Meadow LakesAK
A town of 8,689. Public schools that outperform most of Alaska.
Is Meadow Lakes a good place to live?
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities, with avalanches at the top. Overall it grades C−, 35th among Alaska's 41 graded towns. Its schools rank ahead of 77% of Alaska towns. Its weakest subject is incomes: the median household income is $82K, and 14% of residents live below the poverty line. Meadow Lakes’ average trip to work is 39 minutes, above both the Alaska town median (20 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 1 of the 41 Alaska towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Meadow Lakes. The biggest park or preserve is Little Susitna Recreation River, at 630 acres.
What makes Meadow Lakes stand out
Where Meadow Lakes beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Meadow Lakes Elementary | PK–5 | 308 |
| Midnight Sun Family Learning Center | K–8 | 189 |
| American Charter Academy | K–12 | 193 |
Meadow Lakes has grown 22% from 2010 to 2020
7,570 counted in 2010 and 9,197 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Meadow Lakes grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Meadow Lakes is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Meadow Lakes: who provides what
Meadow Lakes 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 Meadow Lakes.
Meadow Lakes has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and keeps more of its land conserved than most of Alaska.
Meadow Lakes has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
Its 19,928 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 75% of Alaska towns.
4.6 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Only 2 of the 41 Alaska towns we compare have a lower trail density than Meadow Lakes.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Meadow Lakes Park | 0.5 mi | 10 |
| 2. Little Susitna Recreation River | — | 630 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Meadow Lakes earns an A− for schools
Its public schools are run by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. Its three schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meadow Lakes ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 308 | C+ |
| American Charter AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 193 | A+ |
| Midnight Sun Family Learning CenterTop results in townGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 189 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation
Avalanches leads a very high hazard risk in Meadow Lakes
Since 2006, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Meadow Lakes.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Meadow Lakes has snowy winters and pleasant summers
The Anderson Lake weather station, 9 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 128 days, shorter than in 95% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 66.8°, cooler than in 100% of U.S. towns; January nights average 10.9°.
Meadow Lakes has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. The July high in Meadow Lakes is 67°F. About 62 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Meadow Lakes | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 67°F | 66°F | 85°F |
| January low | 11°F | 7°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health in Meadow Lakes trails 53% of U.S. towns
Meadow Lakes beats the Alaska average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 70% of adults had a checkup this year in Meadow Lakes. Among 41 Alaska towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Meadow Lakes.
| Meadow Lakes | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 68% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Meadow Lakes | AK |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.3% | 13.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.3% | 6.1% |
| More smokers | 19% | 16% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median home in Meadow Lakes sells for about $373K
78% of Meadow Lakes households own their home.
| Meadow Lakes | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 78% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,377 a month | $1,412 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Meadow Lakes
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Meadow Lakes; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Meadow Lakes residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alaska.
Meadow Lakes’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Meadow Lakes.
| Town | AK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meadow Lakes | #35 | C− | C+ | — | A− | B− |
| Knik-Fairview | #31 | C | C | — | A− | B− |
| Willow | — | — | B | — | A− | C+ |
| Tanaina | #21 | C+ | B− | — | A− | B− |
| Wasilla | #40 | C− | C+ | D | A− | C+ |
| Houston | — | — | B+ | — | A− | C− |
| Big Lake | #29 | C | B− | — | A− | C+ |
Willow and Houston have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Meadow Lakes, Knik-Fairview, Willow, Tanaina, Houston and Big Lake report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Meadow Lakes with a neighbor →
Questions about Meadow Lakes
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Meadow Lakes, AK a good place to live?
Meadow Lakes grades C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #35 of 41 in Alaska. It grades B− for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Meadow Lakes, AK expensive?
The typical home is worth about $323,000, 19% 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+.