County housing & cost profile

Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK

Official Fair Market Rent from HUD and childcare costs from the U.S. Department of Labor for Matanuska-Susitna Borough - a 2-bedroom benchmarks at $1,376/month against the county's $86,435 median household income, the housing figures the federal government publishes at true county resolution.

#764
of 3,222 counties for affordability
$1,376
2-BR Fair Market Rent
$12,957
Infant care / yr
$86,435
Median income

The verdict

A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent costs $16,512 a year in Matanuska-Susitna County, about 19% of the county's median household income, under the 30% line HUD uses to flag a housing-cost burden.

$1,376
2-BR Fair Market Rent / mo
19%
of median income on rent
$86,435
median household income
$12,957
infant care / yr
Affordability gauge

Rent burden in Matanuska-Susitna County

A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent takes 19% of the county's median household income, HUD flags anything above 30% as a housing-cost burden.

30% burden line
19%
0% · more affordable severely burdened · 50%+

Nationally, that ranks Matanuska-Susitna County #764 of 3,222 US counties on rent-to-income affordability, more affordable than 76% of counties with comparable HUD and Census data.

Every figure here comes from official federal data, reported at the county level for the two costs that are actually measured that finely. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent is set each fiscal year to anchor Housing Choice Voucher payment standards across all 3,224 U.S. counties; the childcare estimates are drawn from the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices, and median household income comes from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. Cost of living, wages, crime, schools and environment are published only at the state tier, read those on the state profile below.

Fair Market Rent in Matanuska-Susitna County

Studio$1,0151 bedroom$1,0492 bedroom$1,3763 bedroom$1,9144 bedroom$2,308
By unit size, FY2026 - the benchmark that sets Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Source: HUD Fair Market Rents.

Childcare costs in Matanuska-Susitna County

Infant (center)$12,957/yrToddler (center)$12,436/yrPreschool (center)$12,020/yrSchool-age (center)$8,436/yr
Annual center-based cost by age band. Source: U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices.

The wider picture for Alaska

Housing and childcare are published at true county resolution. Cost of living, wages, crime, schools and environment are reported at the state tier, read those on the Alaska profile, which scores all seven dimensions on the national curve.

See the Alaska Life Score →

Using Matanuska-Susitna County's figures

Fair Market Rent and childcare are the housing decisions a county actually controls, use them for a move, then read the state page for the rest.

  • FMR is HUD’s benchmark for Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, not a market quote, a specific listing can run above or below it. How it is sourced
  • Compare Matanuska-Susitna County head-to-head with a neighboring county on rent and childcare. Compare counties
  • For crime, schools, wages and environment, read the Alaska state profile. Alaska →

County data here covers housing and childcare; the other dimensions are state-level baselines and vary within a state.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Fair Market Rent in Matanuska-Susitna Borough?

HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK is $1,376/month (FY2026). A studio is $1,015, a 1-bedroom $1,049, a 3-bedroom $1,914 and a 4-bedroom $2,308. FMR is the benchmark HUD uses to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards.

How much does childcare cost in Matanuska-Susitna Borough?

Center-based infant care in Matanuska-Susitna Borough runs about $12,957/year, per U.S. Department of Labor data; preschool-age center care is about $12,020/year.

Is Matanuska-Susitna Borough an affordable place to live?

A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent ($16,512/year) is about 19% of the county's median household income of $86,435 - below the 30% cost-burden line HUD uses. Crime, schools and wages are best read at the state level on the Alaska page.

Every figure on PlainCompare is loaded directly from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OEWS, NCES, DOL, EPA, and the Census Bureau, no number is typed in by an editor. This county's affordability ranking is computed directly from HUD FMR and Census ACS data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.