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There are three major races in America that come to most of our minds right away:
- White
- Hispanic
- African American
But those are only the major races, there's a whole bunch of other races people are interested in knowing about.
And today, we are going to look at the percent of the population in Alaska that are Native American.
Native Americans are not a major portion of the current American Population, but they are still very important.
There are now over 2 million people who identify as Native American living in America, making up .65% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Native American population in Alaska is 104,399 - at 14.2% of the total population of Alaska.
So, what how does the Native American population stratify across Alaska? Which cities and towns in Alaska have seen the greatest increase in their Native American population?
Which city in Alaska had the largest Native American population?
Bethel took the number one over all spot for the largest Native American population in Alaska for 2023. 62.3% of Bethel identify as Native American.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where Alaska ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Native American, check out the best places to live in Alaska or the most diverse places in Alaska.
For more Alaska reading, check out:
Cities In Alaska With The Largest Native American Population For 2023
/10
Population: 6,273
% Native American: 62.3%
# Of Native American Residents: 3,908
Percent Change Since 2010: 8.14%
More on Bethel: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 8,150
% Native American: 17.37%
# Of Native American Residents: 1,416
Percent Change Since 2010: 20.2%
More on Ketchikan: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 7,452
% Native American: 11.67%
# Of Native American Residents: 870
Percent Change Since 2010: 128.95%
More on Kenai: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 32,240
% Native American: 9.91%
# Of Native American Residents: 3,195
Percent Change Since 2010: 3.43%
More on Juneau: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 8,518
% Native American: 9.87%
# Of Native American Residents: 841
Percent Change Since 2010: -49.03%
More on Sitka: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 5,978
% Native American: 8.61%
# Of Native American Residents: 515
Percent Change Since 2010: -8.04%
More on Palmer: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 33,018
% Native American: 8.37%
# Of Native American Residents: 2,764
Percent Change Since 2010: -7.68%
More on Fairbanks: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 292,545
% Native American: 6.78%
# Of Native American Residents: 19,827
Percent Change Since 2010: 12.32%
More on Anchorage: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 9,098
% Native American: 6.46%
# Of Native American Residents: 588
Percent Change Since 2010: 99.32%
More on Wasilla: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 5,682
% Native American: 4.0%
# Of Native American Residents: 227
Percent Change Since 2010: -52.31%
More on Kodiak: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Alaska With The Largest Native American Population For 2023
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across Alaska.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2017-2021 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as American Indian and Alaska Native alone.
We limited our analysis to places with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 10 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are American Indian and Alaska Native. The percentages ranked from 62.3% to 4.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of American Indian and Alaska Native population with a higher score being more American Indian and Alaska Native than a lower score. Bethel took the distinction of being the most American Indian and Alaska Native, while Kodiak was the least Native American city.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Alaska ranked by population of American Indian and Alaska Native residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: Native American Populations Across Alaska
If you're looking for a breakdown of Native American populations across Alaska according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least Native American places in Alaska:
- Kodiak
- Wasilla
- Anchorage
For more Alaska reading, check out:
What Are The Most Native American Places In Alaska?
| Rank | City | % Native American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bethel | 62.3% |
| 2 | Ketchikan | 17.37% |
| 3 | Kenai | 11.67% |
| 4 | Juneau | 9.91% |
| 5 | Sitka | 9.87% |
| 6 | Palmer | 8.61% |
| 7 | Fairbanks | 8.37% |
| 8 | Anchorage | 6.78% |
| 9 | Wasilla | 6.46% |
| 10 | Kodiak | 4.0% |
