Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in southcentral Alaska. Anchorage is the northernmost city in the U.S. and the most populous city in Alaska with an estimated 2014 population of 304,000.

Anchorage Population Comparison

Anchorage has a population estimated at 294,000, up from 291,000 in 2010. Anchorage is not densely populated with just 171 people per square mile. More than 40% of Alaska's population lives in the city. Of the 50 states, only New York has a higher percentage of residents living in its largest city. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, has a population estimated at 385,000, which is the 134th largest metro area in the United States.

Anchorage Demographics

According to the 2010 census, the racial and ethnic makeup of Anchorage was:

• White: 66.0% (non-Hispanic: 62.6%)
• Two or more races: 8.1%
• Asian: 8.1% (3.3% Filipino, 1.2% Korean, 1.1% Hmong, 0.5% Laotian)
• American Indian and Alaska Natives: 7.9% (1.4% Inupiat, 1.1% Yup'ik, 0.8% Aleutian)
• Black or African American: 5.6%
• Other race: 2.3%
• Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander: 2.0%
• Hispanic or Latino of any race: 7.6%

Common national ancestries in Anchorage include German (17.3%), Irish (10.8%), English (9.1%), Scandinavian (6.9%), and French/French Canadian (5.6%). Of the Scandinavians in Anchorage, 3.6% are Norwegian, 2.2% are Sweden and 0.6% are Danish.

Anchorage History

The first description of Anchorage comes from an explorer in 1778, named Captain James Cook. While he first explored the area, Russians were the first to inhabit the area. Their inhabitation began in 1784 and Russia established a presence in the area in the 19th century, although the United States brokered a deal in 1867 to purchase the state from Imperial Russia for $7.2 million, or two cents per acre. In 1888, gold was discovered in the area, and Alaska became a U.S. territory in 1912. Anchorage itself did not have any important metal minerals like gold, and only two white men were reported to have lived in the area in 1910 prior to a large group of settlers.

In 1914, railroad headquarters were built in the area and Anchorage quickly began growing in size. It was incorporated in 1920, and the Alaska Railroad was completed in 1923. By the 1930s and 50s, Anchorage went through substantial growth as the military and air transportation industries grew in importance. In the late 1960's, oil was discovered nearby and an oil boom spurred greater growth in the city.

Anchorage Population Growth

Anchorage is currently preparing to experience the greatest growth spurt in its history, with growth that will relieve demand for office space and housing that has driven up rent and mortgage costs n the city. Modest population and economic growth is expected for Anchorage as employment goes up, population climbs steadily, personal income improves and oil prices continue to rise.