Mentasta LakeAK
Home to 96 people, the town was settled in 1947.
Is Mentasta Lake a good place to live?
Mentasta Lake’s median age is 65.2 years, where Alaska’s towns sit at 36.6 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Only one of the 42 Alaska towns we compare has a higher share of residents below the poverty line than Mentasta Lake. 53% of the land in Mentasta Lake is conserved, where Alaska’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest park or preserve is Tanana Valley State Forest, at 8,186 acres. Mentasta Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
96 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Mentasta Lake.
Mentasta Lake keeps nearly a third of its land conserved
Trails run 8.4 miles in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tanana Valley State Forest | — | 8,186 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The schools Mentasta Lake’s kids attend
The public schools here belong to the Alaska Gateway School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mentasta Lake SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 26 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Very high risk in Mentasta Lake, with avalanches at the top
Expected losses in Mentasta Lake break down as 76% from avalanches and 11% from earthquakes. Mentasta Lake’s natural-hazard score from FEMA is 84 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A larger share of adults in Mentasta Lake have high blood pressure than in the typical Alaska or U.S. town
Mentasta Lake: a fifth of adults worry about having enough food. No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Mentasta Lake. 16% of adults in Mentasta Lake report frequent physical distress; 71% had a checkup this year. Only 4 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Mentasta Lake.
| Mentasta Lake | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 68% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Mentasta Lake | AK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 72.6% | 68% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.5% | 5.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Mentasta Lake
Moving to Mentasta Lake: who provides what
Mentasta Lake is unincorporated, so Copper River Census Area 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.
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Mentasta Lake; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Mentasta Lake residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alaska.
About Mentasta Lake
CDP in Alaska, United States
Mentasta Lake (Ahtena: Mendaesde) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Copper River Census Area, Alaska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Mentasta Lake had a population of 127.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 302 sq mi
Questions about Mentasta Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mentasta Lake, AK a good place to live?
Mentasta Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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