The most recent Department of Labor estimate for Alaska's population is 732,298. That is a 1.3% increase in 2012 resulting from an additional 9,162 people. A majority of the growth is due to natural increase. There were 11,034 births reported and 3,746 deaths for a natural increase of 7,288 people. The net of in and out migration was a change of 1,874 people.
The median age is 34, but that is one of the least common ages in the state. The distribution is heavily weighted on the young and older end. Of ages under 60, the fewest people are age 33 to 47. Age 38 has the fewest people at 8,801.
The Municipality of Anchorage population is estimated to be 298,842. This is an addition of 2,758 people over last year, or a 0.9% increase. This is all due to natural growth, as there was a net out-migration of 376 people reported. This is the second year in a row of a net decline in migration, and Anchorage is growing at a slower rate than the state as a whole.
The Interior region grew last year at nearly twice the statewide rate at 2.4% due to large gains in the Denali and Fairbanks North Star Borough. The region is home to an estimated 115,114 people. The gains were led by a net in-migration of 1,379, almost entirely into the North Star Borough. Natural increase added another 1,310 people last year.
The Mat-Su Borough is also on an above average growth rate of 2.2%. However, this is lower than the 4% growth rate seen in the Mat-Su over the last decade. Positive net migration of 1,196 drove the population increase, while natural increase added another 808 people last year. The Mat-Su population is an estimated 93,801 people.
The slowest growth was in the Gulf Coast Region at 0.5%. This includes the Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak, Valdez and Cordova. The Southwest Region of the Aleutians, Bethel, Bristol Bay, and Dillingham grew at 0.7%. The Southeastern panhandle grew at 1% while the Northern Region added 1.3% to its population.
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