Big Lake is a very small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Alaska. With a population of 3,833 people and two associated neighborhoods, Big Lake is the 20th largest community in Alaska.

A relatively large number of people in Big Lake telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 22.88% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Another notable thing is that Big Lake is an extremely popular vacation destination. A significant portion of the population is seasonal. During the vacation season, the town experiences a large influx of people who take up residence in second homes they own in the area. As the vacation season ends, the population drops again, leaving behind a substantially quieter and smaller town.

Residents will find that the town is relatively quiet. This is because it is not over-populated, and it has fewer college students, renters, and young children - all of whom can be noisy at times. So, if you're looking for a relatively peaceful place to live, Big Lake is worth considering.

One of the nice things about Big Lake is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.

One downside of living in Big Lake, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 36.37 minutes every day commuting to work.

As is often the case in a small town, Big Lake doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.

In terms of college education, Big Lake is nearly on par with the US average for all cities of 21.84%: 19.73% of adults 25 and older in Big Lake have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree.

The per capita income in Big Lake in 2022 was $40,697, which is upper middle income relative to Alaska and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $162,788 for a family of four. However, Big Lake contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Big Lake is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Big Lake home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Big Lake residents report their race to be White, followed by Native American. Important ancestries of people in Big Lake include German, Irish, English, Scots-Irish, and Swedish.

The most common language spoken in Big Lake is English. Other important languages spoken here include Italian and Spanish.