Alaska's population will grow 25% from 2009 to 2034, to 862,750, according to a forecast in the December issue of the Alaska Department of Labor's Trends publication. The forecasts are based on demographic factors - births, deaths, and migration (in and out). Highlights from the report include:
- The over-65 age group will more than double, with seniors representing 14.5% of the state's population by 2034. Alaska will still have a younger overall population than the U.S., however. Over the same time period, the U.S. senior population is expected to increase from 12.9% to 19.8% of the total population.
- The Mat-Su Borough's population will grow 80.8%, to more than 152,000 people - from 12% of the state's population in 2009 to 18% by 2034.
- The Municipality of Anchorage's population will grow 25.6%, to nearly 365,000 people - staying at a constant 42% of the state's population over the 25-year period.
- Population in the Fairbanks North Star Borough will increase 16.8%, to nearly 110,000 people.
- The Northern Region, including Nome and the North Slope Borough, will grow 25%.
- The Southwest Region, including Bethel, Bristol Bay, Dillingham and the Aleutians, will grow 27%.
- Growth will be slower in the Gulf Coast region, including the Kenai and Kodiak boroughs and the Valdez-Cordova census area. Their population will grow 6.8%, to nearly 82,000 people.
- All of the Southeast Alaska boroughs and census areas will shrink, with the Southeast Region as a whole losing 14.2% of its population, decreasing to about 59,000.
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