Palmer, Alaska
Population, housing costs, incomes, jobs, commuting and climate in Palmer, compared with Alaska and the U.S. using Census records and their margins of error.
Palmer city · Incorporated city · Census GEOID 0258660 · Alaska directory
- Population · July 1, 2025
- 6,710 PEP Vintage 2025
- Change · 2024 to 2025
- +1.6% +107 residents
- Household income
- $72,201 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$6,849
- Home value
- $294,900 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$13,119
- Monthly gross rent
- $1,125 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$90
- Median age
- 32.9 years ACS 2020–2024 · ±2.4
Palmer is an incorporated city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, part of the Anchorage, AK metropolitan area. With 6,710 residents on July 1, 2025, it ranks 8th in Alaska and 4,169th nationally among Census places. Its population grew by 107 (1.6%) in the year to July 2025; since April 2020 it has grown 14.0%. Median gross rent in the 2020–2024 survey is $1,125 a month, 20.7% below the Alaska median. Median household income is $72,201, 22.2% below the Alaska median.
Detailed demographics → Housing and cost-of-living context →
What stands out in Palmer?
Compared with other Alaska places, Palmer is most distinctive for denser settlement, faster population growth and fewer foreign-born residents. Each statement below uses reliable estimates only, and survey differences from the state exceed their combined 90% margin of error.
- Residents per square mile of land: 1,323; higher than 97% of 149 Alaska places with reliable estimates. It ranks 4th of 149 in Alaska.
- Population change since April 2020: +14.0%; higher than 97% of 125 Alaska places with reliable estimates. It ranks 4th of 125 in Alaska.
- Foreign-born residents: 3.3%, 4.4 percentage points below the Alaska rate (7.7%); lower than 90% of 15 Alaska places with reliable estimates. Only 1 of 15 Alaska places with reliable estimates are lower.
- Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent: 55.4%, 10.8 percentage points above the Alaska rate (44.6%); higher than 85% of 31 Alaska places with reliable estimates. It ranks 5th of 31 in Alaska.
- Commutes of 45 minutes or longer: 26.8%, 18.4 percentage points above the Alaska rate (8.4%); higher than 83% of 9 Alaska places with reliable estimates. It ranks 2nd of 9 in Alaska.
How Palmer compares with Alaska and the U.S.
| Measure | Palmer | Alaska | U.S. | Position in Alaska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population change since April 2020 PEP Vintage 2025 | +14.0% | — | — | higher than 97% of 125 Alaska places |
| Residents per square mile of land PEP 2025 / Gazetteer 2025 | 1,323 | — | — | higher than 97% of 149 Alaska places |
| Median household income B19013 | $72,201 ±$6,849 | $92,788 | $80,734 | higher than 61% of 106 Alaska places |
| Median home value B25077 | $294,900 ±$13,119 | $352,900 | $332,700 | higher than 73% of 90 Alaska places |
| Median real estate taxes paid B25103 | $2,820 ±$180 | $3,901 | $3,119 | higher than 64% of 35 Alaska places |
| Median gross rent B25064 | $1,125 ±$90 | $1,419 | $1,413 | higher than 53% of 76 Alaska places |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent B25070 | 55.4% ±8.5 pp | 44.6% | 51.1% | higher than 85% of 31 Alaska places |
| Homeownership rate B25003 | 63.1% ±3.4 pp | 66.8% | 65.2% | lower than 67% of 121 Alaska places |
| Median age B01002 | 32.9 years ±2.4 | 35.8 years | 38.9 years | higher than 50% of 127 Alaska places |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree or higher B15003 | 24.5% ±2.8 pp | 31.7% | 35.7% | higher than 50% of 33 Alaska places |
| Poverty rate B17001 | 13.0% ±2.4 pp | 10.1% | 12.5% | lower than 78% of 76 Alaska places |
| People without health insurance B27010 | 9.8% ±2.2 pp | 11.0% | 8.4% | lower than 87% of 84 Alaska places |
| Households with a broadband subscription B28002 | 91.6% ±0.9 pp | 91.9% | 91.0% | higher than 79% of 124 Alaska places |
| Unemployment rate (civilian labor force) B23025 | 6.9% ±2.1 pp | 5.9% | 5.2% | lower than 84% of 54 Alaska places |
| Foreign-born residents B05002 | 3.3% ±1.0 pp | 7.7% | 14.1% | lower than 90% of 15 Alaska places |
| Workers who work from home B08301 | 8.6% ±2.4 pp | 9.7% | 15.1% | higher than 58% of 18 Alaska places |
| Commutes of 45 minutes or longer B08303 | 26.8% ±3.3 pp | 8.4% | 16.5% | higher than 83% of 9 Alaska places |
| Households without a vehicle B08201 | 8.0% ±2.6 pp | 9.0% | 8.4% | lower than 92% of 90 Alaska places |
Positions compare Palmer with Alaska places in this directory whose estimate has a coefficient of variation of 30% or less (survey measures) or a published PEP value. The marker runs from the lowest value (left) to the highest (right); it is a description, not a score or a recommendation.
