Big Lake vs Palmer
A side-by-side comparison of Big Lake and Palmer: population, income, housing, and more.
Big Lake and Palmer are places in Alaska. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Palmer has the higher population (6,141 vs 3,291 in Big Lake). Big Lake has the higher median household income ($76,292 vs $70,550 in Palmer). Big Lake has the higher median home value ($286,600 vs $275,900 in Palmer).
Population, income & housing
| Big Lake | Palmer | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,291 | 6,141 |
| Median age | 36.9 yrs | 32.9 yrs |
| Median household income | $76,292 | $70,550 |
| Median home value | $286,600 | $275,900 |
| Median gross rent | $1,165 | $1,134 |
| Housing units | 2,762 | 2,516 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.8% | 62.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.6% | 23.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 8.4% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Big Lake | Palmer | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,678 → 3,291 (+22.9%) | 7,131 → 6,141 (-13.9%) |
| Median household income | $54,324 → $76,292 (+40.4%) | $62,339 → $70,550 (+13.2%) |
| Median home value | $207,000 → $286,600 (+38.5%) | $207,200 → $275,900 (+33.2%) |
| Median gross rent | $976 → $1,165 (+19.4%) | $976 → $1,134 (+16.2%) |
Big Lake
2,6783,291
$54,324$76,292
$207,000$286,600
$976$1,165
Palmer
7,1316,141
$62,339$70,550
$207,200$275,900
$976$1,134
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Big Lake | Palmer | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.3% | 6.8% |
| 5 to 17 | 17.0% | 16.0% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 13.3% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.2% | 17.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.7% | 11.9% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.1% | 10.1% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.8% | 9.3% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.0% | 8.8% |
| 75 and over | 3.9% | 6.3% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Big Lake | Palmer | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 81.4% | 71.1% |
| Black or African American | 0.4% | 2.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 3.1% | 8.3% |
| Asian | 0.9% | 1.4% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 1.9% |
| Some other race | 1.7% | 0.3% |
| Two or more races | 6.1% | 9.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.3% | 5.2% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Big Lake | Palmer | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 3.7% | 6.9% |
| High school graduate | 47.3% | 36.5% |
| Some college or associate's | 29.4% | 32.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 13.9% | 15.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 5.7% | 8.5% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Big Lake | Palmer | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 63.8% | 76.7% |
| Carpooled | 6.5% | 10.1% |
| Public transit | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Walked | 1.1% | 3.7% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Worked from home | 25.2% | 6.2% |
| Other means | 3.4% | 2.6% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Big Lake | Palmer | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 87.6% | 65.4% |
| 1-unit, attached | 0.9% | 3.9% |
| 2 to 4 units | 6.5% | 7.6% |
| 5 to 19 units | 0.6% | 13.6% |
| 20 or more units | 0.0% | 8.4% |
| Mobile home & other | 4.3% | 1.1% |
Poverty & households
| Big Lake | Palmer | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 11.0% |
| Average household size | 2.46 | 2.54 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 40 | 26 |
| Median year structure built | 1992 | 1989 |
Full profiles
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