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Is being in an area 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 Juneau, while others want peace and quiet like in Homer and Kodiak, thank you very much.
But today we're going to put opinions aside and just look at the cold hard facts -- over the past five years, which cities in Alaska have the grown the fastest.
After getting knee deep in the Census's American Community Survey, we emerged with this set of cities in the Last Frontier that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Alaska for 2021 according to the most recent census data:
What's the fastest growing city in Alaska for 2021? 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 too surprised to find it on our list.
If you're surprised--and you're wondering why these places are kind of a big deal--keep reading. We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Alaska are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Alaska or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Alaska state reading:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Alaska For 2021
1. Wasilla
/10
Population: 10,071
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,488
Percent Growth 34.5%
Absolute Growth: 2,583
More on Wasilla: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Palmer
/10
Population: 7,131
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 5,762
Percent Growth 23.8%
Absolute Growth: 1,369
More on Palmer: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Homer
/10
Population: 5,709
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population 2010: 4,969
Percent Growth 14.9%
Absolute Growth: 740
More on Homer: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Kenai
/10
Population: 7,742
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,004
Percent Growth 10.5%
Absolute Growth: 738
More on Kenai: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Bethel
/10
Population: 6,472
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Population 2010: 5,971
Percent Growth 8.4%
Absolute Growth: 501
More on Bethel: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Juneau
/10
Population: 32,227
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Population 2010: 30,975
Percent Growth 4.0%
Absolute Growth: 1,252
More on Juneau: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Anchorage
/10
Population: 293,531
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Population 2010: 284,267
Percent Growth 3.3%
Absolute Growth: 9,264
More on Anchorage: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Ketchikan
/10
Population: 8,228
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,994
Percent Growth 2.9%
Absolute Growth: 234
More on Ketchikan: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Fairbanks
/10
Population: 31,551
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Population 2010: 31,178
Percent Growth 1.2%
Absolute Growth: 373
More on Fairbanks: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Kodiak
/10
Population: 6,022
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Population 2010: 6,023
Percent Growth -0.0%
Absolute Growth: -1
More on Kodiak: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Last Frontier for 2021
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we simply had to look at the growth rates for cities sine 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 2018)
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]
Here's a graph of the cities in Alaska with the largest percent increase in population:
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.
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):
- Sitka
- Kodiak
- Fairbanks
For more Alaska reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Alaska For 2021
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wasilla | 34.5% |
| 2 | Palmer | 23.8% |
| 3 | Homer | 14.9% |
| 4 | Kenai | 10.5% |
| 5 | Bethel | 8.4% |
| 6 | Juneau | 4.0% |
| 7 | Anchorage | 3.3% |
| 8 | Ketchikan | 2.9% |
| 9 | Fairbanks | 1.2% |
| 10 | Kodiak | -0.0% |