How many people live in Palmer?
The latest official estimate is 6,710 residents on July 1, 2025. It ranks 4,169th by population nationally and 8th in Alaska among this directory’s PEP places. Population changed by 107 residents between the 2024 and 2025 estimates. These are annual estimates, not census enumerations.
| Reference date | Population | Change from previous estimate |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2020 | 5,941 | Separate from April 2020 base |
| July 1, 2021 | 6,130 | +189 |
| July 1, 2022 | 6,267 | +137 |
| July 1, 2023 | 6,370 | +103 |
| July 1, 2024 | 6,603 | +233 |
| July 1, 2025 | 6,710 | +107 |
From the revised April 2020 base to July 2025, the change is +825 residents (14.0%). This is a within-vintage comparison. Boundary adjustments can affect both the estimates and their interpretation.
Download this population chart (SVG) · Official population release
Where are the boundaries?
- Entity and stable identifier
- Palmer city, Alaska · Incorporated city · 0258660
- Counties or equivalents · 2025 boundaries
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough
- Metropolitan or micropolitan context · July 2023 delineations
- Anchorage, AK — Metropolitan Statistical Area County associations use Census PEP county place parts. Each county is matched by FIPS code to the official CBSA list; a city can span several counties or statistical areas. A missing association can reflect an area outside a CBSA or changed county codes between vintages. City figures on this page remain place-level statistics.
- Land area
- 5.1 square miles · 2025 Gazetteer
- Water area
- 0.0 square miles · 2025 Gazetteer
- Approximate population density
- 1,323 residents per square mile of land
- Internal point
- 61.597166°, -149.114683° · Census geographic reference point
Density divides the July 2025 estimate by 2025 Gazetteer land area, so it is approximate. The internal point is a locator, not an address. Census place profile reference .
Income and poverty
| Measure / survey universe | City estimate ± MOE | State estimate ± MOE | U.S. estimate ± MOE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income Households · USD/year | $72,201 ±$6,849 | $92,788 ±$1,232 | $80,734 ±$166 |
| Per-capita income Total population · USD/year | $37,718 ±$3,946 | $46,573 ±$569 | $44,673 ±$122 |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty level | 788 ±143 | 13.0% ±2.4 pp |
Household income combines the incomes of everyone in a household; per-capita income divides all income by every resident. The poverty rate is 13.0% (±2.4 percentage points) under the official Census definition.
Home values, rent and tenure
| Measure / survey universe | City estimate ± MOE | State estimate ± MOE | U.S. estimate ± MOE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median owner-occupied home value Owner-occupied housing units · USD | $294,900 ±$13,119 | $352,900 ±$3,735 | $332,700 ±$236 |
| Median gross rent Renter-occupied units paying cash rent · USD/month | $1,125 ±$90 | $1,419 ±$23 | $1,413 ±$2 |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Owner occupied | 1,457 ±108 | 63.1% ±3.4 pp |
| Renter occupied | 853 ±101 | 36.9% ±3.9 pp |
Owner-occupied units make up 63.1% of occupied housing. Gross rent includes estimated tenant-paid utilities and home values are owners’ own estimates; both cover 2020–2024 leases and homes rather than current listings. The median home value is 4.1 times the median household income.
