Palmer, AK

Census Place

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2024 Population
6,268
US Senator
Lisa Murkowski
Republican Party
US Senator
Dan Sullivan
Republican Party
US Representative
Nick Begich III
Republican Party
2024 Poverty Rate
13%
18.1% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$72,201
2.34% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$294,900
6.89% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
2,831
5.83% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Palmer, 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.

98.8% of the residents in Palmer, AK are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Palmer, AK are Alaska Bible College (4 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Palmer, AK was $294,900, and the homeownership rate was 63.1%.

Most people in Palmer, AK drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Palmer, AK was 2 cars per household.

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

Population & Diversity

Palmer, AK is home to a population of 6.27k people, from which 98.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.3% of Palmer, AK residents were born outside of the country (207 people).

In 2024, there were 8.57 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.44k people) in Palmer, AK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 518 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 465 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.8%
2024 Citizenship
99%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.8% of Palmer, AK residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Palmer, AK was 99%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Palmer, 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 Palmer, AK
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    4.44k ± 260
  2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    518 ± 128
  3. American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
    465 ± 112
6.68%
Hispanic Population
419 people

In 2024, there were 8.57 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.44k people) in Palmer, AK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 518 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 465 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

6.68% of the people in Palmer, AK are hispanic (419 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Palmer, 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

3.3%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
207 people
3.34%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
205 people

As of 2024, 3.3% of Palmer, AK residents (207 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 Palmer, AK was 3.34%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Palmer, 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-)
    212 ± 54
  2. Vietnam
    137 ± 55
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    116 ± 59

Palmer, AK has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.55 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Palmer, AK employs 2.83k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Palmer, AK were Health Care & Social Assistance (444 people), Accommodation & Food Services (343 people), and Retail Trade (321 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($102,031), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($74,861), and Public Administration ($71,750).

Employment

Occupations

2.83k
2024 Value
± 228
5.83%
1 Year growth
± 10.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Palmer, AK grew at a rate of 5.83%, from 2.68k employees to 2.83k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Palmer, AK, are Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (266 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (251 people), and Management Occupations (220 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Palmer, 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

2.83k
2024 Value
± 228
5.83%
1 Year growth
± 10.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Palmer, AK grew at a rate of 5.83%, from 2.68k employees to 2.83k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Palmer, AK, are Health Care & Social Assistance (444 people), Accommodation & Food Services (343 people), and Retail Trade (321 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Palmer, AK, though some of these residents may live in Palmer, 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

$50,505
Median earning men ± $6,318
$41,705
Median earning women ± $5,381

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($100,938), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($84,844), and Public Administration ($82,250).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,833), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($51,354), and Public Administration ($48,000).

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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.

Palmer, 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 Palmer, 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 Palmer, AK

Nick Begich III
District at-large Representative
Republican Party

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

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Education

In 2023, universities in Palmer, AK awarded 4 degrees. The student population of Palmer, AK in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 31 male students and 34 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Palmer, AK are White (3 and 75%) and Asian (1 and 25%).

The largest universities in Palmer, AK by number of degrees awarded are Alaska Bible College (4 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Palmer, AK are Biblical Studies (4 and 100%) and Elementary Education & Teaching (0 and 0%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $10,200.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 65 students enrolled in Palmer, AK, 47.7% men and 52.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 49 records, of which 53.1% were women and 46.9% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Biblical Studies
Most Common
3 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Palmer, AK was Biblical Studies with 3 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Alaska Bible College
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
4 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Alaska Bible College with 4 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 2 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Palmer, AK, which is 1 times more than the 2 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 3 degrees mean that there were 3 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 1 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($10,200) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($730) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($400) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Palmer, AK was $294,900 in 2024, which is 0.886 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $275,900 to $294,900, a 6.89% increase. The homeownership rate in Palmer, AK is 63.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Palmer, AK have an average commute time of 26.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Palmer, AK is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$294,900
Median Property Value 2024
±$13,119
$1,457
Median Property Taxes
±$138

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 Palmer, AK the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

63.1%
Homeownership
2024
70.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 63.1% of the housing units in Palmer, AK were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 62.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Palmer, 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.
$72,201
Median Household Income
± $6,849
2.31k
Number of Households
± 183

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.31k households in Palmer, AK grew to $72,201 from the previous year's value of $70,550.

The following chart displays the households in Palmer, 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 Palmer, 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 (73.7%)
  2. Carpooled (9.58%)
  3. Worked At Home (8.61%)

In 2024, 73.7% of workers in Palmer, AK drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.58%) and those who worked at home (8.61%).

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

26.8 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Palmer, AK have a longer commute time (26.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.83% of the workforce in Palmer, AK have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Palmer, 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 Palmer, AK distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Palmer, AK have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Palmer, AK (788 out of 6.04k 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 Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Palmer, 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

90.2% of the population of Palmer, AK has health coverage, with 35.1% on employee plans, 22.7% on Medicaid, 10.2% on Medicare, 16.7% on non-group plans, and 5.52% 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, 47.7% were men and 52.3% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.5% under 18 years, 28.5% between 18 and 34 years, 30.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.7% were men and 52.3% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

9.77%
Uninsured
35.1%
Employer Coverage
22.7%
Medicaid
10.2%
Medicare
16.7%
Non-Group
5.52%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Palmer, AK declined by 8.9% from 10.7% to 9.77%.

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

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