Buffalo Soapstone is a community in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, home to about 739 people across 22 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 99645.
Homes sold for a median of $268 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Part is in Buffalo Soapstone, part in Palmer and Gateway
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Buffalo Soapstone. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Buffalo Soapstone’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
Are you a local agent who knows Buffalo Soapstone well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked
| Nearest major airport | Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)46 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Merrill Field (MRI)40 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Anchorage, AK33 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Buffalo Soapstone; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Buffalo Soapstone had 1,021 residents in the 2020 census, up 46% since 2000.
It’s the 98th largest of 321 towns in Alaska by population.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough grew from 5,188 residents in 1960 to 107,081 in 2020.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, 1960–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 66°F in summer, and winter lows average 9°F. About 18 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 83 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lazy Mtn, AK weather station (2 miles away).
23,971 jobs at 2,822 businesses in Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
343 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Buffalo Soapstone.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 21 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 56 |
| Dentists | 8 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 50 |
| Mental health providers | 136 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 59 |
| Optometrists | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 11 |
| Pharmacies | 5 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte ElementaryPalmer | Pre-K–5 | 263 | Public | 6.5 mi |
| Colony Middle SchoolPalmer | Pre-K–8 | 771 | Public | 7.8 mi |
| Cottonwood Creek ElementaryWasilla | Pre-K–5 | 422 | Public | 12.7 mi |
| Pioneer Peak ElementaryPalmer | Pre-K–5 | 449 | Public | 8.6 mi |
| Sherrod ElementaryPalmer | Pre-K–5 | 383 | Public | 3.9 mi |
| Swanson ElementaryPalmer | Pre-K–2 | 348 | Public | 4.0 mi |
| Valley PathwaysPalmer | Pre-K–12 | 143 | Alternative Education | 6.5 mi |
| Academy Charter SchoolPalmer | K–8 | 268 | Charter | 3.9 mi |
| Birchtree Charter SchoolPalmer | K–8 | 416 | Charter | 9.7 mi |
| Mat-Su Secondary SchoolPalmer | 6–12 | 10 | Alternative Education | 4.9 mi |
| Palmer Middle SchoolPalmer | 6–8 | 563 | Public | 4.7 mi |
| Mat-Su Middle College SchoolPalmer | 8–12 | 222 | Public | 9.0 mi |
| Colony High SchoolPalmer | 9–12 | 1,046 | Public | 7.5 mi |
| Palmer High SchoolPalmer | 9–12 | 616 | Public | 5.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Palmer, Gateway, Fishhook, Butte, Farm Loop, South Lakes, Lazy Mountain and Knik River.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.