See housing units, occupancy, rent burden and homeowner costs .
Monthly rent by bedroom count
| Bedrooms | Monthly gross rent | 90% margin of error | Precision |
|---|---|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | $827 | ±$78 | Estimate with MOE |
| 1 bedroom | $754 | ±$101 | Estimate with MOE |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,178 | ±$73 | Estimate with MOE |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,640 | ±$249 | Estimate with MOE |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,900 | ±$495 | Estimate with MOE |
| 5 or more bedrooms | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
Census table B25031 describes renter-occupied units paying cash rent within this exact place geography. Gross rent includes contract rent and estimated tenant-paid utilities. These survey medians include existing leases across 2020–2024; they are not current apartment listings. Missing categories stay unavailable, and open-ended medians remain ranges. Small bedroom categories can have large margins of error. Download source values and provenance .
Employment among residents
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force | 3,145 ±180 | 61.2% ±3.2 pp |
| Not in the labor force | 1,991 ±165 | 38.8% ±3.1 pp |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian employed | 2,831 ±180 | 93.1% ±2.2 pp |
| Civilian unemployed | 209 ±65 | 6.9% ±2.1 pp |
These estimates describe residents of Palmer wherever they work; jobs at workplaces inside the city appear under jobs located in Palmer. They are 2020–2024 averages, not a current monthly unemployment rate.
Which industries employ residents?
Education, health care and social assistance is the largest of the published broad industry groups among employed residents: 24.4% (690 people; ±3.3 percentage points). The estimate covers residents’ industries wherever they work, rather than employers located inside the place.
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting and mining | 69 ±31 | 2.4% ±1.1 pp |
| Construction | 241 ±68 | 8.5% ±2.4 pp |
| Manufacturing | 80 ±32 | 2.8% ±1.1 pp |
| Wholesale trade | 68 ±38 · low precision | 2.4% ±1.3 pp · low precision |
| Retail trade | 321 ±84 | 11.3% ±2.9 pp |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 157 ±55 | 5.5% ±1.9 pp |
| Information | 49 ±25 · low precision | 1.7% ±0.9 pp · low precision |
| Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing | 95 ±34 | 3.4% ±1.2 pp |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste services | 169 ±51 | 6.0% ±1.8 pp |
| Education, health care and social assistance | 690 ±102 | 24.4% ±3.3 pp |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services | 383 ±102 | 13.5% ±3.5 pp |
| Other services, except public administration | 240 ±79 | 8.5% ±2.7 pp |
| Public administration | 269 ±62 | 9.5% ±2.1 pp |
Occupations among employed residents
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Management, business, science and arts | 906 ±102 | 32.0% ±3.0 pp |
| Service occupations | 828 ±125 | 29.2% ±4.0 pp |
| Sales and office | 419 ±83 | 14.8% ±2.8 pp |
| Natural resources, construction and maintenance | 289 ±75 | 10.2% ±2.6 pp |
| Production, transportation and material moving | 389 ±97 | 13.7% ±3.3 pp |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Management occupations | 220 ±55 | 7.8% ±1.9 pp |
| Computer and mathematical occupations | 52 ±25 | 1.8% ±0.9 pp |
| Educational instruction and library occupations | 193 ±60 | 6.8% ±2.1 pp |
| Health practitioners and technical occupations | 127 ±50 | 4.5% ±1.7 pp |
| Sales and related occupations | 168 ±48 | 5.9% ±1.7 pp |
| Transportation occupations | 102 ±43 | 3.6% ±1.5 pp |
The detailed groups are subsets of the broad groups and should not be added to them.
