Population 12,450 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in College
Household size in College
| Period | College | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.56 | 2.79 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.72 | 2.88 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.91 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.65 | 2.72 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.09 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
At 2.65 people per household, College sits right at the national average. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.56, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
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 College
| Period | College | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.3 | 35.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.6 | 35.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.0 | 35.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.6 | 37.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.3 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
College is young: half of its residents are under 35.6, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults and children. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northeast.
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 College
| Period | College | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 14.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.5% of households in College, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 3.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 College
Renters in College
| Period | College | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5% | 35.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 40.6% | 36.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.1% | 35.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.9% | 33.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in College rent their homes (36.9%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Alaska overall (33.2%). Just over half of owners (51.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has edged up 1.4 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 College
| Period | College | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 15.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +1.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in College: 11.4% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Even so, the rate is lower than in Alaska as a whole (15.2%).
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 College
| Period | College | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1982 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1984 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in College are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1981, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Alaska as a whole, where the median home dates to 1987. College has older homes than the great majority of Alaska cities.
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 College
| Period | College | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,024 | $1,067 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,102 | $1,192 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,347 | $1,322 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,467 | $1,518 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$443 | +$451 | +$606 |
The median renter in College pays $1,467 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $443 a month since 2006–10, up 43%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.5% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 College
Bachelor's degrees in College
| Period | College | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.6% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 38.5% | 26.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 43.3% | 29.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.4% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +4.9 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in College (39.4%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the east. Only two of the 25 Alaska cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of college graduates.
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 College
| Period | College | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.3% | 90.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.7% | 91.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.1% | 92.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.5% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in College: 95.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. College has a higher share of high school graduates than most Alaska cities.
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 College
| Period | College | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 9.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 6.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in College than nationally: unemployment was 3.5%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.8 points, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
College 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College | 2.65 | 35.6 | 7.5% | 36.9% | 11.4% | 1981 | $1,467 | 39.4% | 95.5% | 3.5% |
| Fairbanks | 2.34 | 37.2 | 10.5% | 43.2% | 13.1% | 1981 | $1,285 | 32.2% | 94.3% | 4.8% |
| South Van Horn | 2.42 | 48.9 | 6.8% | 9.9% | 15.6% | 1974 | $1,350 | 9.9% | 92.7% | 14.3% |
| Fort Wainwright | 3.28 | 23.5 | 1.5% | 94.9% | 11.2% | 2003 | $2,277 | 29.5% | 98.4% | 10.9% |
| Farmers Loop | 2.66 | 37.2 | 6.8% | 18.7% | 19.9% | 1985 | $1,329 | 33.9% | 96.4% | 2.8% |
| Ester | 2.11 | 41.2 | 4.3% | 25.4% | 13.3% | 1993 | $934 | 57.8% | 97.9% | 6.4% |
| Steele Creek | 2.73 | 42.0 | 5.0% | 10.4% | 18.4% | 1993 | $1,424 | 35.1% | 95.1% | 0.5% |
| Badger | 2.80 | 34.7 | 9.0% | 20.5% | 10.8% | 1986 | $1,654 | 22.8% | 93.4% | 6.9% |
| North Pole | 2.61 | 31.0 | 7.9% | 39.1% | 14.8% | 1986 | $1,478 | 29.8% | 94.7% | 3.9% |
| Eielson Afb | 3.10 | 26.8 | 5.6% | 80.6% | 14.0% | 1996 | $2,005 | 39.8% | 95.0% | 11.3% |
| Pleasant Valley | 2.48 | 46.7 | 2.7% | 15.0% | 33.0% | 1991 | $1,098 | 59.5% | 94.0% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Vienna, WV · Duvall, WA · East Bethel, MN · East Grand Rapids, MI · East Hampton, CT · East Hanover, NJ · Wallingford, PA · Eastman, GA · Walden, NY · Wakefield, RI
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 College. 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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