While Alaska’s population has decreased overall, the Kenai Peninsula Borough saw a slight uptick in population between 2018 and 2019, according to the latest estimates from the state.
2019 marked the third consecutive year of a declining population on the state level, according to a Wednesday press release from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The state’s total population peaked in 2016 at 739,649, and as of July 2019 the state had an estimated population of 731,007. Between 2018 and 2019, Alaska’s population decreased by 3,048 people.
By comparison, the Kenai Peninsula experienced population growth of about .14% between 2018 and 2019, with the population increasing from 58,285 to 58,367. This growth is lower than average for the last decade, during which the peninsula grew an average of .56% each year.
There were 652 births and 481 deaths on the peninsula between July 2018 and July 2019 for a natural population increase of 171, however net migration to the peninsula between 2018 and 2019 was negative — meaning more people moved out of the borough than into it. Net migration for the state was also negative and has been for the past decade. Since 2010, 42,407 more people have moved out of the state than moved into it.
The median age for the Kenai Peninsula also increased slightly from the previous year, going from 41.5 in 2018 to 41.8 in 2019. The age groups that saw the highest increase in population were from ages 40-44 and ages 65-69, which both increased by 193 from the previous year. The population of people age 40 and older saw a net increase of 247, while the population under 40 experienced a net decrease of 125.
Complete population estimates for the state, boroughs/census areas, cities and census designated places can be found at the Department of Labor’s website under the Research and Analysis Section. Estimates are available by age and sex for each borough and census area and for places with populations of 1,000 or more. New estimates by race and ethnicity will be released in August 2020.
