# List of most populous cities in Alaska by decade

This list tracks and ranks the population of the ten most populous cities and other settlements in the State of Alaska by decade, as reported by each decennial United States Census, starting with the 1880 Census.
The ten largest "places" from 1880 through 1900 are all unincorporated as there were no incorporated places recorded during those censuses. The top 10 places listed areas from 1910 through 2020 are all separate incorporated places.
This list generally refers only to the population of individual places within their defined limits at the time of the indicated census. Some of these places have since been annexed or merged into other cities. Other places may have expanded their borders due to such annexation or consolidation.
Six consolidated city-borough governments exist; Juneau City and Borough, Skagway Municipality, Sitka City and Borough, Yakutat City and Borough, Wrangell City and Borough, as well as the state's most populous city, Anchorage. Though its legal name is the Municipality of Anchorage, it is considered a consolidated city-borough under state law.

## 1880

There were no incorporated places recorded during the census. The following are ten largest unincorporated villages that were enumerated separately. The territory was divided into six divisions.
| Rank | Unincorporated village | Division | Population | Notes |
| 1 | Sitka | Southeastern | 916 | |
| 2 | Hoonah | Southeastern | 800 | Returned as "Koudekan" in census reports. |
| 3 | Klukwan | Southeastern | 565 | Returned as "Kluckquan" in census reports. |
| 4 | Angoon | Southeastern | 420 | Returned as "Augoon" in census reports. |
| 5 | Unalaska | Aleutian | 406 | Returned as "Iliuliuk" in census reports. |
| 6 | Noatak | Arctic | 400 | Returned as "Noatagamut" in census reports. |
| 7 | Wales | Arctic | 400 | Returned as "Kingigamute" in census reports. |
| 8 | Karluk | Kodiak | 302 | |
| 9 | Yakutat | Southeastern | 300 | |
| 10 | St. Paul | Kuskokwim | 298 | |

## 1890

There were no incorporated places recorded during the census. The following are ten largest unincorporated settlements that were enumerated separately. The territory was divided into seven districts.
| Rank | Unincorporated village | District | Population | Notes |
| 1 | Juneau | 1st, Southeastern | 1,253 | |
| 2 | Sitka | 1st, Southeastern | 1,190 | |
| 3 | Karluk | 2nd, Kodiak | 1,123 | |
| 4 | Metlakatla | 1st, Southeastern | 823 | |
| 5 | Kodiak | 2nd, Kodiak | 495 | Returned as "Kadiak" in census reports. |
| 6 | Wales | 7th, Arctic | 488 | Returned as "Kingaghee in census reports. |
| 7 | Port Clarence | 7th, Arctic | 485 | |
| 8 | Hoonah | 1st, Southeastern | 438 | Returned as "Huna" in census reports. |
| 9 | Afognak | 2nd, Kodiak | 420 | |
| 10 | Akhiok | 2nd, Kodiak | 409 | Returned as "Alitak" in census reports. |

## 1900

There were no incorporated places recorded during the census. The following are ten largest unincorporated settlements that were enumerated separately. Only two "districts" existed as the subdivisions couldn't be further ascertained.
| Rank | Unincorporated place | District | Population |
| 1 | Nome | Northern | 12,488 |
| 2 | Skagway | Southern | 3,117 |
| 3 | Juneau | Southern | 1,864 |
| 4 | Sitka | Southern | 1,396 |
| 5 | Wrangell | Southern | 868 |
| 6 | St. Michael | Northern | 857 |
| 7 | Douglas | Southern | 825 |
| 8 | Point Hope | Northern | 623 |
| 9 | Koggiung | Southern | 533 |
| 10 | Treadwell | Southern | 522 |

## 1910

In 1910 census, all incorporated places in the dataset were referred to as "towns". "Villages" and other areas were unincorporated. The territory was also divided into four judicial divisions.
| Rank | Incorporated town | Judicial Division | Population |
| 1 | Fairbanks | Fourth | 3,541 |
| 2 | Nome | Second | 2,600 |
| 3 | Douglas | First | 1,722 |
| 4 | Juneau | First | 1,644 |
| 5 | Ketchikan | First | 1,613 |
| 6 | Treadwell | First | 1,222 |
| 7 | Cordova | Third | 1,152 |
| 8 | Skagway | First | 872 |
| 9 | Valdez | Third | 810 |
| 10 | Wrangell | First | 743 |

## 1920

| Rank | Incorporated town | Judicial Division | Population |
| 1 | Juneau | First | 3,058 |
| 2 | Ketchikan | First | 2,458 |
| 3 | Sitka | First | 1,175 |
| 4 | Fairbanks | Fourth | 1,155 |
| 5 | Cordova | Third | 955 |
| 6 | Douglas | First | 919 |
| 7 | Petersburg | First | 879 |
| 8 | Nome | Second | 852 |
| 9 | Wrangell | First | 821 |
| 10 | Seward | Third | 652 |

## 1930

The 1930 census for Alaska was conducted October 1, 1929.
| Rank | Incorporated town | Judicial Division | Population | Notes |
| 1 | Juneau | First | 4,043 | |
| 2 | Ketchikan | First | 3,796 | |
| 3 | Anchorage | Third | 2,277 | Although enumerated separately, Anchorage was classified as "unincorporated" in 1920. |
| 4 | Fairbanks | Fourth | 2,101 | |
| 5 | Petersburg | First | 1,252 | |
| 6 | Nome | Second | 1,213 | |
| 7 | Sitka | First | 1,056 | |
| 8 | Cordova | Third | 980 | |
| 9 | Wrangell | First | 948 | |
| 10 | Seward | Third | 835 | |

## 1940

The 1940 census for Alaska was conducted October 1, 1939.
| Rank | Incorporated place | Judicial Division | Population |
| 1 | Juneau | First | 5,729 |
| 2 | Ketchikan | First | 4,695 |
| 3 | Anchorage | Third | 3,495 |
| 4 | Fairbanks | Fourth | 3,455 |
| 5 | Sitka | First | 1,987 |
| 6 | Nome | Second | 1,559 |
| 7 | Petersburg | First | 1,353 |
| 8 | Wrangell | First | 1,162 |
| 9 | Seward | Third | 949 |
| 10 | Cordova | Third | 938 |

## 1950

For the first time since the first census in 1880, all ten incorporated places surpassed 1,000 residents.
| Rank | Incorporated place | Judicial Division | Population |
| 1 | Anchorage | Third | 11,254 |
| 2 | Juneau | First | 5,956 |
| 3 | Fairbanks | Fourth | 5,771 |
| 4 | Ketchikan | First | 5,305 |
| 5 | Seward | Third | 2,114 |
| 6 | Sitka | First | 1,985 |
| 7 | Nome | Second | 1,876 |
| 8 | Kodiak | Third | 1,710 |
| 9 | Petersburg | First | 1,619 |
| 10 | Wrangell | First | 1,263 |

## 1960

The 1960 census was the first census taken since statehood in 1959. Method of divisions changed from four judicial divisions to twenty-four election districts.
| Rank | Incorporated place | Election District # | Population |
| 1 | Anchorage | 10 | 44,237 |
| 2 | Fairbanks | 19 | 13,311 |
| 3 | Juneau | 5 | 6,797 |
| 4 | Ketchikan | 2 | 6,483 |
| 5 | Sitka | 4 | 3,237 |
| 6 | Kodiak | 13 | 2,628 |
| 7 | Nome | 23 | 2,316 |
| 8 | Seward | 11 | 1,891 |
| 9 | Petersburg | 3 | 1,502 |
| 10 | Wrangell | 3 | 1,315 |

## 1970

The 1970 census saw the method of divisions changed once again from Election Districts to Boroughs and Census Areas.
| Rank | Incorporated place | Borough/Census Area | Population |
| 1 | Anchorage | Greater Anchorage Area Borough | 48,029 |
| 2 | Fairbanks | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 14,771 |
| 3 | Ketchikan | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 6,994 |
| 4 | Juneau | Juneau Borough | 6,050 |
| 5 | Kodiak | Kodiak Island Borough | 3,798 |
| 6 | Kenai | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 3,533 |
| 7 | Sitka | Sitka | 3,370 |
| 8 | Nome | Nome | 2,488 |
| 9 | Bethel | Bethel | 2,416 |
| 10 | Barrow | Barrow | 2,104 |

## 1980

| Rank | Incorporated place | Borough/Census Area | Population | Notes |
| 1 | Anchorage | Anchorage Municipality | 174,431 | City of Anchorage merged with Greater Anchorage Area Borough in 1975 to form the Municipality of Anchorage. |
| 2 | Fairbanks | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 22,645 | |
| 3 | Juneau | City & Borough of Juneau | 19,528 | The City of Juneau and the Borough of Juneau merged in 1970, which includes the former city of Douglas. |
| 4 | Sitka | City & Borough of Sitka | 7,803 | The City of Sitka and Greater Sitka Borough merged in 1971. |
| 5 | Ketchikan | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 7,198 | |
| 6 | Kodiak | Kodiak Island Borough | 4,756 | |
| 7 | Kenai | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 4,324 | |
| 8 | Bethel | Bethel | 3,576 | |
| 9 | Valdez | Valdez-Cordova | 3,079 | |
| 10 | Petersburg | Wrangell-Petersburg | 2,821 | |

## 1990

| Rank | Incorporated place | Borough/Census Area | Population |
| 1 | Anchorage | Anchorage Municipality | 226,338 |
| 2 | Fairbanks | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 30,843 |
| 3 | Juneau | City & Borough of Juneau | 26,751 |
| 4 | Sitka | City & Borough of Sitka | 8,588 |
| 5 | Ketchikan | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 8,283 |
| 6 | Kodiak | Kodiak Island Borough | 6,365 |
| 7 | Kenai | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 6,327 |
| 8 | Bethel | Bethel | 4,674 |
| 9 | Valdez | Valdez-Cordova | 4,068 |
| 10 | Wasilla | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 4,028 |

## 2000

| Rank | Incorporated place | Borough/Census Area | Population |
| 1 | Anchorage | Anchorage Municipality | 260,283 |
| 2 | Juneau | City & Borough of Juneau | 30,711 |
| 3 | Fairbanks | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 30,224 |
| 4 | Sitka | City & Borough of Sitka | 8,835 |
| 5 | Ketchikan | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 7,922 |
| 6 | Kenai | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 6,942 |
| 7 | Kodiak | Kodiak Island Borough | 6,334 |
| 8 | Bethel | Bethel | 5,471 |
| 9 | Wasilla | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 5,469 |
| 10 | Barrow | North Slope Borough | 4,581 |

## 2010

| Rank | Incorporated place | Borough/Census Area | Population |
| 1 | Anchorage | Anchorage Municipality | 291,826 |
| 2 | Fairbanks | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 31,535 |
| 3 | Juneau | City & Borough of Juneau | 31,275 |
| 4 | Sitka | City & Borough of Sitka | 8,881 |
| 5 | Ketchikan | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 8,050 |
| 6 | Wasilla | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 7,831 |
| 7 | Kenai | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 7,100 |
| 8 | Kodiak | Kodiak Island Borough | 6,130 |
| 9 | Bethel | Bethel | 6,080 |
| 10 | Palmer | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 5,937 |

## 2020

| Rank | Incorporated place | Borough/ Census Area | Population |
| 1 | Anchorage | Anchorage Municipality | 291,247 |
| 2 | Fairbanks | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 32,515 |
| 3 | Juneau | City & Borough of Juneau | 32,255 |
| 4 | Wasilla | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 9,054 |
| 5 | Sitka | City & Borough of Sitka | 8,458 |
| 6 | Ketchikan | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 8,192 |
| 7 | Kenai | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 7,424 |
| 8 | Bethel | Bethel | 6,325 |
| 9 | Palmer | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 5,888 |
| 10 | Kodiak | Kodiak Island Borough | 5,581 |