Population 1,677 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bear Creek
Household size in Bear Creek
| Period | Bear Creek | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.83 | 2.79 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.79 | 2.88 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.91 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.35 | 2.72 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.48 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Bear Creek is a place of small households, averaging 2.35 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.83 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Bear Creek
| Period | Bear Creek | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.4 | 35.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.6 | 35.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.3 | 35.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.3 | 37.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +13.9 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 49.3, Bear Creek is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Bear Creek
| Period | Bear Creek | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 14.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.7% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.1% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −9.9 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 1.1% of households in Bear Creek, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Bear Creek
Renters in Bear Creek
| Period | Bear Creek | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.1% | 35.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.2% | 36.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.0% | 35.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 43.0% | 33.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +14.8 pts | −2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is more common in Bear Creek than nationally: 43.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 43.3% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Bear Creek
| Period | Bear Creek | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.1% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 40.2% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.9% | 15.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +10.8 pts | +1.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Bear Creek: 25.9% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Bear Creek
| Period | Bear Creek | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1982 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1988 | 1984 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1995 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1996 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | +16 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Bear Creek is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1996, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Bear Creek
| Period | Bear Creek | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $865 | $1,067 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $870 | $1,192 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $822 | $1,322 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,363 | $1,518 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$498 | +$451 | +$606 |
The median renter in Bear Creek pays $1,363 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 22.7% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Bear Creek
Bachelor's degrees in Bear Creek
| Period | Bear Creek | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.8% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.8% | 26.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.7% | 29.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.7% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | +14.9 pts | +4.9 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a third of adults 25 and older in Bear Creek (36.7%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is higher than in Alaska overall (31.1%).
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Bear Creek
| Period | Bear Creek | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.3% | 90.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.4% | 91.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.5% | 92.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.8% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +11.5 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Bear Creek: 98.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Bear Creek
| Period | Bear Creek | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.3% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 9.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 6.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Bear Creek than nationally: unemployment was 6.6%, against 5.4%. The picture is much the same across Alaska. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Bear Creek compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek | 2.35 | 49.3 | 1.1% | 43.0% | 25.9% | 1996 | $1,363 | 36.7% | 98.8% | 6.6% |
| Seward | 2.23 | 38.5 | 8.8% | 31.8% | 25.4% | 1982 | $1,156 | 42.1% | 94.5% | 2.4% |
| Moose Pass | 2.14 | 43.9 | 8.1% | 31.9% | 70.5% | 1980 | $1,404 | 31.8% | 95.8% | 0.2% |
| Cooper Landing | 2.14 | 43.9 | 8.1% | 31.9% | 70.5% | 1980 | $1,404 | 31.8% | 95.8% | 0.2% |
| Chenega | 2.46 | 31.8 | 9.5% | 60.8% | 63.5% | 1956 | $961 | 29.6% | 92.4% | 6.0% |
| Whittier | 2.46 | 31.8 | 9.5% | 60.7% | 63.5% | 1956 | $962 | 29.6% | 92.4% | 6.0% |
| Hope | 2.14 | 43.9 | 8.1% | 31.9% | 70.5% | 1980 | $1,404 | 31.8% | 95.8% | 0.2% |
| Sterling | 2.24 | 46.0 | 0.9% | 13.2% | 30.6% | 1994 | $1,259 | 26.9% | 96.5% | 5.3% |
| Girdwood | 2.22 | 46.0 | 8.8% | 14.6% | 40.2% | 1990 | $1,849 | 51.3% | 98.5% | 7.7% |
| Indian | 1.99 | 43.2 | 9.9% | 20.6% | 39.2% | 1985 | $1,849 | 50.6% | 97.9% | 0.8% |
| Soldotna | 2.32 | 43.1 | 7.1% | 27.4% | 19.6% | 1994 | $1,168 | 27.2% | 96.5% | 6.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Wright, WY · Seminole, AL · Gordon, NE · Huntland, TN · Startzville, TX · Stoneboro, PA · Thorndale, TX · Southport, IN · South Greensburg, PA · Avilla, AR
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Bear Creek. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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