Houston, AK post office, 2006
Houston’s story
60 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2006.
- 1966Houston is settled
HoustonAK
A town of 2,267, settled in 1966. Public schools that outperform most of Alaska.
Population
2,267
2025 Census estimate · +14.9% since 2020
Median home value
$295K
Census ACS
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
40.2
years
Land area
24 sq mi
Is Houston a good place to live?
The best of Houston’s subject grades is an A− for schools; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Houston’s average trip to work is 47 minutes, where Alaska’s towns sit at 21 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 2 of Alaska’s 69 towns score lower on hazard risk. The median household income is $73K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. 17% of the land in Houston is conserved, where Alaska’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Only 1 of Alaska’s 68 towns score lower on history. The biggest park or preserve is Little Susitna Recreation River, at 179 acres. Houston has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Houston stand out
Where Houston beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Houston grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Houston is from typical.
Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listD−Open →Jobs & income18.8% below the poverty lineDOpen →HealthLess healthy than 83% of U.S. towns; Mat-Su Regional Medical Center 18.1 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 2.8 of 20; 5.7% of households have no car; 2.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $295K, 2.9 years of the Anchorage metro’s $101K median household incomeB+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
The full setup list →Moving to Houston: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Houston, and how to reach them.
PowerMatanuska Electric Assn24.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet1 providers29% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Houston’s trash rules yet
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 codes99694, 9965299694 81% · 99652 18%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 Houston.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Earthquakes leads a very high hazard risk in Houston
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 97% of U.S. communities. Since 2006, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Houston.
97risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesWildfire
4
paid flood claims since 2006
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsA−
Houston’s schools rank ahead of 77% of Alaska districts
Its public schools are run by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Houston High School, with 337 students.
77%of AK districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 318 | – |
| Houston High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 337 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
Houston stands out in Alaska and nationally: a larger share of its adults smoke cigarettes
24% of adults smoke cigarettes in Houston. Of the 42 Alaska towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Houston. 37% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Houston.
17%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Houston | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 16% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 19% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 68% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
1 better12 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Houston | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.7% | 17.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.1% | 6.1% |
Mat-Su Regional Medical Center
18.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsB
Houston has set aside 17.3% of its land for conservation
11 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
17.3%conserved
17.3%
conserved · 2,778 of 16,017 acres
11 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Little Susitna Recreation River | — | 179 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Houston has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Houston has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Houston’s July high is 67°F.
62″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–26°
Spring28–46°
Summer47–65°
Fall28–42°
Sep 7
typical first frost
May 29
typical last frost
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B+
Compared with most of Alaska and the rest of the country, the median rent in Houston is lower
The median rent in Houston is $887 a month.
$367Kmedian sale price
| Houston | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $887 a month | $1,406 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 69% | 73% |
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Houston
18pages on Houston
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Houston; the nearest are
Alaska Bible CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Palmer22.7 mi$9,730 tuitionUniversity of Alaska AnchorageUniversity or college · Public · Anchorage29.4 mi$7,738 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Houston residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
About Houston
City in Alaska, United States
Houston is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located roughly 33 miles from downtown Anchorage, though it is a 57-mile drive between the two points. The population was 1,975 at the 2020 census, up from 1,912 in 2000.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1966
- Area
- 24 sq mi
- Elevation
- 249 ft
- ZIP code
- 99694
- Area code
- 907
Houston’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Houston.
Big LakeWillowMeadow LakesHouston
How the neighbors grade
| Town | AK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | — | — | B+ | — | A− | C− |
| Big Lake | #29 | C | B− | — | A− | C+ |
| Willow | — | — | B | — | A− | C+ |
| Meadow Lakes | #35 | C− | C+ | — | A− | B− |
Houston and Willow have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Houston, Big Lake, Willow and Meadow Lakes report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Houston with a neighbor →
Questions about Houston
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Houston, AK a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Alaska.
Is Houston, AK expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $295,000, 26% 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+.