Alaska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Alaska Population Density Map and Area Scores
State 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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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 86% of states in the US
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Alaska | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 735,577 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.03% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 270,488 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Alaska grew by 9.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 735,577 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Alaska is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.0% of residents. That is 1.7 points above the US as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 164,224 22.3% +0.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 176,229 24.0% +1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 146,065 19.9% on par
- Boomers 61–79 103,064 14.0% -2.9 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 the US, 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 47.6% of the people living in Alaska and men 52.4%.
- Women 47.6% the US 50.5%
- Men 52.4% the US 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Alaska
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Alaska has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Alaska | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $93,666 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.94% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Alaska is about 16% higher than in US.
Housing
| Metric | Alaska | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $320,616 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,418 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Alaska is about 18.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,418 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Alaska spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 134 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Alaska | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,157 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,865 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 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 Alaska is 16 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in US.
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
Alaska has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Alaska | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.6% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 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
Alaska has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Alaska | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 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).
Alaska Compared With Nearby States
Alaska is the smallest of the 6 states compared here, 735,577 residents against a local median of 4,252,306. The measure that sets Alaska apart most is commute: 16.1 min, 28% below the local median of 22.4 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $320,616 against a local median of $406,603, 21% below it. The states themselves spread 5.5 min on commute, so Alaska sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Alaska has the lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 735,577 | $93,666 #3/6 | $320,616 #6/6 | 16.1 min #1/6 |
| Washington | 7,801,159 | $98,224 | $485,016 | 22.4 min |
| Oregon | 4,252,306 | $83,617 | $406,603 | 20.1 min |
| California | 39,245,658 | $99,161 | $650,794 | 23.5 min |
| Idaho | 1,929,983 | $78,141 | $394,140 | 18.0 min |
| Nevada | 3,183,702 | $78,637 | $357,758 | 22.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Alaska.
How big is Alaska by population?
About 735,577 people live in Alaska, in 270,488 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 36.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Alaska?
Averaged over its land area, Alaska has 1 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 1% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Alaska an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.4 times the median household income ($320,616 against $93,666), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,418 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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