Palmer, AK housing market
The typical Palmer home is worth about $440,000, up 9.3% in a year, 10% above the Alaska typical home. Homes typically sell in 11 days, close to asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Palmer compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Palmer at a glance
A strong seller's market
Homes are selling faster than new ones are listed: less than two months of supply. Well-priced homes can draw several offers.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Palmer | Alaska |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $268,000 | $285,000 |
| 2018 | $272,000 | $289,000 |
| 2019 | $273,000 | $292,000 |
| 2020 | $305,000 | $317,000 |
| 2021 | $324,000 | $325,000 |
| 2022 | $354,000 | $349,000 |
| 2023 | $367,000 | $359,000 |
| 2024 | $381,000 | $362,000 |
| 2025 | $395,000 | $373,000 |
| 2026 | $430,000 | $387,000 |
| August 2026 | $440,000 | $399,000 |
12 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 12 new homes in Palmer in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $3.3 million to build. That's 1.9 per 1,000 residents, about the pace of Alaska as a whole. Over the past 10 years, Palmer has permitted 288 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Palmer's population fell by 49 even though 268 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Alaska: 1.8 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 2 | 2 | 0 | $545,000 |
| 2025 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $3.3 million |
| 2024 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $4.1 million |
| 2023 | 61 | 40 | 21 | $10.2 million |
| 2022 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2021 | 16 | 13 | 3 | $3.3 million |
| 2020 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $3.4 million |
| 2019 | 65 | 13 | 52 | $9.6 million |
| 2018 | 64 | 22 | 42 | $10.8 million |
| 2017 | 12 | 6 | 6 | $1.8 million |
| 2016 | 13 | 7 | 6 | $2.6 million |
| 2015 | 19 | 17 | 2 | $3.3 million |
| 2014 | 32 | 30 | 2 | $6.4 million |
| 2013 | 9 | 7 | 2 | $1.9 million |
| 2012 | 16 | 10 | 6 | $3.1 million |
| 2011 | 19 | 13 | 6 | $3.4 million |
| 2010 | 19 | 17 | 2 | $3.1 million |
| 2009 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $3 million |
| 2008 | 11 | 7 | 4 | $1.9 million |
| 2007 | 48 | 13 | 35 | $5.1 million |
| 2006 | 70 | 29 | 41 | $10 million |
| 2005 | 57 | 48 | 9 | $8.7 million |
| 2004 | 80 | 52 | 28 | $8.6 million |
| 2003 | 55 | 35 | 20 | $8 million |
| 2002 | 55 | 35 | 20 | $7.5 million |
| 2001 | 120 | 28 | 92 | $14.5 million |
| 2000 | 42 | 21 | 21 | $4.7 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Palmer and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer | $440K | +9.3% | $1,450 | 12 | $72,201 |
| Farm Loop | — | +7.9%† | $1,450 | — | $119,375 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
6.1 years of income
The typical Palmer home costs about 6.1 years of the town's median household income, more than across Alaska (4.3 years).
How Palmer ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,450
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Palmer is $1,450 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Palmer pay a median of $1,125, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 24% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,070 · 4 bedrooms $2,430
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (99645; Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.