COUNTY
Fairbanks North Star
Alaska · 93,972 residents (2025 est.) · 7,335 sq mi
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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
median household income $88,267, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Fairbanks North Star
What changed most since 1990
- Homes owned by their occupants49.0% → 61.7% (+12.7 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
- Adults with a bachelor's degree25.2% → 33.1% (+7.8 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Among the 30 counties in Alaska
- 10th in household income$88,267
- 5th in share with a bachelor's degree33.1%
- 12th in home value$298,200
- 16th in diversity score64.0
Section 01
Population & growth
95,460
+15%since 2000
from 82,840 in 2000
93,972 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
7,335 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202495K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57%(6,647)
5 to 96.8%(6,486)
10 to 146.3%(5,971)
15 to 196.1%(5,821)
20 to 249.5%(9,033)
25 to 3417.8%(16,992)
35 to 4413.6%(13,026)
45 to 5410.3%(9,805)
55 to 6410%(9,519)
65 to 748.5%(8,124)
75 to 843.3%(3,168)
85 and over0.9%(868)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$88,267
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $49,076 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
59.1%
+16.7 ptssince 2009
from 42.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11%
Finance & insurance8.1%
Wholesale trade7.8%
Professional, scientific, technical6.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing5%
Other services3.8%
Manufacturing3.4%
Retail trade2.3%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
Education & health services1.6%
Construction1.5%
Public administration1.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$298,200
+27%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $128,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.4
+11%since 2009
from 3.0 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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)
64
+18%since 2009
from 54 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
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)
South American0.5%(509)
Central American0.4%(341)
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)
Panamanian0%(40)
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)
Vietnamese0%(8)
Pakistani0%(7)
Okinawan0%(5)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Indonesian0%(4)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.3%(318)
Samoan0.2%(203)
Chamorro0.1%(137)
Tongan0.1%(134)
Marshallese0%(17)
Guamanian0%(7)
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)
French Canadian2%(1,890)
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)
Subsaharan African0.7%(638)
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)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.2%(180)
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)
Australian0%(16)
Israeli0%(13)
Lebanese0%(10)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
94.7%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 91.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 72.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
98.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 96.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
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
Direct-purchase
10.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 9.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
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)
Gulf War (1990s)30.7%(2,711)
Vietnam era24.9%(2,192)
Korean War2.3%(199)
World War II0.2%(15)
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
Over time
Fairbanks North Star, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 77,720 | $89,926 | $209,286 | 25.2% | 42.9 |
| 2000 | 82,840 | $89,400 | $234,629 | 27.0% | 50.3 |
| 2010 | 97,581 | $95,806 | $297,496 | 27.1% | 53.6 |
| 2020 | 95,655 | $92,677 | $291,253 | 32.3% | 66.4 |
| 2024 | 95,460 | $88,267 | $298,200 | 33.1% | 64.0 |
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
Drill deeper
Places similar to Fairbanks North Star
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Pop 99,265
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Pop 98,096
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Pop 101,911
Leavenworth County
Pop 84,590
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Home value$345,000+16%
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FAIRBANKS NORTH STAR VS
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region
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FAIRBANKS NORTH STAR VS
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FAIRBANKS NORTH STAR VS
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Income$89,218+1%
Home value$282,900−5%
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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.
Keep going
Explore from here
22 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 9800Census Tract 12Census Tract 13Census Tract 9Census Tract 19.01Census Tract 15.02Census Tract 16Census Tract 3Census Tract 8Census Tract 14.02Census Tract 7Census Tract 19.02Census Tract 4Census Tract 15.01Census Tract 6Census Tract 9801Census Tract 2Census Tract 5Census Tract 14.01Census Tract 10Up the hierarchy
All counties in AlaskaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024