Population 8,302 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Sitka
Household size in Sitka
| Period | Sitka | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.79 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.51 | 2.88 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.91 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.72 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Sitka is a place of small households, averaging 2.36 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northwest. Sitka has smaller households than the great majority of Alaska cities.
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 Sitka
| Period | Sitka | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.0 | 35.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.2 | 35.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.8 | 35.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.9 | 37.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Sitka is 41.9 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 40.0 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Sitka
| Period | Sitka | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 14.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Sitka: 8.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has fallen 5.7 points since 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 Sitka
Renters in Sitka
| Period | Sitka | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.3% | 35.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 42.4% | 36.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.7% | 35.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.0% | 33.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | −2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly four in ten households in Sitka rent their homes (38.0%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among owners, 45.5% have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 6.3 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Sitka
| Period | Sitka | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.5% | 15.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +1.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Sitka: 16.5% 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. Vacancy is up 5.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Sitka
| Period | Sitka | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1982 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1984 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Sitka was built around 1977, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Alaska as a whole, where the median home dates to 1987. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the center. Only one other Alaska city with 5,000+ people has older homes.
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 Sitka
| Period | Sitka | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,089 | $1,067 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,209 | $1,192 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,173 | $1,322 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,457 | $1,518 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$368 | +$451 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Sitka costs $1,457 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $368 a month from 2006–10, a 34% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.4% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the east and lowest in the north.
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 Sitka
Bachelor's degrees in Sitka
| Period | Sitka | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.8% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 33.1% | 26.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.4% | 29.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.2% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +4.9 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Sitka as nationally: 35.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is higher than in Alaska overall (31.1%). The share with a degree has risen 5.4 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Sitka
| Period | Sitka | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.2% | 90.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.9% | 91.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.7% | 92.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.8% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Sitka: 94.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Alaska. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.6 points, as it has nationally.
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 Sitka
| Period | Sitka | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 9.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 6.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sitka runs well above the national rate: 7.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Unemployment has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. 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).
Sitka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sitka | 2.36 | 41.9 | 8.2% | 38.0% | 16.5% | 1977 | $1,457 | 35.2% | 94.8% | 7.4% |
| Angoon | 2.34 | 50.5 | 10.2% | 29.1% | 53.1% | 1980 | $716 | 20.8% | 91.5% | 27.4% |
| Port Alexander | 3.22 | 39.3 | 51.3% | 40.5% | 61.5% | 1996 | $1,236 | 21.7% | 97.1% | 6.6% |
| Tenakee Springs | 2.59 | 48.6 | 20.8% | 32.0% | 56.9% | 1983 | $803 | 22.1% | 92.5% | 24.2% |
| Kake | 2.24 | 43.4 | 11.7% | 22.2% | 42.1% | 1989 | $1,063 | 13.6% | 94.8% | 11.9% |
| Pelican | 2.22 | 50.9 | 2.5% | 21.1% | 53.2% | 1988 | $748 | 33.1% | 92.7% | 7.6% |
| Sunnyside | 2.27 | 50.3 | 4.5% | 22.4% | 52.4% | 1988 | $789 | 32.3% | 93.0% | 7.9% |
| Hoonah | 2.44 | 44.6 | 10.6% | 35.6% | 27.9% | 1982 | $1,316 | 20.0% | 96.8% | 15.5% |
| Elfin Cove | 2.32 | 46.3 | 8.4% | 31.9% | 37.3% | 1984 | $1,153 | 23.2% | 95.3% | 11.7% |
| Scow Bay | 1.92 | 53.4 | 24.8% | 39.8% | 48.0% | 1987 | $872 | 16.2% | 91.4% | 0.5% |
| Douglas | 2.06 | 38.3 | 10.7% | 48.4% | 10.3% | 1983 | $1,459 | 49.6% | 96.1% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Elmsford, NY · Temple, PA · Tecumseh, OK · Export, PA · Excelsior, MN · Evington, VA · Tea, SD · Tazewell, TN · Eudora, KS · Estes Park, CO
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 Sitka. 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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