Signature · 7 LILA tracts (29.2% of tracts)

Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK

Matanuska-Susitna Borough's signature pressure is desert tracts: 7 LILA tracts (29.2% of the book) alongside 28.9% low-access.

28.9%
low-access pop.
7
food-desert tracts
9.4%
on SNAP
113K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AK

USDA FARA access plate

County Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK

LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE

  • LA-ELEVATED 28.9% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +6.8 pts vs US
  • LILA-CLUSTER 7 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-LIGHT 9.4% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 3.8% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-DENSE 29% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Anchorage Municipality ( -0.5 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Matanuska-Susitna Borough sits in the upper national band (28.9%, #1,010 of 3,079) with 7 LILA tracts.

#1,010
national by low-access %
#15
in AK
11
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents

Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.

Signature read: 7 LILA tracts (29.2% of tracts) .

How Matanuska-Susitna Borough compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Matanuska-Susitna Borough's 28.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 68% of them and ranked #1,013 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Matanuska-Susitna Borough's elevated USDA tier split

24 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 7 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 13 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 7 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 24 tracts evaluated. 13 tracts adequate (54.2%) 4 tracts limited (16.7%) 7 tracts severe / food desert (29.2%) Adequate 54% Limited 17% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Matanuska-Susitna Borough has 7 urban and 17 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Matanuska-Susitna Borough vs nearby high low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Alaska, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Matanuska-Susitna Borough
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts24
Atlas Population (2010 basis)88,995
Low-Access Tracts11
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)7
Low-Access Population25,705
Low-Access Share28.9%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population7,286

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Matanuska-Susitna Borough
IndicatorValue
Population112,988
Median Household Income$94,031
Poverty Rate10.0%below the national average
SNAP Households3,741
SNAP Participation Rate9.4%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.3%

Other Counties in Alaska

One of 29 counties in Alaska, 6 are shown here.

Compare Matanuska-Susitna Borough vs Aleutians East Borough → · All Alaska counties →

Counties near Matanuska-Susitna Borough's elevated low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Matanuska-Susitna Borough, both outside Alaska so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside AK (28.9% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside AK (9.4% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Matanuska-Susitna Borough inside a higher low-access state context

Matanuska-Susitna Borough sits inside Alaska (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Read with this county

Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .

PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 02170. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.

Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.