Knik RiverAK
A town in Alaska, home to 883 people.
Is Knik River a good place to live?
Knik River’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, where Alaska’s towns sit at 21 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only one of the 42 Alaska towns we compare has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Knik River. 66% of the land in Knik River is conserved, where Alaska’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest place to walk is Knik Public Use Area, 22,282 acres with 46.2 miles of trail. Knik River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
883 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Knik River: who provides what
Knik River 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Knik River.
nearly a third of the land in Knik River is protected from building
In Knik River, the trail network density is 0.7 miles per square mile. 62 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Knik Public Use Area | 46.2 mi | 22,282 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards: very high risk in Knik River, mostly avalanches
Expected losses in Knik River break down as 74% from avalanches and 23% from earthquakes. Compared with 86% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Knik River’s year
The range runs from 7° on a January night to 68° on a July afternoon, with about 50 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Knik River is
For adults in Knik River, the share who have obesity is 37%. This Alaska town beats the Alaska average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. Among 42 Alaska towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Knik River. Two figures for adults locally: 32% sleep under 7 hours, 31% feel lonely.
| Knik River | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 68% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 16% |
| What stands out | Knik River | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.9% | 13.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11% | 14.3% |
| More adults with arthritis | 28.4% | 23.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
No age group stands out in Knik River against Alaska
17% never finished high school. Knik River: 20% of residents are under 18. No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Alaska average. Here, 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 32% in Alaska as a whole.
| Knik River | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 20% | 24% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 13% | 18% |
| Median age | 40.5 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
43% women, 57% men
About 134 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.3 points). Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women.
| Knik River | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.7% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.5% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.3% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.2% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.2% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.1% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.5% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.1% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.5% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 16.9% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.1% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.8% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.5% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.6% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.2% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Knik River
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Knik River
About 4 of every 100 Knik River residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alaska.
Questions about Knik River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Knik River, AK a good place to live?
Knik River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.