Is being in an area of Alaska that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Anchorage and Fairbanks, while others want peace and quiet like in Kodiak and Homer, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Alaska have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Last Frontier that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What’s the fastest growing city in Alaska for 2024? Based on the most recent ACS data, Wasilla ranks as the fastest-growing city in Alaska. If you happen to be a resident of Wasilla, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Alaska grow like weeds.
For more Alaska state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Alaska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alaska
- Most Dangerous Cities In Alaska
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Alaska For 2024
1. Wasilla
/10
Population: 9,267
Population 2010: 7,488
Percent Growth 23.8%
Absolute Growth: 1,779
More on Wasilla: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
2. Homer
/10
Population: 5,623
Population 2010: 4,969
Percent Growth 13.2%
Absolute Growth: 654
More on Homer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
3. Kenai
/10
Population: 7,477
Population 2010: 7,004
Percent Growth 6.8%
Absolute Growth: 473
More on Kenai: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
4. Bethel
/10
Population: 6,312
Population 2010: 5,971
Percent Growth 5.7%
Absolute Growth: 341
More on Bethel: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
5. Palmer
/10
Population: 6,091
Population 2010: 5,762
Percent Growth 5.7%
Absolute Growth: 329
More on Palmer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
6. Fairbanks
/10
Population: 32,496
Population 2010: 31,178
Percent Growth 4.2%
Absolute Growth: 1,318
More on Fairbanks: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
7. Juneau
/10
Population: 32,108
Population 2010: 30,975
Percent Growth 3.7%
Absolute Growth: 1,133
More on Juneau: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
8. Anchorage
/10
Population: 290,674
Population 2010: 284,267
Percent Growth 2.3%
Absolute Growth: 6,407
More on Anchorage: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Ketchikan
/10
Population: 8,168
Population 2010: 7,994
Percent Growth 2.2%
Absolute Growth: 174
More on Ketchikan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
10. Sitka
/10
Population: 8,462
Population 2010: 8,894
Percent Growth -4.9%
Absolute Growth: -432
More on Sitka: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Last Frontier for 2024
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2022)
We ranked all 11 Alaska cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Last Frontier.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in Alaska.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Alaska with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Alaska, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Alaska are led by Wasilla which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Alaska are Wasilla, Homer, Kenai, Bethel, Palmer, Fairbanks, Juneau, Anchorage, Ketchikan, and Sitka.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Kodiak
- Sitka
- Ketchikan
For more Alaska reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Places In Alaska For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wasilla | 9,267 | 7,488 | 23.8% | 1,779 |
| 2 | Homer | 5,623 | 4,969 | 13.2% | 654 |
| 3 | Kenai | 7,477 | 7,004 | 6.8% | 473 |
| 4 | Bethel | 6,312 | 5,971 | 5.7% | 341 |
| 5 | Palmer | 6,091 | 5,762 | 5.7% | 329 |
| 6 | Fairbanks | 32,496 | 31,178 | 4.2% | 1,318 |
| 7 | Juneau | 32,108 | 30,975 | 3.7% | 1,133 |
| 8 | Anchorage | 290,674 | 284,267 | 2.3% | 6,407 |
| 9 | Ketchikan | 8,168 | 7,994 | 2.2% | 174 |
| 10 | Sitka | 8,462 | 8,894 | -4.9% | -432 |