Largest Cities in Alaska: Ranked by Population

The largest city in Alaska in our data is Anchorage, AK, with an estimated 288,000 people, followed by Fairbanks, AK (63,245) and Juneau, AK (31,974). This list ranks the top 24 places among the 24 Alaska communities with at least 5,000 residents.

What are the top 24 in Alaska?

How big are the largest cities in Alaska?

Of the 24 places with pages, 1 has more than 100,000 residents, 2 have between 25,000 and 100,000, and 21 have fewer than 25,000. The median place has about 8,321 people. The ten largest places account for about 83% of the combined population of all pages, which shows how concentrated the state's population is across communities. Matanuska-Susitna Borough contributes 7 of the top 24.

Which counties do the top 24 belong to?

The 24 places on this list are spread across 9 counties of Alaska. Matanuska-Susitna Borough has 7 (Knik-Fairview, Wasilla, Tanaina, Meadow Lakes, Palmer, Gateway, Fishhook); Fairbanks North Star Borough has 6 (Fairbanks, Badger, College, Steele Creek, Chena Ridge, Farmers Loop); Kenai Peninsula Borough has 5 (Kalifornsky, Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, Sterling). Counties with several entries are usually centers of a metropolitan area, where one large city is surrounded by many suburbs that each pass the 5,000-resident threshold.

How does Alaska compare with the rest of the country?

The median Alaska place with a page has about 8,321 residents, compared with about 13,459 nationwide, so the state's typical community is smaller than the national typical place. Anchorage, AK ranks 151st among all US places by estimated population in our data. The state has 326 communities in total, of which 24 reach 5,000 residents. See the national ranking of the largest cities for comparison.

Quick answers about Alaska cities

• Which is the largest city in Alaska? Anchorage (288,000 people).
• How many Alaska cities have more than 100,000 people? 1 in our data.
• How many have 25,000 to 100,000? 2.
• What is the typical size? About 8,321 residents for a place with a page.

How is this ranking made?

The data comes from the SimpleMaps US Cities Database, which gives each place an estimated population and a density in people per square kilometer. We convert density to people per square mile and rank the places with at least 5,000 residents. Boundaries matter: a city that includes large parks or farmland scores lower on density than a compact city of the same size, and population estimates can include areas that share a city's ZIP codes. Read why population figures differ and how density is calculated before you quote a number.

Where to go next

Rankings use dataset estimates, not official counts.