MSB leads Alaska's population growth from 2023 to 2024

Ask nearly any resident of the Mat-Su Borough that has lived in the area for an extended period of time, and you will likely hear about how much the Borough has grown. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) has released population estimates confirming that Alaska has been growing, and Mat-Su has been leading in that growth.

From 2023 to 2024, Alaska grew by 2,274 people, an increase of 0.3 percent. The state’s population, which had been below 740,000 since 2018, reached 741,147 on July 1, 2024.

Twenty-one of Alaska’s 30 boroughs and census areas lost population over the year, although each loss by area was relatively small. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough grew the most (2,059) followed by the Fairbanks North Star Borough (630). The biggest decline was -196 in the Kodiak Island Borough.

The state’s oldest borough was Haines, with a median age of 49.8. The Kusilvak Census Area in western Alaska was youngest at 24.3.

Alaska has lost residents to net migration for 12 straight years, but in recent years the losses have been small enough for the population to grow overall. Last year, 1,163 more people left Alaska than moved in, but the state gained 3,437 residents through natural increase, or births minus deaths.

The number of Alaskans aged 65 and older increased 4% over the year while the working-age population — ages 18 to 64 — declined by 0.4 percent. The number of children from birth to age 17 decreased by 0.3 percent.

Complete estimates for the state, boroughs/census areas, cities and census-designated places are available on the DOLWD website. Also available are estimates for census tracts, school districts and Alaska Native Regional Corporations and estimates by age and sex for each borough and census area and for places with populations of 1,000 or more.