Alaska

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Population

737,438

0.319% decline

Median Age

34.9


Median Household Income

$74,346

1.59% growth

Poverty Rate

10.2%


Number of Employees

346,153

1.16% growth

Median Property Value

$276,100

1.1% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, Alaska had a population of 737k people with a median age of 34.9 and a median household income of $74,346. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Alaska declined from 739,795 to 737,438, a -0.319% decrease and its median household income grew from $73,181 to $74,346, a 1.59% increase.

The population of Alaska is 60.1% White Alone, 14.6% American Indian & Alaska Native Alone, and 7.44% Two or More Races. N/A% of the people in Alaska speak a non-English language, and 96.7% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Alaska are University of Alaska Anchorage (2,460 degrees awarded in 2017), University of Alaska Fairbanks (1,543 degrees), and University of Alaska Southeast (642 degrees).

The median property value in Alaska is $276,100, and the homeownership rate is 65.6%. Most people in Alaska commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 18 minutes. The average car ownership in Alaska is 2 cars per household.

Alaska borders .

About the photo: Approaching Sawyer Glacier in the Tracy Arm Fjord valley of mountains and waterfalls.

Photo by Ian D. Keating

United States

Economy

The economy of Alaska employs 346k people. The largest industries in Alaska are Elementary & secondary schools (23,867 people), Restaurants & Food Services (20,201 people), and Construction (18,135 people), and the highest paying industries are Savings institutions, including credit unions ($201,128), Oil & gas extraction ($191,818), and Offices of dentists ($149,974).

Median household income in Alaska is $74,346. Males in Alaska have an average income that is 1.23 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,837. The income inequality in Alaska (measured using the Gini index) is 0.455, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$74,346

2018 value

± $2,288

1.59%

1 Year Growth

± 4.66%

Households in Alaska have a median annual income of $74,346, which is more than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $73,181 in 2017, which represents a 1.59% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Alaska compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$70,907

Average Male Salary

± $3,936

$57,837

Average Female Salary

± $3,750

In 2018, full-time male employees in Alaska made 1.23 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Alaska by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. White

    $63,912 ± $3,264

  2. Other

    $62,941 ± $21,837

  3. American Indian

    $51,675 ± $19,091

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Alaska workers was White. These workers were paid 1.02 times more than Other workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Alaska by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

0.455

2018 Wage GINI

0.445

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in Alaska was 0.455 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 2.39% growth from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even.

The 2018 the GINI for Alaska was lower than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Alaska in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Alaska across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Anchorage Municipality, AK

  2. Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK

  3. Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK

In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Alaska was Anchorage Municipality, AK with a value of $83,648, followed by Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK and Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK, with respective values of $75,448 and $72,667.

The following map shows all of the counties in Alaska colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

10.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Alaska (73.4k out of 720k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    31,659 ± 1,253

  2. Native American

    24,116 ± 665

  3. Two Or More

    6,826 ± 584

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Alaska is White, followed by Native American and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

346k

2018 Value

1.16%

1 Year growth

± 1.16%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Alaska grew at a rate of 1.16%, from 342k employees to 346k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Alaska, are Other managers (11,443 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (7,925 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (7,633 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Alaska.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Alaska, by number of employees, are Other managers (11,443 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (7,925 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (7,633 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Alaska has an unusually high number of residents working as Fishing and hunting workers (19.9 times higher than expected), Firstline enlisted military supervisors (14.9 times), and Hazardous materials removal workers (10.7 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Alaska, by average salary, are Physicians ($284,036), Facilities managers ($173,727), and Dental hygienists ($173,481).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

346k

2018 Value

1.16%

1 Year growth

± 1.16%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Alaska grew at a rate of 1.16%, from 342k employees to 346k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Alaska, are Elementary & secondary schools (23,867 people), Restaurants & Food Services (20,201 people), and Construction (18,135 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Alaska, though some of these residents may live in Alaska and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Alaska, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools (23,867 people), Restaurants & Food Services (20,201 people), and Construction (18,135 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Alaska has an unusually high number of Metal ore mining (32.7 times higher than expected), U. S Coast Guard (27.4 times), and Fishing, hunting & trapping (26.6 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Alaska, by average salary, are Savings institutions, including credit unions ($201,128), Oil & gas extraction ($191,818), and Offices of dentists ($149,974).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Alaska to other states, or from other states to Alaska.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Crude petroleum

    $42.3B

  2. Gasoline

    $5.03B

  3. Coal-n.e.c.

    $3.84B

In 2015, the top outbound Alaska product (by dollars) was Crude petroleum with $42.3B, followed by Gasoline ($5.03B) and Coal-n.e.c. ($3.84B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Alaska products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

$68.5B

2020 Value

$74.6B

Projected 2045 Value

8.98% growth

In 2020, total outbound Alaska trade was $68.5B. This is expected to increase 8.98% to $74.6B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Alaska trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Alaska to other states, or from other states to Alaska.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. California

    $19.2B

  2. Washington

    $7B

  3. Utah

    $1.6B

In 2015, the top outbound Alaska domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was California with $19.2B, followed by Washington with $7B and Utah and $1.6B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Alaska shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

86.3% of the population of Alaska has health coverage, with 40.7% on employee plans, 18.8% on Medicaid, 7.12% on Medicare, 13.3% on non-group plans, and 6.34% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the state of Alaska was $11,064 in 2014. This is a 6.1% increase from the previous year ($10,428).

