Fairbanks, AK

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2023 Population

95,555

0.773% 1-year decline

US Senator

Lisa Murkowski

Republican Party

US Senator

Dan Sullivan

Republican Party

US Representative

Nick Begich III

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

32.4

0.935% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

6.17%

10.4% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$84,722

3.76% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$282,500

2.06% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

40,873

2.86% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Fairbanks, AK had a population of 95.6k people with a median age of 32.4 and a median household income of $84,722. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Fairbanks, AK declined from 96,299 to 95,555, a −0.773% decrease and its median household income grew from $81,655 to $84,722, a 3.76% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Fairbanks, AK are White (Non-Hispanic) (67.5%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (10.2%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (6.34%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (3.66%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (3.42%).

None of the households in Fairbanks, AK reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.6% of the residents in Fairbanks, AK are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Fairbanks, AK are University of Alaska Fairbanks (1,209 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2023, the median property value in Fairbanks, AK was $282,500, and the homeownership rate was 61.7%.

Most people in Fairbanks, AK drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Fairbanks, AK was 2 cars per household.

United States Alaska

Population & Diversity

Fairbanks, AK is home to a population of 95.6k people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 4.88% of Fairbanks, AK residents were born outside of the country (4.66k people).

In 2023, there were 6.63 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (64.5k people) in Fairbanks, AK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 9.72k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 6.06k American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.6%

2023 Citizenship

97.5%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 97.6% of Fairbanks, AK residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Fairbanks, AK was 97.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Fairbanks, AK

White (Non-Hispanic)
64.5k ± 587
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
9.72k ± 899
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
6.06k ± 648

8.19%

Hispanic Population

7.83k people

8.19% of the people in Fairbanks, AK are hispanic (7.83k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Fairbanks, AK as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Alaska.

Most Common Origin

Philippines
20,850 ± 3,494 people
Korea
3,574 ± 1,464 people
Mexico
3,318 ± 1,411 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Alaska was Philippines, the natal country of 20,850 Alaska residents, followed by Korea with 3,574 and Mexico with 3,318.

Foreign-Born Population

4.88%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

4.66k people

5.18%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

4.99k people

As of 2023, 4.88% of Fairbanks, AK residents (4.66k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Fairbanks, AK was 5.18%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
3,885 ± 732
Vietnam
1,941 ± 319
Gulf War (1990s)
1,412 ± 282

Fairbanks, AK has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Fairbanks, AK employs 40.9k people. The largest industries in Fairbanks, AK are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,647 people), Educational Services (4,257 people), and Retail Trade (4,005 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($105,952), Utilities ($95,885), and Information ($95,625).

Males in Alaska have an average income that is 1.25 times higher than the average income of females, which is $65,037. The income inequality in Alaska (measured using the Gini index) is 0.436, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

40.9k

2023 Value

± 2,093

−2.86%

1 Year decline

± 7.05%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Fairbanks, AK declined at a rate of −2.86%, from 42.1k employees to 40.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Fairbanks, AK, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,740 people), Management Occupations (4,194 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (3,168 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Fairbanks, AK.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Alaska (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

40.9k

2023 Value

± 2,093

−2.86%

1 Year decline

± 7.05%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Fairbanks, AK declined at a rate of −2.86%, from 42.1k employees to 40.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Fairbanks, AK, are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,647 people), Educational Services (4,257 people), and Retail Trade (4,005 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Fairbanks, AK, though some of these residents may live in Fairbanks, AK and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$69,181

Median earning men ± $7,194

$42,131

Median earning women ± $2,682

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($122,500), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($95,683), and Public Administration ($90,536).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Construction ($77,854), Information ($69,375), and Public Administration ($62,398).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Alaska.

Y-Axis

3.6%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 317k people employed in Alaska. This represents a 3.6% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.7%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Alaska.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

233
Construction
165
Other Services (except Public Administration)
158
Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$379k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$197k
Retail Trade
$183k
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Alaska went to Donald J. Trump with 54.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (41.4%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.68%).

Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan are the senators currently representing the state of Alaska. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Fairbanks, AK is currently represented by Nick Begich III in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Fairbanks, AK. Showing the available data for Alaska.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (54.5%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (41.4%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (1.68%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Alaska went to Donald J. Trump with 54.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (41.4%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.68%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Alaska for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Alaska

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Alaska.

Lisa Murkowski

Senator from Alaska

Assumed office on December 20, 2002
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of her father Frank Murkowski, who was elected Governor of Alaska.

