The size of Alaska’s population remained essentially unchanged for a second consecutive year, based on population estimates released today by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. From July 2022 to July 2023, the state grew by an estimated 304 people — 0.04 percent.
Despite that slight overall growth, Alaska continued to lose people to migration. Net migration — in-migrants minus out-migrants — resulted in a net outflow of 3,246 people. Alaska has lost more movers than it has gained every year since 2013, but losses have slowed in the last few years.
Alaska’s 65-and-older population grew 3 percent, and the 18-to-64-year-old group declined by 0.2 percent. The state’s highest median age was 48.8 in the Haines Borough. The Kusilvak Census Area was youngest at 24.1.
Twenty-one of Alaska’s 30 boroughs and census areas lost population over the year. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough grew the most (2,125), followed by the Kenai Peninsula Borough (898). The Fairbanks North Star Borough decreased the most (-844).
Complete estimates for the state, boroughs/census areas, cities and census-designated places are available. Also available are estimates for census tracts, school districts and Alaska Native Regional Corporations and estimates by age and sex for each borough and census area and for places with populations of 1,000 or more.
2023 Population Estimates by Borough, Census Area, and Economic Region
Area, Population
Alaska: 736,812
Anchorage/Mat-Su Economic Region: 403,573
Anchorage, Municipality: 289,653
Matanuska-Susitna Borough: 113,920
Gulf Coast Economic Region: 83,154
Chugach Census Area: 6,868
Copper River Census Area: 2,667
Kenai Peninsula Borough: 60,898
Kodiak Island Borough: 12,721
Interior Economic Region: 109,801
Denali Borough: 1,663
Fairbanks North Star Borough: 95,972
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area: 7,038
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area: 5,128
Northern Economic Region: 27,723
Nome Census Area: 9,628
North Slope Borough: 10,631
Northwest Arctic Borough: 7,464
Southeast Economic Region: 71,077
Haines Borough: 2,530
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area: 2,298
Juneau, City and Borough: 31,549
Ketchikan Gateway Borough: 13,475
Petersburg Borough: 3,367
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area: 5,784
Sitka, City and Borough: 8,231
Skagway, Municipality: 1,127
Wrangell, City and Borough: 2,039
Yakutat, City and Borough: 677
Southwest Economic Region: 41,484
Aleutians East Borough: 3,558
Aleutians West Census Area: 4,893
Bethel Census Area: 18,193
Bristol Bay Borough: 809
Dillingham Census Area: 4,565
Kusilvak Census Area: 8,122
Lake and Peninsula Borough: 1,344