State profile

Alaska

Population, economy, housing, and demographics · ACS 2020–2024

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At a glance

Total population
735,706
Median household income
$92,788
People below poverty
10.1%
Median home value
$352,900

Census Insights

  • Alaska had 735,706 residents and 270,533 households, the 4th lowest population and 2nd lowest household count among states.
  • The housing vacancy rate was relatively high at 17.6%, the 4th highest among states.
  • People under age 18 made up 24.1% of the population, the 5th highest share among states.
  • Working from home became more common, rising from 4.7% to 9.7%.
  • Walking to work was relatively common, with 7.2% of workers doing so, the 2nd highest share among states.
  • Median earnings for women were $62,415, the 10th highest among states.

Income

The median income of households in Alaska was $92,788. An estimated 3.7% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 14.6% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Alaska in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 3.7
$10,000 to $14,999 2.1
$15,000 to $24,999 5.4
$25,000 to $34,999 4.9
$35,000 to $49,999 8.9
$50,000 to $74,999 14.7
$75,000 to $99,999 13.6
$100,000 to $149,999 19.9
$150,000 to $199,999 12
$200,000 or more 14.6

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Alaska in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 72836
Female 62415

An estimated 81.3% of households received earnings. An estimated 25.6% of households received Social Security and an estimated 24.3 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $22,327. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Alaska in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 81.3
Social Security 25.6
Retirement income 24.3
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 4
Cash public assistance income 5.6

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 10.1 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 12.2% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 8.3% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 9.7% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Alaska in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 10.1
Children under 18 years below poverty 12.2
People 65 years old and over below poverty 8.3
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 9.7

In 2020-2024, 10.1 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 48.1% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 37% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 27.1% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Alaska in 2020-2024, 89% had health insurance coverage and 11% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 65.5% and public coverage was 37.6%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 8%.


In 2020-2024, Alaska had a total population of 735,706 - 349,326 (47.5%) females and 386,380 (52.5%) males. The median age was 35.8 years. An estimated 24.1% of the population was under 18 years, 36.5% was 19 to 44 years, 23.2% was 45 to 64 years, and 13.8 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Alaska in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 23734 22902
5 to 9 26067 24252
10 to 14 26299 24555
15 to 19 24758 22080
20 to 24 28977 21530
25 to 29 30154 24824
30 to 34 30996 27683
35 to 39 29546 26304
40 to 44 25317 23220
45 to 49 21914 19507
50 to 54 22204 19398
55 to 59 21503 19965
60 to 64 24119 22204
65 to 69 20352 19090
70 to 74 14480 13885
75 to 79 8447 9287
80 to 84 4556 4744
85 and over 2957 3896

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 59.6% were White; 3% were Black or African American; 5.9% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 6.4% were Asian; 1.5% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0.3% were Some Other Race. An estimated 13.6% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 7.3% of the people in Alaska were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 57.7% of the people in Alaska were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 270,533 households in Alaska. The average household size was 2.61 people.

Married-couple households made up 48.2% of the households in Alaska while cohabiting couple households made up 8.7% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 22.3% of all households, while 20.7% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 15.2% of households were male householders living alone, and 13.2% were female householders living alone, for a total of 28.4% of all households.

In Alaska, 31.6% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 27.4% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Alaska in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 48.2
Cohabiting Couples 8.7
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
20.7
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
22.3

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 48.2% of males and 49.8% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 38.5 29.8
Now married, except separated 48.2 49.8
Separated 1.5 1.7
Widowed 2.2 6.1
Divorced 9.7 12.6

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Alaska, 16,346 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 37.9% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 92.3% of the people living in Alaska were U.S. natives. 42.9% of the Alaska population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 7.7% of Alaska residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 61.8% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 66.5 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Alaska come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Alaska.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Alaska in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 16.3
Asia 53.2
Europe 14.4
Africa 4.7
Northern America 4.3
Oceania 7.1

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Alaska in 2020-2024, 15.1 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 3.3% of people at least five years old; 4.2% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Alaska in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 3.3
Other Indo-European languages 2.1
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 5.6
Other languages 4.1

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 85.5 % of the people at least one year old living in Alaska were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Alaska in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 85.5
Different house, same county 7.5
Different county, same state 2.4
Different state 3.9
Abroad 0.7

Education

In 2020-2024, 93.6 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 31.7% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 6.4% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Alaska was 171,961 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 9,460 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 126,713. College or graduate school enrollment was 35,788.

Educational Attainment of People in Alaska in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 6.4
High school diploma or equivalency 28.9
Some college, no degree 24
Associate's degree 9.1
Bachelor's degree 19.8
Graduate or professional degree 11.8

Disability

In Alaska, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 13.6 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 4.8% of people under 18 years old, to 12.2% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 35.4% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Alaska, 58.6 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 33.7% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 67.7% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 25.9% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 6.2 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 229,173 67.7
Federal, state, or local government workers 87,494 25.9
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 20,922 6.2

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Alaska worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Alaska in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 4.7
Construction 7.1
Manufacturing 4.1
Wholesale trade 1.6
Retail trade 9.9
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 9.1
Information 1.5
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 4
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 8.5
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 24.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 8.3
Other Services, except public administration 4.5
Public administration 11.9

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Alaska in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 134,785 39.8
Service occupations 59,926 17.7
Sales and office occupations 64,858 19.2
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 37,208 11
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 41,631 12.3

Commuting to Work

An estimated 65% of Alaska workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 11.9% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 19.4 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Alaska in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 65
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 11.9
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 1
Walked 7.2
Other means 5.1
Worked from home 9.7

In 2020-2024, Alaska had a total of 328,491 housing units. Of these housing units, 71% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 24.9% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 3.9% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Alaska in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 71
Apartments in multi-unit structures 24.9
Mobile homes 3.9
Boat, RV, van, etc 0.1

10.2% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 1.7% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Alaska was 4.8 rooms, and of these housing units 55.6% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Alaska had 270,533 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 57,958 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 66.8% while renters occupied 33.2%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.74 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.34.

4.7% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 8.2% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 9% and another 23.3% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Alaska:

House Heating Fuel Used in Alaska in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 51.5
Electricity 14.3
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 27.6
All other fuels 5.8
No fuel used 0.7

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Alaska was $352,900.

Of the owner-occupied households, 60.1 % had a mortgage. 39.9% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $2,229 and for owners without a mortgage it was $690.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Alaska was $1,419. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.