State
County
Land Area
1706.8 sq mi
Density
165.8/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
-0.88%
Growth Since 2010
-3.04%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
393,679
Anchorage is a city located in Alaska. With a 2020 population of 282,958, it is the largest city in Alaska and the 73rd largest city in the United States. Anchorage is currently declining at a rate of -0.88% annually and its population has decreased by -3.04% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 291,826 in 2010. Anchorage reached it's highest population of 301,142 in 2013. Spanning over 1944 miles, Anchorage has a population density of 166 people per square mile.
The average household income in Anchorage is $109,988 with a poverty rate of 9.03%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $1,320 per month, and the median house value is $314,800. The median age in Anchorage is 33.6 years, 32.7 years for males, and 34.6 years for females. For every 100 females there are 104.0 males.
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in southcentral Alaska.
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.
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 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.
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 space. 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 essential metal minerals like gold, and only two white men were reported to have lived in the area in 1910 before 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 1960s, oil was discovered nearby, and an oil boom spurred more significant growth in the city.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Anchorage was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 393,679 | -1,319 | -0.34% |
2020 | 394,998 | -1,319 | -0.33% |
2019 | 396,317 | -1,319 | -0.33% |
2018 | 397,636 | -2,934 | -0.74% |
2017 | 400,570 | -798 | -0.20% |
2016 | 401,368 | 2,759 | 0.69% |
2015 | 398,609 | 613 | 0.15% |
2014 | 397,996 | 974 | 0.24% |
2013 | 397,022 | 5,090 | 1.28% |
2012 | 391,932 | 4,010 | 1.02% |
2011 | 387,922 | 4,869 | 1.26% |
2010 | 383,053 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 183,741 | 62.60% |
Asian | 28,276 | 9.63% |
Two or More Races | 27,835 | 9.48% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 23,241 | 7.92% |
Black or African American | 16,341 | 5.57% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 7,187 | 2.45% |
Some Other Race | 6,910 | 2.35% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 106,567 | 2.69 | 61.3 |
Married | 50,898 | 3.39 | 75.5 |
Non Family | 37,924 | 1.39 | 48.8 |
Female | 12,081 | 3.35 | 45.1 |
Male | 5,664 | 3.65 | 52.9 |
3.27
Average Family Size
2.69
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 4,612 | 2.40% |
9th to 12th Grade | 7,089 | 3.69% |
High School Graduate | 44,936 | 23.42% |
Some College | 48,733 | 25.40% |
Associates Degree | 17,218 | 8.97% |
Bachelors Degree | 42,593 | 22.20% |
Graduate Degree | 26,689 | 13.91% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 123,348 | 119,707 | 54,622 |
Asian | 18,222 | 15,305 | 4,594 |
Hispanic | 13,846 | 11,806 | 3,089 |
Native American | 13,572 | 11,753 | 1,821 |
Multiple Races | 10,809 | 10,247 | 3,073 |
Black | 10,223 | 9,572 | 2,003 |
Other Race | 3,938 | 3,264 | 610 |
Islander | 3,881 | 3,393 | 436 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 97.05%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 44.28%.
$50,256
Average Earnings
$56,209
Average Male
$43,330
Average Female
82.15% of Anchorage residents speak only English, while 17.85% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Asian and Pacific Island languages, which is spoken by 8.62% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 166,519 | 8,789 | 5.28% |
Native | 22,079 | 4,680 | 21.20% |
Asian | 28,056 | 3,698 | 13.18% |
Hispanic | 26,099 | 2,647 | 10.14% |
Multiple | 26,985 | 2,643 | 9.79% |
Black | 15,669 | 2,516 | 16.06% |
Islander | 7,058 | 1,539 | 21.81% |
Other | 6,637 | 883 | 13.30% |
9.03%
Overall Poverty Rate
8.38%
Male Poverty Rate
9.69%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Anchorage is Islander, with 21.81% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Anchorage is White, with 5.28% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.53%. Among those working part-time, it was 11.36%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 16.05%.
48.4%
Overall Marriage Rate
48.0%
Male Marriage Rate
48.8%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 20,553 | 14.51% |
Black | 2,075 | 18.43% |
Hispanic | 1,682 | 10.29% |
2 or More | 1,531 | 10.73% |
Indian | 1,086 | 6.77% |
Asian | 869 | 4.18% |
Other | 432 | 9.01% |
Hawaiian | 412 | 9.24% |
4.70%
Veteran Poverty Rate
22.35%
Veteran Disability Rate
72.2%
Labor Force Participation
64.6%
Employment Rate
5.7%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
89.10%
Native Born
10.90%
Foreign Born
4.30%
Non Citizen
6.61%
Naturalized
89.10% of Anchorage residents were born in the United States, with 37.61% having been born in Alaska. 4.30% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 282,958 | -2,521 | -0.88% |
2020 | 285,479 | -2,521 | -0.88% |
2019 | 288,000 | -2,521 | -0.87% |
2018 | 290,521 | -3,817 | -1.30% |
2017 | 294,338 | -2,911 | -0.98% |
2016 | 297,249 | -298 | -0.10% |
2015 | 297,547 | -2,346 | -0.78% |
2014 | 299,893 | -1,249 | -0.41% |
2013 | 301,142 | 2,887 | 0.97% |
2012 | 298,255 | 2,058 | 0.69% |
2011 | 296,197 | 2,876 | 0.98% |
2010 | 293,321 | 33,038 | 1.20% |
2000 | 260,283 | 33,945 | 1.41% |
1990 | 226,338 | 51,907 | 2.64% |
1980 | 174,431 | 126,350 | 13.75% |
1970 | 48,081 | 3,844 | 0.84% |
1960 | 44,237 | 32,983 | 14.67% |
1950 | 11,254 | 7,759 | 12.41% |
1940 | 3,495 | 1,195 | 4.27% |
1930 | 2,300 | 400 | 1.93% |
1920 | 1,900 | 0.00% |