Fishing from canoe on lake, 2007
Willow’s story
78 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1948Willow is settled
WillowAK
A town of 1,815, settled in 1948. Public schools that outperform most of Alaska.
Population
1,815
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$252K
−1.9% in a year
Household income
$89K
median
Median age
45.9
years
Land area
700 sq mi
Is Willow a good place to live?
The best of Willow’s subject grades is an A− for schools; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Willow’s average trip to work is 65 minutes, above both the Alaska town median (21 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Willow. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. 83% of the land in Willow is conserved, above both the Alaska town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Nancy Lake State Recreation Area, 20,846 acres with 38.6 miles of trail. Willow has 1 place on the National Register. Willow has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Willow stand out
Where Willow beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Get outside
102 miles of trails in Willow
82.7% of the town is conserved land, across 5 parks and preserves.
2
Little Susitna Recreation River6.6 mi of trails · 5,236 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Willow grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alaska), ordered by how far Willow is from typical.
Hazard riskavalanches tops the listD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.8 of 20; 3.6% of households have no car; 1.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →SchoolsA−Open →Jobs & income$89K median household income; 13.2% below the poverty lineCOpen →HealthLess healthy than 61% of U.S. towns; Mat-Su Regional Medical Center 25.4 miles awayC+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →
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.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 45.9; 30% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Willow: who provides what
Willow is unincorporated, so Matanuska-Susitna Borough and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMatanuska Electric Assn24.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBerry Bluff Community Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesMatanuska-Susitna BoroughMatanuska-Susitna Borough provides services here
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 codes99688, 9969499688 98% · 99694 1%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 Willow.
OutdoorsB+
Willow has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
102 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The trail density in Willow is 0.2 miles per square mile.
82.7%conserved
82.7%
conserved · 366,059 of 442,421 acres
102 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nancy Lake State Recreation Area | 38.6 mi | 20,846 |
| 2. Little Susitna Recreation River | 6.6 mi | 5,236 |
| 3. Willow Creek State Recreation Area | — | 3,164 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA−
Willow’s public schools outperform 77% of Alaska districts
Its public schools are run by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. Its two schools are below.
77%of AK districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willow ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 127 | A |
| Beryozova SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 39 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AK on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Avalanches leads a very high hazard risk in Willow
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 92% of U.S. communities. Since 2006, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Willow.
92risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesEarthquakes
11
paid flood claims since 2006
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Alaska overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 9% of residents (25% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 46% of residents (37% statewide). 21% of residents are 65 or older in Willow. Only 2 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a higher median age than Willow.
45.9median age · AK 35.8
| Willow | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.9 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 13% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 25% | 24% | 22% |
WillowAlaskaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school30%
Some college25%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.9 points. Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women.
| Willow | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.3% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.8% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.5% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.4% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.1% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.7% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.2% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.5% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.9% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 25% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.8% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.6% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.2% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,800, single groups can be off by several points
HousingCost of living grade B
Homes in Willow are worth about $252K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Willow home is worth about $252,000, down 1.9% in a year, 37% below the Alaska typical home.
$252KZillow home value
Typical home value
Willow$252K
Alaska$398K
−1.9%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Willow
Willow has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Willow’s July high is 67°F.
62″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–26°
Spring28–46°
Summer47–65°
Fall28–42°
Sep 18
typical first frost
May 15
typical last frost
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Willow than in most of Alaska or the rest of the country
42% of Willow adults have high blood pressure. Only 3 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Willow. 13% of Willow adults have diabetes.
39%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Willow | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 32% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 68% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
10 better12 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Willow | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.5% | 17.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.4% | 5.7% |
Mat-Su Regional Medical Center
25.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Willow
17pages on Willow
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Willow; the nearest are
Alaska Bible CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Palmer26 mi$9,730 tuitionUniversity of Alaska AnchorageUniversity or college · Public · Anchorage48.6 mi$7,738 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Willow residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
About Willow
CDP in Alaska, United States
Willow is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located 26 miles northwest from Wasilla along the George Parks Highway, it is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2020 census the population was 2,196, up from 2,102 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 700 sq mi
- Elevation
- 213 ft
- ZIP code
- 99688
Willow’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Willow.
Susitna NorthBig LakeMeadow LakesFishhookHoustonTanainaWillow
How the neighbors grade
| Town | AK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow | — | — | B | — | A− | C+ |
| Susitna North | — | — | A+ | — | A− | C |
| Big Lake | #29 | C | B− | — | A− | C+ |
| Meadow Lakes | #35 | C− | C+ | — | A− | B− |
| Fishhook | #27 | C+ | C | — | A− | B+ |
| Houston | — | — | B+ | — | A− | C− |
| Tanaina | #21 | C+ | B− | — | A− | B− |
Willow, Susitna North and Houston have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Willow, Susitna North, Big Lake, Meadow Lakes, Fishhook, Houston and Tanaina report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Willow with a neighbor →
Questions about Willow
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Willow, AK a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Alaska.
Is Willow, AK expensive?
That is 2.5 years of the area's median household income ($100,505 across the Anchorage, AK metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.