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COUNTY

Fairbanks North Star

Alaska · 93,972 residents (2025 est.) · 7,335 sq mi
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Part of the Fairbanks metro area
The short version

Fairbanks North Star is a county of 95,460 people in Alaska. This skews young, with a median age of 32.5. Few US counties rank higher on income. Density works out to 13 people per square mile. 6% of residents were born outside the United States. Getting to work takes 19 minutes on average.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.5
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 27%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
95,460
+15%since 2000
from 82,840 in 2000
93,972 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
13 / sq mi
−1%since 2009
from 13 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
32.5
+10%since 2000
from 29.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
7,335 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
75K82K89K96K102K19902000201020202024Fairbanks North Star
202495K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57%(6,647)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.8%(6,486)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(5,971)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.1%(5,821)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 249.5%(9,033)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3417.8%(16,992)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.6%(13,026)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.3%(9,805)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410%(9,519)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.5%(8,124)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.3%(3,168)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over0.9%(868)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$88,267
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $49,076 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$45,905
+113%since 2000
from $21,553 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
59.1%
+16.7 ptssince 2009
from 42.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
6.1%
−1.7 ptssince 2000
from 7.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.412
+2%since 2010
from 0.404 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance8.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade7.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing5%
US avg: 1.6%
Other services3.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Manufacturing3.4%
US avg: 0.4%
Retail trade2.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services1.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Construction1.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Public administration1.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$298,200
+27%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $128,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,459
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $679 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
61.7%
+7.7 ptssince 2000
from 54.0% in 2000
38.3% rent
Vacancy rate
14.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 14.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.51 people
−13%since 2009
from 2.88 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
20.6%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 25.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
43.0%
+5.2 ptssince 2009
from 37.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.4
+11%since 2009
from 3.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
26
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic76%(62,942)
Black5.7%(4,719)
Hispanic / Latino4.2%(3,440)
Asian2%(1,682)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic66.8%(63,757)
Black3.9%(3,711)
Hispanic / Latino8.5%(8,067)
Asian2.8%(2,718)
Other18%(17,207)
Diversity Score
64
+18%since 2009
from 54 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
26
+52%since 2020
from 17 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican4.9%(4,693)
Puerto Rican1.4%(1,296)
Dominican0.3%(320)
Colombian0.2%(157)
Spaniard0.2%(156)
Salvadoran0.2%(155)
Ecuadorian0.1%(136)
Cuban0.1%(88)
Bolivian0.1%(74)
Nicaraguan0.1%(73)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.1%(63)
Costa Rican0.1%(52)
Venezuelan0.1%(51)
Honduran0%(21)
Argentine0%(16)
Uruguayan0%(12)
Asian origin
Filipino0.9%(893)
Korean0.8%(738)
Chinese0.5%(523)
Thai0.1%(126)
Taiwanese0.1%(105)
Asian Indian0.1%(103)
Japanese0.1%(62)
Hmong0.1%(58)
Laotian0%(30)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.2%(203)
Chamorro0.1%(137)
Tongan0.1%(134)
Ancestry
German15.2%(14,515)
Irish11.4%(10,868)
English11%(10,486)
American3.7%(3,551)
Italian2.9%(2,772)
Norwegian2.9%(2,755)
Scottish2.3%(2,197)
French1.9%(1,779)
Polish1.5%(1,393)
Swedish1.2%(1,141)
Danish1%(972)
+ 40 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.9%(899)
Dutch0.8%(766)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(710)
British0.7%(663)
West Indian0.5%(505)
Swiss0.4%(429)
Czech0.4%(405)
Russian0.4%(335)
Canadian0.3%(292)
Hungarian0.3%(262)
Finnish0.3%(243)
Arab0.2%(233)
Portuguese0.2%(209)
Austrian0.2%(195)
Jamaican0.2%(194)
Lithuanian0.2%(189)
Romanian0.2%(150)
Croatian0.1%(139)
Haitian0.1%(119)
Syrian0.1%(111)
Serbian0.1%(110)
Latvian0.1%(83)
Ukrainian0.1%(70)
Egyptian0.1%(65)
Slovak0.1%(55)
Belgian0.1%(51)
Bulgarian0.1%(50)
Greek0%(41)
Slovene0%(40)
Nigerian0%(33)
Armenian0%(27)
Brazilian0%(26)
Ghanaian0%(24)
Iranian0%(20)
Moroccan0%(18)
Israeli0%(13)
Lebanese0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.1%
+6.0 ptssince 2000
from 27.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.7%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 91.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
12.9%
+2.2 ptssince 2000
from 10.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.2 min
+76%since 2000
from 10.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
71.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 71.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
12.4%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 14.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
6.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
5.7%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.6%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.3%
−1.4 ptssince 2011
from 6.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
68.5%
−4.9 ptssince 2011
from 73.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 72.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.0%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 15.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
39.4%
+7.0 ptssince 2009
from 32.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
54.6%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 53.4% in 2009
Female
45.4%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 46.6% in 2009
Foreign born
5.6%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
13.7%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 18.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.5%
+4.4 ptssince 2012
from 10.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
9.3%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 14.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.5%
+9.5 ptssince 2017
from 82.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
98.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 96.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
82.2%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 79.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
90.2%
+0.8 ptssince 2016
from 89.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.5%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 3.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.7%(16,167)
Married50.5%(21,102)
Widowed2.2%(931)
Divorced8.6%(3,604)
Women 15+
Never married26.8%(9,277)
Married56%(19,335)
Widowed5.1%(1,748)
Divorced12.1%(4,192)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.3%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 14.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
58.2%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 56.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 9.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.2%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 11.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
16.9%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
4.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 5.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
75.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 76.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
31.6%
+3.5 ptssince 2020
from 28.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)45%(3,971)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)30.7%(2,711)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era24.9%(2,192)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.3%(199)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.2%(15)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 8,820 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

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Frequently asked

How many people live in Fairbanks North Star, Alaska?

Fairbanks North Star, Alaska has about 95,460 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Fairbanks North Star, Alaska?

The typical household in Fairbanks North Star, Alaska earns about $88,267 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Fairbanks North Star, Alaska expensive?

In Fairbanks North Star, Alaska, the median home is worth about $298,200, and the typical rent is about $1,459 a month.

How educated are people in Fairbanks North Star, Alaska?

About 33.1% of adults age 25 and over in Fairbanks North Star, Alaska hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Fairbanks North Star, Alaska?

About 6.1% of people in Fairbanks North Star, Alaska live below the federal poverty line.

Has Fairbanks North Star, Alaska grown since 1990?

Yes, Fairbanks North Star, Alaska has grown since 1990. The population has added about 17,740 residents, a change of about 23 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →