Kenai, AK

Census Place

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2024 Population
7,641
US Senator
Lisa Murkowski
Republican Party
US Senator
Dan Sullivan
Republican Party
US Representative
Nick Begich III
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
34.4
0.88% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
13.2%
7.47% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$87,083
16.3% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$283,900
13.8% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
3,647
6.98% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Kenai, 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.

98.2% of the residents in Kenai, AK are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Kenai, AK was $283,900, and the homeownership rate was 70.3%.

Most people in Kenai, AK drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Kenai, AK was 2 cars per household.

United StatesAlaskaKenai Peninsula Borough, AKMatanuska-Susitna & Kenai Peninsula Boroughs PUMA, AK

Population & Diversity

Kenai, AK is home to a population of 7.64k people, from which 98.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.08% of Kenai, AK residents were born outside of the country (388 people).

In 2024, there were 5.16 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.29k people) in Kenai, AK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.02k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 368 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.2%
2024 Citizenship
98.6%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.2% of Kenai, AK residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Kenai, AK was 98.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Kenai, AK
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    5.29k ± 359
  2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    1.02k ± 285
  3. American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
    368 ± 104
7.8%
Hispanic Population
596 people

In 2024, there were 5.16 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.29k people) in Kenai, AK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.02k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 368 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

7.8% of the people in Kenai, AK are hispanic (596 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Kenai, AK as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Alaska.
Most Common Origin
  1. Philippines
    21,500 ± 3,547 people
  2. Korea
    3,560 ± 1,461 people
  3. Mexico
    3,032 ± 1,349 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Alaska was Philippines, the natal country of 21,500 Alaska residents, followed by Korea with 3,560 and Mexico with 3,032.

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Foreign-Born Population

5.08%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
388 people
5.32%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
402 people

As of 2024, 5.08% of Kenai, AK residents (388 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Kenai, AK was 5.32%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    178 ± 113
  2. Vietnam
    90 ± 58
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    23 ± 40

Kenai, AK has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.98 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Kenai, AK.

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Economy

The economy of Kenai, AK employs 3.65k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Kenai, AK were Health Care & Social Assistance (754 people), Retail Trade (469 people), and Public Administration (360 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($189,063), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($183,125), and Manufacturing ($158,017).

Employment

Occupations

3.65k
2024 Value
± 472
6.98%
1 Year growth
± 17.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Kenai, AK grew at a rate of 6.98%, from 3.41k employees to 3.65k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Kenai, AK, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (389 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (384 people), and Management Occupations (330 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Kenai, AK.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

3.65k
2024 Value
± 472
6.98%
1 Year growth
± 17.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Kenai, AK grew at a rate of 6.98%, from 3.41k employees to 3.65k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Kenai, AK, are Health Care & Social Assistance (754 people), Retail Trade (469 people), and Public Administration (360 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Kenai, AK, though some of these residents may live in Kenai, AK and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$70,486
Median earning men ± $19,562
$38,601
Median earning women ± $4,523

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($183,125), Manufacturing ($159,267), and Public Administration ($109,063).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($60,132), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($41,831), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($41,094).

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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.

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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.

Kenai, 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

Voting results are not available for Kenai, AK. Showing the available data for Alaska.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (54.5%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (41.4%)
    Democratic Party
  3. 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.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Alaska

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Alaska.
Lisa Murkowski
Senator from Alaska3
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 Alaska2
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.

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US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Kenai, AK

Nick Begich III
District at-large Representative
Republican Party

Kenai, 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 Kenai, AK have changed over time starting in 2008.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Kenai, AK was $283,900 in 2024, which is 0.853 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $249,400 to $283,900, a 13.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Kenai, AK is 70.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Kenai, AK have an average commute time of 15.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Kenai, AK is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$283,900
Median Property Value 2024
±$14,096
$2,146
Median Property Taxes
±$316

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 Kenai, AK the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

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Rent vs Own

70.3%
Homeownership
2024
68.2%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 70.3% of the housing units in Kenai, AK were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 64.8%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$87,083
Median Household Income
± $17,346
3.05k
Number of Households
± 402

In 2024, the median household income of the 3.05k households in Kenai, AK grew to $87,083 from the previous year's value of $74,907.

The following chart displays the households in Kenai, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Kenai, AK is from Alaska.
0.432
2023 Wage GINI in Alaska
0.436
2022 Wage GINI in Alaska

In 2023, the income inequality in Alaska was 0.432 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.907% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Alaska was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (70.3%)
  2. Carpooled (15.2%)
  3. Other (5.6%)

In 2024, 70.3% of workers in Kenai, AK drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (15.2%) and those who used some unspecified means to get work (5.6%).

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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Commute Time

15.5 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Kenai, AK have a shorter commute time (15.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.541% of the workforce in Kenai, AK have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Kenai, AK (1.01k out of 7.62k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 6 - 11, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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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Health

92% of the population of Kenai, AK has health coverage, with 45.1% on employee plans, 21.5% on Medicaid, 9.08% on Medicare, 16% on non-group plans, and 0.407% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Alaska see 1,033 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,033 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 954 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 131 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.7% under 18 years, 26.6% between 18 and 34 years, 36.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

7.99%
Uninsured
45.1%
Employer Coverage
21.5%
Medicaid
9.08%
Medicare
16%
Non-Group
0.407%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Kenai, AK grew by 24.4% from 6.42% to 7.99%.

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

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