You’ve seen him standing on a ridge in Alaska, a chainsaw in one hand and a guitar in the other, looking like he just walked out of a 19th-century gold rush camp. Marty Raney is the grizzled, tough-as-nails heart of Homestead Rescue. He’s the guy who tells struggling families that their "dream" is actually a death trap, then proceeds to move a mountain—literally—to fix it.
But every time he outworks a 20-year-old on camera, fans start asking the same thing. How old is Marty Raney on Homestead Rescue, really?
People look at his white beard and then at the way he hauls logs, and the math just doesn't seem to add up. Is he 60? 80? Immortal? Honestly, the answer says a lot more about the "homesteading" lifestyle than just a number on a birth certificate.
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The Short Answer: Marty Raney’s Real Age
Let’s get the hard facts out of the way before we talk about how he stays so fit. Marty Raney was born in 1957. As of early 2026, that makes him 69 years old.
Think about that for a second. Most guys nearing 70 are looking for a comfortable recliner and a decent golf course. Marty? He’s usually hanging off a cliff or trying to figure out how to stop a 40-acre property from sliding into a Class IV river. He has spent over 50 years in the Alaskan wilderness, and it shows in his hands, but definitely not in his energy levels.
Why Everyone Asks "How Old Is Marty Raney on Homestead Rescue?"
The reason this is such a popular question is because Marty is a bit of a freak of nature. On the show, you see him doing things that people half his age would struggle with.
He didn't start his career on TV. Not even close. Marty grew up in North Bend, Washington, but he was a rebel from the jump. He dropped out of school at 16 and headed North. Since 1974, he’s been living the life people now watch on Discovery.
A Timeline of a Rugged Life
- 1974: Marty arrives in Alaska and starts working in logging camps.
- 1974: He marries Mollee Roestel. They’ve been together over 50 years now.
- 1982: He starts his own construction company, Alaska Stone and Log.
- 1986: He begins guiding expeditions up Denali (Mount McKinley).
- 2013: The world finally sees him on Ultimate Survival Alaska.
- 2016: Homestead Rescue premieres, making him a household name.
It’s that "mountain guide" background that really explains his age-defying stamina. He has climbed Denali—the highest peak in North America—more times than most people have climbed their own stairs. That kind of environment either breaks you or turns you into iron. Marty chose iron.
The Secret to Staying Young (The Raney Way)
If you ask Marty how he keeps going at 69, he probably won't give you a lecture on "wellness" or "biohacking." He’d likely tell you to pick up a shovel.
His lifestyle is his gym. In the show, and especially in the spin-off Raney Ranch, you see that his personal life isn't a "set." He actually lives off-grid near Hatcher Pass. When the cameras stop rolling, he’s still hauling wood, fixing his own equipment, and dealing with 35-below temperatures.
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There’s a specific kind of "old man strength" you only get from decades of manual labor. It’s not about big muscles; it’s about tendon strength and knowing exactly how to use a lever so the earth does the work for you.
The Family Legacy and the Next Generation
Another reason people get confused about how old Marty Raney is involves his kids. We see Misty and Matt on the show constantly.
Misty is a master builder and carpenter, and Matt is a world-class hunter and fixer. They aren't kids anymore—they’re seasoned adults with families of their own. Seeing Marty as a grandfather who can still out-work his adult children is what keeps the "how old is he?" question trending.
The Raneys are actually the only family of six to have all climbed Denali multiple times. That includes Marty, Mollee, and their four children: Melanee, Miles, Misty, and Matt. When your family vacations involve North America’s deadliest peaks, "aging" just looks different.
Is He Planning to Retire?
Discovery fans are always worried that Marty might hang up the chainsaw. At 69, nobody would blame him.
But if you’ve watched recent seasons, you know the guy is more active than ever. He recently had to rebuild his own home after a devastating fire destroyed his cabin and decades of memories. Watching a man in his late 60s lose everything and just say, "Well, time to start over," is pretty much the definition of the Alaskan spirit.
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He doesn't seem like the type to retire. In his book, Homestead Survival, he talks about the "second life" he found through the show. He genuinely likes helping people avoid the mistakes he made when he was a greenhorn in the 70s.
What We Can Learn From Marty’s Age
The fascination with Marty Raney’s age isn't just about celebrity gossip. It’s about a collective realization that maybe we’ve become a bit "soft" in the modern world.
We see a 69-year-old man who can build a house with his bare hands, and it reminds us what the human body is capable of when it isn't sitting in an office chair for 40 years. Marty is a living example of "use it or lose it."
Takeaways for Your Own "Homestead"
- Stay active, stay alive: Marty’s longevity is tied directly to his refusal to stop moving.
- Skill is timeless: A 70-year-old with a lifetime of stonemasonry experience is worth ten guys with YouTube tutorials.
- Family matters: Part of Marty’s "youth" comes from working alongside his kids every day.
- Resilience is a choice: Whether it’s a house fire or a failing foundation, Marty’s age has given him the perspective that everything can be fixed.
So, the next time you’re watching Homestead Rescue and Marty starts sprinting up a muddy hill to save a failing generator, just remember: he’s nearly 70. He’s not doing it because he has to for the cameras; he’s doing it because that’s the only way he knows how to live.
If you're thinking about starting your own off-grid journey, don't wait until you're "the right age." Marty started at 16, but he’s still perfecting the craft at 69. The best time to start learning self-sufficiency is usually yesterday, but today is a close second. For those looking to dive deeper into the lifestyle Marty promotes, checking out his book Homestead Survival or looking into local carpentry and land-management workshops is a great way to start building that "old man strength" for yourself.