How residents get to work
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 2,139 ±170 | 73.7% ±3.8 pp |
| Carpooled | 278 ±56 | 9.6% ±1.8 pp |
| Public transportation | 12 ±12 · low precision | 0.4% ±0.4 pp · low precision |
| Taxi or ride-hailing | 0 ±15 · low precision | 0.0% ±0.5 pp · low precision |
| Motorcycle | 0 ±15 · low precision | 0.0% ±0.5 pp · low precision |
| Bicycle | 13 ±13 · low precision | 0.4% ±0.4 pp · low precision |
| Walked | 125 ±47 | 4.3% ±1.6 pp |
| Other means | 86 ±38 | 3.0% ±1.3 pp |
| Worked from home | 250 ±71 | 8.6% ±2.4 pp |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 15 minutes | 1,037 ±149 | 39.1% ±4.9 pp |
| 15–29 minutes | 569 ±95 | 21.4% ±3.3 pp |
| 30–44 minutes | 336 ±100 | 12.7% ±3.7 pp |
| 45–59 minutes | 391 ±69 | 14.7% ±2.4 pp |
| 60 minutes or longer | 320 ±72 | 12.1% ±2.6 pp |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| No vehicle available | 185 ±60 | 8.0% ±2.6 pp |
Travel times cover workers who did not work from home. Vehicle availability is counted per household, not per driver.
Households and residents
Median age is 32.9 years (±2.4). The demographic profile covers age groups, race and Hispanic origin, household types, nativity, languages, education and moves, each compared with Alaska and the U.S.
How many jobs are located in Palmer?
Alaska has not supplied LODES workplace data since 2016, so a current local jobs count is unavailable.
Nearby station climate normals
LAZY MTN, AK (NOAA station USC00505464) is approximately 5.3 km from this place’s Census internal point. The table describes that station’s 1991–2020 climate normals, using NOAA’s corrected version 1.0.1. It is historical station context, rather than a forecast or an average across the city.
| Month | Average daily high (°F) | Average daily low (°F) | Precipitation (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22.6 | 9.0 | 1.03 |
| February | 28.6 | 11.8 | 1.00 |
| March | 33.6 | 13.7 | 0.87 |
| April | 46.0 | 25.2 | 0.52 |
| May | 57.6 | 35.0 | 0.84 |
| June | 63.8 | 43.1 | 1.37 |
| July | 65.7 | 47.8 | 1.98 |
| August | 63.2 | 45.1 | 3.00 |
| September | 54.8 | 36.9 | 2.92 |
| October | 41.9 | 26.0 | 1.76 |
| November | 28.3 | 14.7 | 1.22 |
| December | 24.2 | 11.2 | 1.48 |
Station location: 61.6267°, -149.0364°; elevation 223.4 meters. We select the nearest station within 25 km with all 12 months of high/low temperature and precipitation marked “S” (standard) by NOAA. Standard normals meet NOAA’s data-availability rules and can include estimated missing months. Distance is a straight-line great-circle calculation from the Census internal point. Coastal exposure, elevation and urban conditions can differ between the station and an address. NOAA normals and definitions · Original station CSV · Retained station data, flags and matching details .
Check a specific address before moving
City averages help compare places. A particular home’s school assignment, transit service and flood-map coverage need checks at the address.
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center — search the address, read the effective map and its date, and check any map changes. An unmapped location does not establish an absence of flood risk.
- NCES public school district directory — find district contact information, then use the district’s official address locator or enrollment office to confirm school assignment. A city name or district boundary alone does not assign a school.
- FCC National Broadband Map — check reported service at the exact location, then confirm availability and terms with the provider.
- Check the official transit operator’s route map and timetable for the address and your actual travel hours; the citywide commuting shares above do not measure service on a particular street.
Sources and data notes
Population: Census PEP Vintage 2025, published May 14, 2026. Survey measures: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates, published January 29, 2026, dollar figures in 2024 dollars. Geography: Census 2025 Gazetteer, with simplified 2024 state outlines for the locator. Statistical estimates and derived values use the same retained records in profiles, comparison, filters and downloads.
Climate uses NOAA 1991–2020 station normals (v1.0.1); jobs located in the city use LEHD LODES 8.4. Crime, school assignments and hazard scores are not inferred from these datasets, and missing values are never treated as zero. Inspect original sources, read calculation details, download this place’s source observations , or submit a correction.