Cost of living in Palmer, Alaska

Palmer, Alaska has about 6,268 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $294,900.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Matanuska-Susitna Borough is $1,293 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Palmer. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

In the Anchorage, AK metro area, prices sit at 105.4 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.

Alaska does not tax wages. A typical combined sales tax is 1.8% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Palmer's exact store tax.

In July 2026, a typical Alaska home paid 28.83¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Palmer's bill.

EIA does not publish a Alaska gasoline price. The West Coast (PADD 5) Except California all-grades price was $5.167 a gallon on September 15, 2026. The weekly file does not include that series, so this is the monthly price. At 12,000 miles a year and 25 mpg, the index counts that as $2,480.16 a year. Those miles are our standard, not a Census figure, and every town in Alaska shares this price.

Among 63 places we list in Alaska with a rent figure, 46 have higher typical rent than Palmer.