Town guide

Willow, Alaska

Willow is a community in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, home to about 1,815 people across 690 square miles. Its ZIP code is 99688, and parts of 99694 are in Willow too.

Homes sold for a median of $261 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.

Population1,8153 per sq mi
Median home value$313,800Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$261Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking19%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Willow

2 ZIP codes, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Willow. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Willow

Distances

Nearest major airportTed Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)49 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Anchorage, AK55 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Willow; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Willow

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Willow had 2,196 residents in the 2020 census, up 32% since 2000.

It’s the 52nd largest of 321 towns in Alaska by population.

Matanuska-Susitna Borough grew from 5,188 residents in 1960 to 107,081 in 2020.

Willow population by census2000: 1,658, 2010: 2,102, 2020: 2,1961,65820002,10220102,1962020

Matanuska-Susitna Borough, 1960–2020

Matanuska-Susitna Borough population, 1960 to 20201960: 5,188, 1970: 6,509, 1980: 17,816, 1990: 39,683, 2000: 59,322, 2010: 88,995, 2020: 107,0815K’607K’7018K’8040K’9059K’0089K’10107K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 71°F in summer, and winter lows average 7°F. About 31.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near WillowJan: high 22°F, low 7°F, 1.7 in; Feb: high 29°F, low 11°F, 1.7 in; Mar: high 36°F, low 14°F, 1.2 in; Apr: high 49°F, low 25°F, 1.4 in; May: high 61°F, low 34°F, 2.1 in; Jun: high 71°F, low 43°F, 1.8 in; Jul: high 71°F, low 48°F, 4 in; Aug: high 67°F, low 46°F, 4.9 in; Sep: high 57°F, low 38°F, 5.7 in; Oct: high 42°F, low 26°F, 2.9 in; Nov: high 27°F, low 15°F, 2.4 in; Dec: high 24°F, low 10°F, 2.1 in22°7°Jan1.729°11°Feb1.736°14°Mar1.249°25°Apr1.461°34°May2.171°43°Jun1.871°48°Jul4.067°46°Aug4.957°38°Sep5.742°26°Oct2.927°15°Nov2.424°10°Dec2.1Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Amber Lake, AK weather station (26 miles away).

Jobs in Matanuska-Susitna Borough

23,971 jobs at 2,822 businesses in Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Matanuska-Susitna BoroughHealth care and social assistance: 5,606 jobs; Retail trade: 4,249 jobs; Construction: 3,342 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 3,103 jobs; Other services: 1,308 jobs; Professional services: 1,026 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 880 jobs; Administrative and support: 840 jobsHealth care and social assistance 23% Retail trade 18% Construction 14% Hotels and restaurants 13% Other services 6% Professional services 4% Transportation and warehousing 4% Administrative and support 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

5 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Willow.

Nearest hospitals

  • Mat-Su Regional Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Palmer33.4 miles
  • Alaska Regional HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 1 of 5 · Anchorage47.6 miles
  • Providence Alaska Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Anchorage49.0 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors1
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants2
Mental health providers1
Physical and occupational therapists1
Pharmacies1

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.

Places in and around Willow

Parks (1 nearby)

  • Susitna Landing State Recreation Site · 37 acres3.4 mi

Libraries

  • Willow Public Library10.4 mi

Counts are within about 8 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.

Schools in Willow

Public schools here are run by Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Willow ElementaryWillowPre-K–5127Public10.6 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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Where Willow is

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Towns near Willow

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Shares ZIP codes with Houston, Meadow Lakes, Susitna North and Susitna.

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.