Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Fairbanks North Star Borough, 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 averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Alaska
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 72% of counties in Alaska
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 79% of counties in Alaska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 95,452 | 735,577 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 12.8 | 1.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.59% | -0.03% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.1 | 36.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 36,356 | 270,488 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Fairbanks North Star Borough declined by 1.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 95,452 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Fairbanks North Star Borough is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.5% of residents. That is 4.1 points above Alaska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 25,258 26.5% +4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 22,561 23.6% -0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 17,002 17.8% -2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 11,550 12.1% -1.9 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 46.2% of the people living in Fairbanks North Star Borough and men 53.8%.
- Women 46.2% Alaska 47.6%
- Men 53.8% Alaska 52.4%
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100% of everyone living in Fairbanks North Star Borough
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Economy
Fairbanks North Star Borough has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $89,707 | $93,666 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.58% | 2.94% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Fairbanks North Star Borough is about 4% lower than in Alaska.
Housing
| Metric | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $332,425 | $320,616 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,458 | $1,418 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.7% | 66.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Fairbanks North Star Borough is about 19.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,458 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Fairbanks North Star Borough spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 144 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.2 | 16.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.5 | 32.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 144 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,451 | $4,157 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.6% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,745 | 4,865 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 556 | 583 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Alaska:
Skagway Municipality (4.7 min), Northwest Arctic Borough (5.5 min), Nome Census Area (5.8 min).
Slowest:
Matanuska-Susitna Borough (25.3 min), Fairbanks North Star Borough (17.2 min), Anchorage Municipality (17.1 min).
The average commute time in Fairbanks North Star Borough is 17 minutes, longer 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 North Star Borough has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.8% | 27.6% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.51 | 2.61 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Alaska:
Haines Borough (0.3), Juneau City and Borough (0.3), Denali Borough (0.3).
Lowest:
Kusilvak Census Area (0.1), Bethel Census Area (0.2), Northwest Arctic Borough (0.2).
Health
Fairbanks North Star Borough has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.6% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.7% | 22.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Alaska:
Juneau City and Borough (0.8), Petersburg Borough (0.8), Chugach Census Area (0.8).
Lowest:
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area (0.8), Lake and Peninsula Borough (0.8), Northwest Arctic Borough (0.8).
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK Compared With Nearby Counties
How Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK | 95,452 | $89,707 #2/2 | $332,425 #1/2 | 17.2 min #1/2 |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK | 112,982 | $94,435 | $262,501 | 25.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska.
What is the population of Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska?
About 95,452 people live in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, in 36,356 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 31.1, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska has 13 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 15% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($332,425 against $89,707), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,458 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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