South LakesAK
The town, home to 6,180 people, lies in Alaska. Public schools that outperform most of Alaska.
Is South Lakes a good place to live?
South Lakes’s grades pull in different directions. Where it does best is schools — its schools rank ahead of 77% of Alaska towns. The town grades B overall and ranks 8th of 41 in Alaska. That leaves it better than 61% of U.S. towns. Add health to its strengths — CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 70% of the country. What holds it back is hazard risk (D−): FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Homes run about $378K for a typical one, 3.8 times the Anchorage metro’s $101K median household income. Only 5 of Alaska’s 69 towns score lower on the outdoors.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · health, CDC PLACES · FEMA National Risk Index · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · USGS PAD-US.
How South Lakes grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far South Lakes is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes South Lakes stand out
Where South Lakes beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Peak Elementary | PK–5 | 449 |
| Cottonwood Creek Elementary | PK–5 | 422 |
| Birchtree Charter School | K–8 | 416 |
| Widest gap | South Lakes | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.1% | 14.3% |
The data
Ordered by what stands out in South Lakes.
South Lakes has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Alaska; it also has little public open land.
Natural hazards: very high risk in South Lakes, mostly earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
South Lakes earns an A− for schools
The public schools here belong to the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. Three of its 5 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. 5 public schools serve South Lakes, with 1,510 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Peak ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 449 | A+ |
| Knik Charter SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 189 | – |
| Cottonwood Creek ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 422 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation
South Lakes earns a B+ for health
Within Alaska it is less healthy than 57% of the 41 graded towns: Alaska sets a high bar.
In South Lakes, 33% of adults sleep under 7 hours. South Lakes: 72% of adults had a checkup this year, above Alaska’s towns (68%) but below U.S. towns (79%).
| South Lakes | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 68% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 8.8% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 16% |
| What stands out | South Lakes | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.1% | 14.3% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.7% | 8.2% |
| More adults with arthritis | 26.7% | 23.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in South Lakes
The Matanuska Exp Farm weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 127 days, shorter than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 67.9°, cooler than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 6.7°. The Matanuska Exp Farm weather station records that 50 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 79% of Alaska places with climate records.
South Lakes’ typical July afternoon high is 68°F, above the Alaska town median (66°F) but below the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Also worth knowing: in South Lakes, the January low is 7°F.
| South Lakes | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 68°F | 66°F | 85°F |
| January low | 7°F | 7°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
South Lakes looks like Alaska by age
Among residents in South Lakes, 12% are 65 or older. The age mix tracks Alaska closely: no broad group is more than 4 points off. South Lakes’ midpoint age comes in at 34.2 years. 24% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Alaska.
| South Lakes | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.2 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 13% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 25% | 24% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 29% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.3 points. Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women.
| South Lakes | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.9% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.7% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.2% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.9% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.1% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.9% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.3% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.1% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.3% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.5% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.1% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
A home in South Lakes sells for about $475K at the median
On the market in South Lakes: a median 33 days to sell. In South Lakes, 29% of sales closed above the list price. South Lakes’ midpoint rent stands at $1,178 a month.
| South Lakes | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,178 a month | $1,412 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0% of South Lakes is conserved land
Just 1 of its 5,249 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in South Lakes itself; its outdoors grade is D.
Trails run 0.9 miles in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Cottonwood Creek Park, at 37 acres. The trail network density in South Lakes is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cottonwood Creek Park | — | 37 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about South Lakes
Moving to South Lakes: who provides what
South 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.
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of South Lakes
About 5 of every 100 South Lakes residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alaska.
About South Lakes
Census-designated place in Alaska, United States
South Lakes is a census-designated place (CDP) in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census, after the split of the former CDP of Lakes. As of the 2020 census, South Lakes had a population of 5,229. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 371 ft
South Lakes’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with South Lakes.
It grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Gateway (B) comes closest.
| Town | AK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Lakes | #8 | B | C+ | — | A− | B+ |
| North Lakes | #22 | C+ | C+ | — | A− | B |
| Gateway | #10 | B | C | — | A− | A− |
| Wasilla | #40 | C− | C+ | D | A− | C+ |
South Lakes, North Lakes and Gateway report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare South Lakes with a neighbor →
Questions about South Lakes
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Lakes, AK a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. South Lakes grades B overall, better than 61% of U.S. towns and #8 of 41 in Alaska. It grades B+ for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is South Lakes, AK expensive?
The typical home is worth about $378,000, 5% 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+.
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