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.
