Fairbanks, Alaska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Fairbanks, AK Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Fairbanks | Alaska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,755 | 735,577 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 636.1 | 1.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.60% | -0.03% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.8 | 36.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,968 | 270,488 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Fairbanks declined by 16.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,755 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Fairbanks is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.8% of residents. That is 3.5 points above Alaska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,365 25.8% +3.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,694 22.6% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,028 19.4% -0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,800 13.5% -0.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Alaska, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 47.5% of the people living in Fairbanks and men 52.5%.
- Women 47.5% Alaska 47.6%
- Men 52.5% Alaska 52.4%
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Economy
Fairbanks has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Fairbanks | Alaska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,614 | $93,666 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.60% | 2.94% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Fairbanks is about 21% lower than in Alaska.
Housing
| Metric | Fairbanks | Alaska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $350,000 | $320,616 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,335 | $1,418 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 47.3% | 66.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Fairbanks is about 21.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,335 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Fairbanks spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 111 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Fairbanks | Alaska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.3 | 16.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.6 | 32.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 111 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,438 | $4,157 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.3% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,755 | 4,865 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,233 | 583 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Fairbanks is 13 minutes, shorter than the 16 minutes in Alaska.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Fairbanks has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Fairbanks | Alaska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.2% | 27.6% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 2.61 | 2.53 |
Health
Fairbanks has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Fairbanks | Alaska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.4 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.4% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.6% | 22.7% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Fairbanks, Alaska.
How big is Fairbanks, Alaska by population?
About 20,755 people live in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 8,968 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 32.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Fairbanks, Alaska?
Averaged over its land area, Fairbanks, Alaska has 636 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 7.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Fairbanks, Alaska?
The median home costs 4.8 times the median household income ($350,000 against $73,614), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,335 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Fairbanks, Alaska have a college degree?
23.2% of adults in Fairbanks, Alaska hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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