Housing Value★★★★★★★★★★3.4 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Living in Fairbanks, AK
Explore Fairbanks and see how it fits the life you want to build.
Overall Match6.6 / 10
Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.
Fairbanks at a Glance
Key facts and current data
Population32,083
Median Household Income$73,534
Median Home Value$268,400
Median Gross Rent$1,496
Median Age29.0
Average Household Size2.4
Unemployment5.7%
Work From Home5.3%
Homeownership39.8%
Housing Vacancy12.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.
Fairbanks is a mid-sized community where local neighborhoods, nearby job centers and regional access can matter as much as citywide averages.
Experience the Area
Experience Life in Fairbanks Before You Move
Explore Short-Term Stays in Fairbanks →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate
NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Fairbanks and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.
NarrowTheList Ratings
Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.
Housing & Cost of Living in Fairbanks
Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau
Median Home Value$268,400
Median Gross Rent$1,496
Homeownership39.8%
Housing Vacancy12.5%
Home values are moderately high relative to local household income, making neighborhood-level price differences important for buyers. Renters make up a substantial share of the local housing market.
Jobs, Income & Remote Work
Employment and household-income context for Fairbanks, AK
Median Household Income$73,534
Unemployment5.7%
Work From Home5.3%
The reported unemployment rate is in a middle range.
Population & Household Profile
Who lives in Fairbanks and how households are structured
Population32,083
Median Age29.0
Average Household Size2.4
Fairbanks is a smaller community, so its relationship with nearby towns, employment centers and services can be especially important.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.
Climate & Weather in Fairbanks
Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context
NOAA climate normals for Fairbanks point to mild summers, cold winters, a relatively dry annual rainfall pattern and substantial annual snowfall.
Average Summer High72.9°F
Average Winter Low-14.8°F
Annual Rainfall13.0 in.
Annual Snowfall57.8 in.
Seasonal Life in Fairbanks
What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.
Spring
Spring should generally favor outdoor activity, although a relatively dry annual pattern makes water use, landscaping and local drought conditions worth noticing.
Summer
Summer highs are comparatively mild, which may reduce cooling demands and can make daytime outdoor activity more comfortable than in hotter inland locations.
Fall
Fall marks a substantial seasonal transition here. It is a useful time to judge how quickly temperatures change and whether that seasonal swing fits the lifestyle you want.
Winter
Freezing winter lows and meaningful snowfall make snow removal, winter driving, heating costs and cold-weather routines important parts of evaluating the area.
Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.
Fairbanks is located in Fairbanks North Star Borough County, but city-level housing, income and neighborhood conditions can differ meaningfully from countywide averages. Fairbanks North Star Borough. Current county foreclosure activity is classified as medium, adding another housing-market signal for buyers comparing conventional and distressed-property opportunities.
County Intelligence
Fairbanks & Fairbanks North Star Borough
Medium
Foreclosure Activity
Fairbanks is located in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska.
NarrowTheList uses county-level information alongside local community data because many factors that matter when choosing a place to live are measured beyond city boundaries. Housing, property taxes, employment, healthcare access and other regional characteristics can add useful context to the picture of life in Fairbanks.
Current NarrowTheList data for Fairbanks shows a population of about 32,083. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.
Foreclosure Activity: Medium. Current signal uses NarrowTheList foreclosure-opportunity data until direct county delinquency and foreclosure datasets are connected.
For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.
County relationship
Fairbanks North Star Borough
How NarrowTheList uses it
County information is used as a supporting geographic layer, not as a substitute for local data. As more county datasets are added, NarrowTheList can use them to improve comparisons, ratings and relocation insights for Fairbanks.
Nearby Cities & Communities
Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.