Alaska Population Grows 13.3% in the Past Decade

According to the 2010 Census data Alaska’s population increased 13.3% over the last decade to a current estimate of 710,231 people. Nevada was the fastest growing state over the decade at 35.5%. Michigan was the only state to decline over the decade at 0.6% loss of population. Alaska by far has the lowest population density in the nation at 0.2 people per square mile compared to the national average of 42.6, more than 200 times more dense.

Alaska’s population has been growing between 1% and 1.5% each year on average. Anchorage and Fairbanks have grown slightly faster than the rest of the state. The Mat-Su region is growing at over 4% a year on average and now accounts for 12% of the entire state population.

The State Department of Labor’s predictions for growth go out until 2034. Over that period they predict Alaska will grow to 862,750 people with the Anchorage/Mat-Su region adding 38%, while the Southeast declines 14%. The most significant change will be in the over 65 age group nearly doubling from 7.5% of the population to 14.5%. Life expectancies are predicted to increase from 75 years to 80 for Alaskan men and 80 to 84 years old for Alaskan women.

Comments

[Blythe Campbell]

According to the State of Alaska Department of Labor, the 2010 Alaska population was 710,000.

[Amanda]

Do you know what the population is for Alaska?????

[scott belardes]

If Alaska's population is over 710,000 and the total square miles in the state are 586,412 how can you state that the poulation density is 0.2 people per sq mile? The density is closer to 1.2 than 0.2 ... just saying.