Primary care physicians in Alaska see 1131 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.25% decrease from the previous year (1157 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1045 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 281 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Ketchikan Gateway Borough and Wrangell City and Borough have the highest prevalence of diabetes (9.4%). Additionally, Aleutians West Census Area has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (40.7%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,131 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Alaska see an average of 1,131 patients per year. This represents a 2.25% decrease from the previous year (1,157 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Alaska in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

$11,064

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$5,958

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$12,001

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$9,288

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Alaska (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 6.1%, from $10,428 to $11,064.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

13.7%

Uninsured

40.7%

Employer Coverage

18.8%

Medicaid

7.12%

Medicare

13.3%

Non-Group

6.34%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Alaska declined by 2.51% from 14% to 13.7%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Alaska changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Ketchikan Gateway Borough

    9.4% prevalence

  2. Wrangell City and Borough

    9.4% prevalence

  3. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area

    9.1% prevalence

Ketchikan Gateway Borough and Wrangell City and Borough have the highest prevalence of diabetes in Alaska, at 9.4%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Alaska by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Alaska is home to a population of 737k people, from which 96.7% are citizens. As of 2017, 7.58% of Alaska residents were born outside of the country (56k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Alaska is composed of 443k White Alone residents (60.1%), 108k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (14.6%), 54.9k Two or More Races residents (7.44%), 53.1k Hispanic or Latino residents (7.2%), 45.5k Asian Alone residents (6.17%), 24k Black or African American Alone residents (3.26%), 7.88k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (1.07%), and 895 Some Other Race Alone residents (0.121%).

Age

Age by Nativity

33

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.3

47

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 2.5

In 2018, the median age of all people in Alaska was 34.9. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 33, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 47. But people in Alaska are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Alaska residents was 35.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

7.58%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

56k people

7.45%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

55.2k people

As of 2017, 7.58% of Alaska residents (56k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Alaska was 7.45%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Alaska compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Philippines

    18,254 ± 3,276 people

  2. Mexico

    5,893 ± 1,877 people

  3. Canada

    4,160 ± 1,579 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Alaska was Philippines, the natal country of 18,254 Alaska residents, followed by Mexico with 5,893 and Canada with 4,160.

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Citizenship

96.7%

2018 Citizenship

96.3%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 96.7% of Alaska residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Alaska was 96.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Alaska compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    443k ± 640

  2. American Indian & Alaska Native Alone

    108k ± 3.57k

  3. Two or More Races

    54.9k ± 4.51k

In 2018, there were 4.11 times more White Alone residents (443k people) in Alaska than any other race or ethnicity. There were 108k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone and 54.9k Two or More Races residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Alaska as a share of the total population.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Gulf War (2001-)

    25,373 ± 3,077

  2. Vietnam

    19,399 ± 1,808

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    9,655 ± 1,496

Alaska has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.31 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in Alaska awarded 5,449 degrees. The student population of Alaska is skewed towards women, with 11,734 male students and 16,138 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Alaska are White (3,075 and 57.4%), followed by American Indian or Alaska Native (583 and 10.9%), Unknown (521 and 9.72%), and Two or More Races (381 and 7.11%).

The largest universities in Alaska by number of degrees awarded are University of Alaska Anchorage (2,460 and 45.1%), University of Alaska Fairbanks (1,543 and 28.3%), and University of Alaska Southeast (642 and 11.8%).

The most popular majors in Alaska are Liberal Arts & Sciences (481 and 8.83%), General Business Administration & Management (330 and 6.06%), and Medical Assistant (194 and 3.56%).

The median tuition costs in Alaska are $14,675 for private four year colleges, and $5,888 and $19,136 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. Registered Nursing

    104 degrees awarded

  2. General Biological Sciences

    100 degrees awarded

  3. General Business Administration & Management

    169 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Alaska was Registered Nursing with 104 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Alaska according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. University of Alaska Anchorage

    2,460 degrees awarded

  2. University of Alaska Fairbanks

    1,543 degrees awarded

  3. University of Alaska Southeast

    642 degrees awarded

$5,888

Median In-State Public

$14,675

Median Private

In 2017, the Alaska institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Alaska Anchorage with 2,460 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

2,187

Degrees Awarded to Men

3,262

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 2,187 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Alaska, which is 0.67 times less than the 3,262 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Alaska by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    3,075 degrees awarded

  2. American Indian or Alaska Native

    583 degrees awarded

  3. Unknown

    521 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Alaska were to White students. These 3,075 degrees mean that there were 5.27 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, American Indian or Alaska Native, with 583 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Alaska was $276,100 in 2018, which is 1.2 times larger than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $273,100 to $276,100, a 1.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Alaska is 65.6%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Alaska have an average commute time of 18 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Alaska is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$276,100

2018 Median

± $4,365

$273,100

2017 Median

± $5,087

In 2018, the median property value in Alaska grew to to $276,100 from the previous year's value of $273,100.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Alaska compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Alaska the largest share of households have a property value in the $300k - $400k range.

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$74,346

Median Household Income

± $2,288

255k

Number of Households

± 7,661

In 2018, the median household income of the 255k households in Alaska grew to $74,346 from the previous year's value of $73,181.

The following chart displays the households in Alaska distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Alaska distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Alaska the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

65.6%

2018 Homeownership

63.5%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 65.6% of the housing units in Alaska were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 63.5%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Alaska compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Commute Time

18 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Alaska have a shorter commute time (18 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.17% of the workforce in Alaska have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Alaska compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    68%

  2. Carpooled

    12.3%

  3. Walked

    7.76%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Alaska was Drove Alone (68%), followed by those who Carpooled (12.3%) and those who Walked (7.76%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Alaska distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Alaska have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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