Alaska’s Population Slipped a Little

In a report released last week, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development estimated Alaska’s population fell by 61 residents to 735,601, a decrease of less than a hundredth of 1 percent.

Between federal census years, state demographers create population estimates by reviewing the 12 months from July through June and issue a report the following January, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported.

Migration was evident in the Fairbanks North Star Borough and other parts of interior Alaska in general.

The new estimate shows losses of about 1,800 in interior Alaska. That included an estimated loss of 1,577 people in the Fairbanks North Star Borough as the result of fluctuations with the military population.

“Fairbanks last year did see a little bit of a lowering in the military population, but still that population is bigger than it was in 2010,” Hunsinger said. “Military, from year to year, there’s always changes, and that always adds a factor of uncertainty for Fairbanks. But there were also some net migration losses from the more general population, so that had some effect as well.”

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough gained the most residents with an increase of 2,069 people in a continuing trend of growth since 2001, Hunsinger said.

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