Dan Sullivan

Senator from Alaska

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan are the senators currently representing Alaska.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Alaska over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Fairbanks, AK

Nick Begich III

District at-large Representative

Republican Party

Fairbanks, AK is currently represented by Nick Begich III (Republican Party).

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the member for Fairbanks, AK have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Fairbanks, AK awarded 1,209 degrees. The student population of Fairbanks, AK in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 2,531 male students and 4,076 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Fairbanks, AK are White (652 and 55.3%), followed by American Indian or Alaska Native (137 and 11.6%), Two or More Races (120 and 10.2%), and Unknown (100 and 8.48%).

The largest universities in Fairbanks, AK by number of degrees awarded are University of Alaska Fairbanks (1,209 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Fairbanks, AK are General Business Administration & Management (130 and 10.8%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (64 and 5.29%), and General Biological Sciences (49 and 4.05%).

The median tuition cost in Fairbanks, AK for a public four year colleges is $7,659 for in-state students and $23,450 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

Measure

In 2021 in Fairbanks, AK, the percentage of applicants admitted was 64.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 74.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 6,607 (38.3% men and 61.7% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 6,607 students enrolled in Fairbanks, AK, 38.3% men and 61.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,502 records, of which 59.6% were women and 40.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
53 degrees awarded
Other Multidisciplinary Studies
36 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
35 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Fairbanks, AK was General Business Administration & Management with 53 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,209 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Alaska Fairbanks with 1,209 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 509 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Fairbanks, AK, which is 0.727 times less than the 700 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 652 degrees mean that there were 4.76 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, American Indian or Alaska Native, with 137 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 4-year or above ($7,659) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,953) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Alaska.

Measure

In 2022, 0.495% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.397% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Alaska.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (168k), Some college (147k), and Bachelors Degree (98.8k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Fairbanks, AK was $282,500 in 2023, which is 0.931 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $276,800 to $282,500, a 2.06% increase. The homeownership rate in Fairbanks, AK is 61.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Fairbanks, AK have an average commute time of 19.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Fairbanks, AK is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Fairbanks, AK is $84,722. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Fairbanks, AK was Aleutians West Census Area, AK with a value of $107,344, followed by Sitka City and Borough, AK and Bristol Bay Borough, AK, with respective values of $101,207 and $100,625.

Housing

Property

$282,500

Median Property Value 2023

±$8,291

$22,318

Median Property Taxes

±$1,295

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Fairbanks, AK the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Fairbanks, AK compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

61.7%

Homeownership

2023

71.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 61.7% of the housing units in Fairbanks, AK were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 60%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Fairbanks, AK compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Fairbanks, AK was Aleutians West Census Area, AK with a value of $107,344, followed by Sitka City and Borough, AK and Bristol Bay Borough, AK, with respective values of $101,207 and $100,625.

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

Household Income

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

$84,722

Median Household Income

± $5,460

36.2k

Number of Households

± 1,874

In 2023, the median household income of the 36.2k households in Fairbanks, AK grew to $84,722 from the previous year's value of $81,655.

The following chart displays the households in Fairbanks, AK 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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Fairbanks, AK is from Alaska.

0.436

2022 Wage GINI in Alaska

0.437

2021 Wage GINI in Alaska

In 2022, the income inequality in Alaska was 0.436 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.308% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Alaska was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (72.5%)
Carpooled (12.4%)
Worked At Home (6.41%)

In 2023, 72.5% of workers in Fairbanks, AK drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.4%) and those who worked at home (6.41%).

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.

Commute Time

19.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Fairbanks, AK have a shorter commute time (19.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.99% of the workforce in Fairbanks, AK have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

6.17% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Fairbanks, AK (5.67k out of 91.9k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Fairbanks, AK 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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

91% of the population of Fairbanks, AK has health coverage, with 41.4% on employee plans, 10.8% on Medicaid, 7.71% on Medicare, 20.2% on non-group plans, and 10.9% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Alaska see 1025 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1025 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 969 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 148 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Alaska.

1,025 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Alaska

Primary care physicians in Alaska see an average of 1,025 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,025 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 its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27.2% under 18 years, 23.5% between 18 and 34 years, 36% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.7% were men and 49.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.95%

Uninsured

41.4%

Employer Coverage

10.8%

Medicaid

7.71%

Medicare

20.2%

Non-Group

10.9%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Fairbanks, AK grew by 3.89% from 8.62% to 8.95%.

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

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