Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska Income Statistics
Fairbanks North Star Borough Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
-
B
Fairbanks North Star Borough Around averageWealthier than 72% of counties in Alaska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $89,707 | $93,666 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $65,154 | $68,716 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 2.6% | 2.9% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 15.6% | 16.8% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 12.6% | 14.6% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Fairbanks North Star Borough is about 4% lower than in Alaska. Income has been growing slower in Fairbanks North Star Borough (2.6%/yr) than in Alaska (2.9%/yr).
About 16% of adults in Fairbanks North Star Borough earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Alaska average of 17%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska grew by 37.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $89,707 in 2024. That's an average of about 2.6% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Fairbanks North Star Borough
| Metric | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.509 | 0.527 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $70,669 | $76,032 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $61,734 | $65,882 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 12.6% | 13.3% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Fairbanks North Star Borough, it is 0.509, lower than Alaska's 0.527, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 14% more than women's income in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. Over a 35-year career, a 14% wage gap accumulates to roughly $312,725 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska has narrowed from about 19% to 13% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 24% in 2012. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $574 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 4.4% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 6.6% | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 17 | 16 | 22 |
Approximately 2,270 people are unemployed in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska.
The average commute time in Fairbanks North Star Borough is 17 minutes, longer than the 16 minutes in Alaska.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska has fallen from 6.1% to 4.4% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 7.6% in 2016 and fell as low as 4.1% in 2023.
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 95,452 residents against a local median of 6,866. Where Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK breaks from the counties next to it is income growth, sitting 27% above the local median of 2.0%/yr at 2.6%/yr. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 4.4% against a local median of 5.6%, 21% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 8.9%/yr on income growth, so Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK has the 3rd highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK | 95,452 | $89,707 #3/6 | 2.6%/yr #3/6 | 4.4% #2/6 | 0.509 #3/6 |
| Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK | 7,068 | $74,514 | 2.0%/yr | 6.2% | 0.554 |
| Denali Borough, AK | 1,969 | $79,112 | -0.9%/yr | 1.0% | 0.457 |
| Copper River Census Area, AK | 2,630 | $84,806 | 8.0%/yr | 4.8% | 0.521 |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK | 112,982 | $94,435 | 3.2%/yr | 5.6% | 0.553 |
| Chugach Census Area, AK | 6,866 | $91,205 | -0.1%/yr | 8.9% | 0.497 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska has an overall wealth index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Alaska, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska.
How Rich Is Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska?
Fairbanks North Star Borough has a wealth index grade of B. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a B grade means residents are quite well off compared to the U.S. average. The median household income is $89,707, about 4% lower than the Alaska average of $93,666.
How fast is household income rising in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska rose 37%, from $65,480 to $89,707. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Alaska as a whole: +37% against +43%.
What was the median household income in Fairbanks North Star Borough in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska was $87,664, up 6% from $82,882 in 2022. The Alaska median that year was $90,366.
What was the median household income in Fairbanks North Star Borough in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska was $77,298. By 2024 it had risen 16% to $89,707.
What is the Gini coefficient in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska?
The Gini coefficient in Fairbanks North Star Borough is 0.509. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska has narrowed from about 19% to 13% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 24% in 2012. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $574 since 2009.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →