Population of Alaska older, more diverse, census shows

The 2010 census data released Wednesday evening also shows an aging population, a trend reflected nationally. Alaska's median age is 33.8, up from 32.4 in 2000.

However, Alaska's population remains among the youngest in the nation, which has a median age estimated at 36.8, said census statistician Larry Sink.

"Three years is pretty substantial as far as the median age goes," Sink said.

According to 2009 population estimates by the bureau, Maine has the oldest median age at 42.2 and Utah has the youngest at 28.8.

Alaska's minority population, which the Census Bureau categorizes as anyone not "white only," stands at 35.9 percent of the state's total population of 710,231. That's a 3.5 percent jump since 2000, when minorities accounted for 32.4 percent of the total population then of 626,932.

The census results released Wednesday focus on racial subgroups, age and household relationships. Remaining outstanding state profiles will be released through May 26, when final national figures also will be released.

In Alaska, residents of Mexican descent have one of the fastest growing rates among minority subgroups, from roughly 13,300, or 2.1 percent, to 21,600, or 3 percent. State demographer Eddie Hunsinger noted, however, that Hispanic groups all have seen some growth, although Mexicans are the largest subgroup.

It's that population growth that prompted the government of Mexico to open a consulate in Anchorage in February 2009, said Javier Abud, the Mexico consul for Alaska.

Abud said most of the Alaska residents counted as Mexicans are actually Mexican-Americans, including many with strong ties to Mexico and border states including California and Texas. In recent years, Alaska has represented a place where higher wages can be found despite financial crises in Mexico and the Lower 48, he said. For example, some have found jobs in Alaska fisheries, earning more than twice as much in hourly wages than they would as field crop workers in California.

With more Mexicans and Mexican-Americans venturing farther north, they're spreading the word to family and friends. That's another reason for their growing numbers in Alaska, Abud said.

"It is a place for opportunities," he said.

The number of black residents grew in the past decade, from about 21,700 to 23,200, but dipped slightly in percentage to 3.3 percent. Hunsinger noted, however, that the number of residents claiming to be part black increased from 5,360, or .9 percent, to 9,887, or 1.4 percent.

Other growing populations include Asians, which make up 5.4 percent of Alaska's population. A big subgroup is those identifying themselves as Filipino, accounting for 2.7 percent of the population.

In the 2010 figures, those identifying themselves as Alaska Native or part Native represent 19.5 percent of the population, or 138,312 people, compared with 19 percent of the population in 2000.

The census figures don't address the issue of Alaska Natives migrating from remote villages to Alaska's larger cities, which offer more opportunities for jobs and education. Hunsinger said that in the coming year, his office plans to build upon past research and take a close look at migration trends around the state.

In Alaska households, the number of traditional married-couple families grew from some 116,300 in 2000 to 127,500, but represented a smaller portion of the total population, 52.5 percent to 49.4 percent.

Households with unmarried partners increased from 2.6 percent to 3.1, while the number of single mothers with minor children at home dropped 1 percent to 6.8 percent. The number of residents living alone rose to 25.6 percent in 2010, from 23.5 percent in 2000.