GoldstreamAK
A town of 3,294.
Is Goldstream a good place to live?
Goldstream gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $290K for a typical one, or 3.3 years of the Fairbanks metro’s $88K median household income. It grades B overall, ranked 7th of 41 in Alaska. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 88% of U.S. communities, with wildfire at the top. On the plus side, residents are healthier than 86% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. 69% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Goldstream, against 27% in Alaska’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 100% of U.S. towns. Tanana Valley State Forest, at 3,175 acres with 1.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Goldstream stand out
Where Goldstream beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Goldstream | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.5% | 13.5% |
How Goldstream grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Goldstream is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Goldstream: who provides what
Goldstream is unincorporated, so Fairbanks North Star 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Goldstream.
Goldstream has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, keeps more of its land conserved than most of Alaska and has less tooth loss than most of Alaska.
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Goldstream
Its 34,169 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 90% of Alaska towns.
141 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Goldstream is 1.7 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Goldstream Public Use Area | 14.7 mi | 2,113 |
| 2. Tanana Valley State Forest | 1.3 mi | 3,175 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Goldstream stands out in Alaska and nationally, with fewer of its adults who feel lonely
Its widest gap with Alaska is tooth loss: 6.5% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 13.5% statewide.
Of the 41 Alaska towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Goldstream. 14% of Goldstream adults report frequent mental distress. Among 41 Alaska towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Goldstream.
| Goldstream | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 33% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | Goldstream | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.5% | 13.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.2% | 14.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Goldstream faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by wildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A typical January night in Goldstream is colder than in the typical Alaska or U.S. town
The College 5 Nw weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 122 days, shorter than in 100% of U.S. towns. January nights average -18.5°, colder than in 100% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 73°.
Goldstream’s January low is -19°F. No town among the 41 in Alaska we compare has a higher July high than Goldstream. Goldstream has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain.
| Goldstream | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | -19°F | 7°F | 22°F |
| July high | 73°F | 66°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes in Goldstream sell for about $320K
82% of households own their home in Goldstream.
| Goldstream | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $847 a month | $1,412 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 82% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Pioneer Park and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Goldstream. Close and well known come first.
10 mi Park & preservePioneer Parkin town Ski areaMoose Mountain Ski Resort98 runs · 1,311 ft vertical
8 mi MuseumUniversity of Alaska Museum of the North19 mi Ski areaSki Land (Mt Aurora)45 runs · 1,084 ft vertical
8 mi GardenGeorgeson Botanical GardenPhoto 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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Everything we know about Goldstream
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Goldstream
About 13 of every 100 Goldstream residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
Goldstream’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Goldstream.
| Town | AK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldstream | #7 | B | B+ | — | B | A |
| Farmers Loop | #6 | B+ | C+ | — | B | A− |
| Ester | #25 | C+ | B− | — | B | A |
| College | #13 | B | C | — | B | A− |
| Fox | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Goldstream, Farmers Loop, Ester and College report no FBI crime data of their own. Fox isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Goldstream with a neighbor →
Questions about Goldstream
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Goldstream, AK a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Goldstream grades B overall, better than 64% of U.S. towns and #7 of 41 in Alaska. It grades A for health and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Goldstream, AK expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $290,000, 27% 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 B+.