By AlaskaWatchman.com

The vast majority of Alaska’s incorporated cities are losing residents, with some nearing the verge of a total population collapse.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual estimates of 153 incorporated places in Alaska, 91% are in population decline, with 23 having less than 100 people.

Only 13 Alaska communities actual grew, mostly in the Mat-Su and along the Kenai Peninsula.

The U.S. Census data measured population changes from April 2020 to July 2022.

POPULATIONS ON VERGE OF COLLAPSE (2020 to 2022)

— Akhoik City: 67 to 65

— Atka City: 54 to 51

— Anvik City: 73 to 72

— Bettles City: 23 to 22

— Chignik: 94 to 89

— Clark’s Point: 66 to 64

— Cold Bay: 52 to 51

— Diomede: 83 to 81

— Edna Bay: 25 to 25

— Egegik: 37 to 36

— Hughes: 85 to 83

— Kasaan: 29 to 28

— Koyukuk: 97 to 95

— Kupreanof: 20 to 19

— Larsen Bay: 34 to 33

— Pelican: 99 to 92

— Pilot Point: 65 to 62

— Platinum: 55 to 53

— Port Alexander: 74 to 73

— Port Heiden: 99 to 94

— St. George: 63 to 59

— Shageluk: 100 to 98

— Whale Pass: 87 to 85

GROWING POPULATIONS (2020 to 2022)

— Delta Junction:  918 to 941

— Homer: 5,548 to 5,876

— Hoonah City: 951 to 951

— Houston: 1,981 to 2,114

— Kachemak City: 573 to 587

— Kenai City: 7,434 to 7,653

— Nikolai City: 84 to 86

— North Pole City: 2,246 to 2,373

— Palmer: 5,935 to 6,304

— Seldovia: 232 to 242

— Seward City: 2,740 to 2,851

— Soldotna City: 4,355 to 4,518

— Wasilla City: 9,115 to 9,711

Click here to see how the population of each of Alaska’s 153 incorporated communities changed over the past three years.

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91% of Alaska cities suffer from declining populations

Joel Davidson
Joel is Editor-in-Chief of the Alaska Watchman. Joel is an award winning journalist and has been reporting for over 24 years, He is a proud father of 8 children, and lives in Palmer, Alaska.