55% of the land in Fishhook is conserved, above both the Alaska town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Only 3 of Alaska’s 68 towns score lower on walkability. The biggest park or preserve is Matanuska Valley State Moose Range, at 5,034 acres.
Where Fishhook beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Fishhook is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,030 in 2000, 5,048 in 2020. The archive holds 3 maps from 1950 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Fishhook is unincorporated, so Matanuska-Susitna Borough and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Fishhook.
Fishhook has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, keeps more of its land conserved than most of Alaska and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
Its 22,979 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 83% of Alaska towns.
39 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hatcher Pass Public Use Area | 1.4 mi | 2,758 |
| 2. Matanuska Valley State Moose Range | — | 5,034 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 6,955 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fishhook’s, it is healthier than 51%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
Fishhook beats the Alaska average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 71% of adults had a checkup this year in Fishhook, against 68% in Alaska’s towns and 79% across U.S. towns. 8% of adults have diabetes in Fishhook.
| Fishhook | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 68% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8% | 8.8% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Fishhook | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.7% | 14.3% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.1% | 10% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (25% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 43% of residents (37% statewide). 27% of Fishhook residents are under 18. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Alaska.
| Fishhook | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 27% | 24% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 13% | 18% |
| Median age | 39.4 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
46% women, 54% men
About 119 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2 points). Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women.
| Fishhook | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.7% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.5% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.2% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.1% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 18.2% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.1% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.8% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.1% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.6% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 30.1% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.4% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.8% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The Anderson Lake weather station, 8 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 128 days, shorter than in 97% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 66.8°, cooler than in 100% of U.S. towns; January nights average 10.9°.
Fishhook has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. The July high in Fishhook is 67°F. About 62 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Fishhook | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 67°F | 66°F | 85°F |
| January low | 11°F | 7°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Fishhook’s median rent is $1,837 a month. Only 3 of the 41 Alaska towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Fishhook.
| Fishhook | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,837 a month | $1,402 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 86% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Fishhook
About 2 of every 100 Fishhook residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
CDP in Alaska, United States
Fishhook is a census-designated place (CDP) in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2020 census the population was 5,048, up from 4,679 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Fishhook.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C+; North Lakes (C+) is closest.
| Town | AK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fishhook | #27 | C+ | C | — | A− | B+ |
| Tanaina | #21 | C+ | B− | — | A− | B− |
| Buffalo Soapstone | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Lakes | #22 | C+ | C+ | — | A− | B |
| Willow | — | — | B | — | A− | C+ |
| Farm Loop | #12 | B | C+ | — | A− | A− |
Willow has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Fishhook, Tanaina, North Lakes, Willow and Farm Loop report no FBI crime data of their own. Buffalo Soapstone isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Fishhook with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fishhook grades C+ overall, better than 36% of U.S. towns and #27 of 41 in Alaska. It grades B+ for health and A− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
The typical home is worth about $416,000, 5% above 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.