Anchorage is a township located in Anchorage Municipality and Bethel Census Area Alaska. Anchorage has a 2024 population of 284,469. Anchorage is currently declining at a rate of -0.56% annually and its population has decreased by -2.21% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 290,893 in 2020.
The average household income in Anchorage is $122,032 with a poverty rate of 9.64%. The median age in Anchorage is 34.5 years: 33.7 years for males, and 35.4 years for females.
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in southcentral Alaska.
More than 40% of Alaska's population lives in the city. Of the 50 states, only New York has a higher percentage of residents living in its largest city. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, has a population estimated at 385,000, which is the 134th largest metro area in the United States.
Common national ancestries in Anchorage include German (17.3%), Irish (10.8%), English (9.1%), Scandinavian (6.9%), and French/French Canadian (5.6%). Of the Scandinavians in Anchorage, 3.6% are Norwegian, 2.2% are Sweden and 0.6% are Danish.
Anchorage is currently preparing to experience the greatest growth spurt in its history, with growth that will relieve demand for office space and housing that has driven up rent and mortgage costs n the city. Modest population and economic growth is expected for Anchorage as employment goes up, population climbs steadily, personal income improves, and oil prices continue to rise.
The first description of Anchorage comes from an explorer in 1778, named Captain James Cook. While he first explored the area, Russians were the first to inhabit the space. Their inhabitation began in 1784 and Russia established a presence in the area in the 19th century, although the United States brokered a deal in 1867 to purchase the state from Imperial Russia for $7.2 million, or two cents per acre. In 1888, gold was discovered in the area, and Alaska became a U.S. territory in 1912. Anchorage itself did not have any essential metal minerals like gold, and only [two white men](https://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Saints-Alaska-Chronicle-Latter-day/dp/B000EMD33K) were reported to have lived in the area in 1910 before a large group of settlers.
In 1914, railroad headquarters were built in the area and Anchorage quickly began growing in size. It was incorporated in 1920, and the Alaska Railroad was completed in 1923. By the 1930s and 50s, Anchorage went through substantial growth as the military and air transportation industries grew in importance. In the late 1960s, oil was discovered nearby, and an oil boom spurred more significant growth in the city.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Anchorage was:
White
Two or more races
Asian
Native American
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Other race
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 107,134 | 2.64 | 63.8 | 36.2 |
Married | 51,020 | 3.32 | 77.2 | 22.8 |
Non Family | 38,921 | 1.33 | 51.7 | 48.3 |
Female | 11,260 | 3.61 | 48.7 | 51.3 |
Male | 5,933 | 3.6 | 56.9 | 43.1 |
3.26
Average Family Size
2.64
Average Household Size
63.8%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 97.01%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 45.41%.
All
Male
Female
$56,419
Average Earnings
$64,200
Average Male
$49,462
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
82.51% of Anchorage residents speak only English, while 17.49% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Asian and Pacific Island languages, which is spoken by 8.84% of the population.
rate
9.64%
Overall Poverty Rate
8.72%
Male Poverty Rate
10.6%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Anchorage is Islander, with 28.01% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Anchorage is White, with 6.05% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.98%. Among those working part-time, it was 12.84%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 17.26%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
47.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
47.6%
Male Marriage Rate
48.0%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
6.51%
Veteran Poverty Rate
23.1%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
69.9%
Labor Force Participation
62.3%
Employment Rate
5.2%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
39.83%
Born in Anchorage
89.17%
Native Born
10.83%
Foreign Born
3.78%
Non Citizen
7.05%
Naturalized
89.17% of Anchorage residents were born in the United States, with 39.83% having been born in Alaska. 3.78% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 276,439 | -1,606 | -0.58% |
2028 | 278,045 | -1,606 | -0.57% |
2027 | 279,651 | -1,606 | -0.57% |
2026 | 281,257 | -1,606 | -0.57% |
2025 | 282,863 | -1,606 | -0.56% |
2024 | 284,469 | -1,606 | -0.56% |
2023 | 286,075 | -908 | -0.32% |
2022 | 286,983 | -2,186 | -0.76% |
2021 | 289,169 | -1,724 | -0.59% |
2020 | 290,893 | 2,103 | 0.73% |
2019 | 288,790 | -2,587 | -0.89% |
2018 | 291,377 | -3,741 | -1.27% |
2017 | 295,118 | -2,954 | -0.99% |
2016 | 298,072 | -265 | -0.09% |
2015 | 298,337 | -2,310 | -0.77% |
2014 | 300,647 | -1,154 | -0.38% |
2013 | 301,801 | 2,995 | 1% |
2012 | 298,806 | 2,113 | 0.71% |
2011 | 296,693 | 2,933 | 1% |
2010 | 293,760 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 260,283 | 33,945 | 15% |
1990 | 226,338 | 51,907 | 29.76% |
1980 | 174,431 | 126,350 | 262.79% |
1970 | 48,081 | 3,844 | 8.69% |
1960 | 44,237 | 32,983 | 293.08% |
1950 | 11,254 | 7,759 | 222% |
1940 | 3,495 | 1,195 | 51.96% |
1930 | 2,300 | 400 | 21.05% |
1920 | 1,900 | -274,539 | -99.31% |