Most African American cities in Alaska research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Alaska’s most recent Census data to determine the blackest cities in Alaska based on the percentage of Black residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The city with the largest African American population in Alaska is Fairbanks based on the most recent Census data.
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Fairbanks is 7.42% Black.
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The least African American city in Alaska is Kodiak.
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Kodiak is 0.04% Black.
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Alaska is 3.0% Black.
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Alaska is the 39th blackest state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Black community is one of the fastest-growing communities in America this decade.
Roughly 42 million people identifying as Black or African American live in the United States, making up 12% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Black population in Alaska is 22,400 – at 3.0% of the total population of Alaska.
The percentage growth of Blacks in America is the third largest percentage change for any race according to the Census’s race and ethnicity definition. Most scholars and historians agree that increasing diversity in America is a good thing.
We agree.
But how has the increase in the black population impacted Alaska? Which cities and towns in Alaska have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Alaska with the largest African American population in 2024:
What’s the blackest city in Alaska? The city with the largest Black population in Alaska for 2024 is Fairbanks. See if Fairbanks ranked as one of the most african american places in America.
And if you already knew these places were Black, check out the best places to live in Alaska or the most diverse places in Alaska.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Alaska For 2024
1. Fairbanks
/10
Population: 32,496
% African American: 7.42%
# Of African American Residents: 2,411
Percent Change Since 2010: -13.55%
More on Fairbanks: Data | Cost Of Living
2. Anchorage
/10
Population: 290,674
% African American: 5.09%
# Of African American Residents: 14,793
Percent Change Since 2010: 1.8%
More on Anchorage: Data | Cost Of Living
3. Bethel
/10
Population: 6,312
% African American: 2.92%
# Of African American Residents: 184
Percent Change Since 2010: 425.71%
More on Bethel: Data | Cost Of Living
4. Palmer
/10
Population: 6,091
% African American: 2.59%
# Of African American Residents: 158
Percent Change Since 2010: 50.48%
More on Palmer: Data | Cost Of Living
5. Wasilla
/10
Population: 9,267
% African American: 1.25%
# Of African American Residents: 116
Percent Change Since 2010: 213.51%
More on Wasilla: Data | Cost Of Living
6. Juneau
/10
Population: 32,108
% African American: 1.03%
# Of African American Residents: 332
Percent Change Since 2010: 43.72%
More on Juneau: Data | Cost Of Living
7. Ketchikan
/10
Population: 8,168
% African American: 1.0%
# Of African American Residents: 82
Percent Change Since 2010: 272.73%
More on Ketchikan: Data | Cost Of Living
8. Kenai
/10
Population: 7,477
% African American: 0.78%
# Of African American Residents: 58
Percent Change Since 2010: -56.72%
More on Kenai: Data | Cost Of Living
9. Sitka
/10
Population: 8,462
% African American: 0.57%
# Of African American Residents: 48
Percent Change Since 2010: 118.18%
More on Sitka: Data | Cost Of Living
10. Kodiak
/10
Population: 5,584
% African American: 0.04%
# Of African American Residents: 2
Percent Change Since 2010: -98.36%
More on Kodiak: Data | Cost Of Living
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Alaska With The Largest Black Population For 2024
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across Alaska.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2018-2022 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest was the number of people who identified as Black or African American.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people in Alaska. That left us with 10 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 7.4% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Fairbanks took the distinction of being the most Black, while Kodiak was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the cities in Alaska with the largest African American population.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Alaska ranked by population of African American residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: Black Populations Across Alaska
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Alaska according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The blackest cities in Alaska are Fairbanks, Anchorage, Bethel, Palmer, Wasilla, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kenai, Sitka, and Kodiak.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Alaska:
- Kodiak
- Sitka
- Kenai
For more Alaska reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Alaska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alaska
- Most Dangerous Cities In Alaska
African American Population By City In Alaska
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairbanks | 32,496 | 2,411 | 7.42% |
| 2 | Anchorage | 290,674 | 14,793 | 5.09% |
| 3 | Bethel | 6,312 | 184 | 2.92% |
| 4 | Palmer | 6,091 | 158 | 2.59% |
| 5 | Wasilla | 9,267 | 116 | 1.25% |
| 6 | Juneau | 32,108 | 332 | 1.03% |
| 7 | Ketchikan | 8,168 | 82 | 1.0% |
| 8 | Kenai | 7,477 | 58 | 0.78% |
| 9 | Sitka | 8,462 | 48 | 0.57% |
| 10 | Kodiak | 5,584 | 2 | 0.04% |
