Buffalo Soapstone, Alaska Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 739, Buffalo Soapstone's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Buffalo Soapstone is a small community located in Alaska, within Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The total population is 739. It ranks as the 98th most populous out of 326 Census-designated places in Alaska.

Age Demographics

The median age in Buffalo Soapstone is 54.1 years. This is 51% higher than the state median of 35.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Buffalo Soapstone is $68,750. This is 26% lower than the state median of $92,788. It is also 15% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.1%. This is 29% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.1%. The unemployment rate is 9.0%. This is 53% higher than the state rate of 5.9%. The median home value is $289,300. Housing costs are 18% lower than the state median of $352,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.2x. 85.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 27% higher than the state average of 66.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Buffalo Soapstone is White (non-Hispanic), making up 76.2% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.4%. The Hispanic or Latino population (3.4%) is well below the state average of 7.3%.

Education

19.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 38% lower than the state rate of 31.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 91.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Buffalo Soapstone, Alaska is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Alaska state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 326 Census-designated places in Alaska. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.