Cost of living in South Lakes, Alaska
South Lakes, Alaska has about 6,180 people. Typical rent is $1,178 a month, including utilities, and a typical household earns $98,141 a year. Both figures are Census 2020–2024 medians, not a listing or your pay. This site does not approve or deny benefits. A missing figure stays blank. We do not guess it.
Ranked #8 in Alaska on the 2026 Most Affordable Towns Index.
Simple answer
Typical rent is $1,178 a month.
South Lakes is a Census community, not a separate city government in Alaska. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $98,141 a year.
- People
- 6,180
- Census average, 2020–2024
- Typical rent
- $1,178
- Median gross rent, includes utilities
- Typical pay
- $98,141
- Median household income, yearly
- Typical home
- $377,500
- Median home value
- 2-bedroom fair rent
- $1,293
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK HUD Metro FMR Area
- Gas
- $5.167
- West Coast (PADD 5) Except California, September 15, 2026
South Lakes, Alaska has about 6,180 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.
A typical home is worth about $377,500.
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 South Lakes. 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 South Lakes'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 South Lakes'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, 40 have higher typical rent than South Lakes.
Nearby places
- North Lakes
Typical rent $1,441
Compare with South Lakes - Gateway
Typical rent $1,741
Compare with South Lakes - Wasilla
Typical rent $1,153
Compare with South Lakes - Tanaina
Typical rent $1,398
Compare with South Lakes - Farm Loop
Typical rent $1,991
Compare with South Lakes - Palmer
Typical rent $1,125
Compare with South Lakes - Fishhook
Typical rent $1,837
Compare with South Lakes - Meadow Lakes
Typical rent $1,377
Compare with South Lakes
EBT nearby
USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.
Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.
Food stamps (SNAP) tools in Alaska
Bigger places in Alaska
Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.