Warm-summer continental (dry summer)
Palmer, Alaska
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska · Population 6.1k · 203 ft elevation
Living in Palmer
Palmer has a warm-summer continental (dry summer) climate: pleasantly warm summers (July highs around 70°F) and cold winters (January lows around 12°F).
Precipitation is dry at about 16″ a year, and it gets a fair bit of snow (49″ a season).
Skies are gray (45% of possible sunshine). It never gets truly muggy.
Air quality is excellent: a median AQI of 9, with about 2 unhealthy-air days in the latest year.
Palmer is an outdoor hub: about 21% of the land within 30 miles is public (parks, national forest and the like), and the terrain rises and falls about 5,400 ft around town.
Palmer at a glance
- Population
- 6.1k
- Elevation
- 203 ft
- Average daily high
- 48°F0th percentile
- Average daily low
- 33°F3th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 16″10th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 49″87th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 2,107 hrs0th percentile
- Median AQI
- 90th percentile
- Median home value
- $276k53th percentile
- Median rent
- $1,134/mo45th percentile
- Median household income
- $71k44th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 1.00%51th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 0.0%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 1.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 8.4%
- Homes with broadband
- 90%43th percentile
- Walkability index
- 7.736th percentile
- Average commute
- 26 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 28%22th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 41%
- Violent crime rate
- 206 per 100k57th percentile
- Property crime rate
- 1,351 per 100k
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 9357th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 9493th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 15%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 21%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 5,446 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24°F | 12°F | 0.8″ | 9.2″ | 77 hrs |
| Feb | 31°F | 17°F | 1.2″ | 9.0″ | 100 hrs |
| Mar | 38°F | 21°F | 0.9″ | 7.6″ | 198 hrs |
| Apr | 52°F | 34°F | 0.4″ | 1.4″ | 251 hrs |
| May | 63°F | 43°F | 0.7″ | 0.5″ | 283 hrs |
| Jun | 69°F | 50°F | 1.2″ | — | 287 hrs |
| Jul | 70°F | 54°F | 1.7″ | — | 270 hrs |
| Aug | 67°F | 52°F | 2.2″ | — | 231 hrs |
| Sep | 58°F | 44°F | 2.2″ | — | 168 hrs |
| Oct | 45°F | 32°F | 1.6″ | 3.8″ | 107 hrs |
| Nov | 30°F | 19°F | 1.5″ | 8.1″ | 75 hrs |
| Dec | 27°F | 15°F | 1.4″ | 9.9″ | 62 hrs |
Near Palmer
- Farm Loop, AK · 2.9k
- Gateway, AK · 6.7k
- Butte, AK · 3.9k
- North Lakes, AK · 11k
- South Lakes, AK · 6.1k
- Fishhook, AK · 5.5k
- Tanaina, AK · 9.7k
- Wasilla, AK · 9.4k
Largest places in Alaska
- Anchorage, AK · 289k
- Fairbanks, AK · 32k
- Juneau, AK · 32k
- Badger, AK · 19k
- Knik-Fairview, AK · 19k
- College, AK · 12k
- Meadow Lakes, AK · 9k
- Sitka, AK · 8.4k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology