Population growth and geographic constraints in Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage Alaska is a young and growing city. The majority of people live around the "Anchorage Bowl" and near the downtown, which has many apartments and multi-family buildings. The rest of the population is spread to the East (Cook Inlet borders the West) about 42 miles and South of the Anchorage Bowl about 40 miles (Anchorage 2).

Population growth has been limited thus far because Anchorage is in a bowl, bounded on the east by the Chugach Mountains and on the West by Cook Inlet. On the south and north are Knik and Turnagain Arms, bodies of water coming off Cook Inlet (Begich 3).

The population has been growing over the past ten years. Before 1995, population showed a steady decline from a high of almost 10,000 in 1991 to a negative 684 in 1995. Since then it has increased to about 4,000, through a series of fluctuations. It is expected to keep on growing, as overall population has been growing rather than decreasing for 40 years. Growth projections for the city of Anchorage call for 37,000 new homes and more than 35,000 new jobs between 2002 and 2025. Most of the growth is expected to be absorbed by the valley along the Chugiak-Eagle River. This is considered desirable and is being implemented by the City. The main factors affecting growth are jobs and housing (Anchorage 51).

The population depends upon jobs available. For instance, there was a huge boom when the pipeline from the North Slope was being built, then the work ended and the population decreased dramatically. Population mobility is enormous. Anchorage's average growth rate has exceeded most metropolitan areas in the rest of the United States (Chamber 1)