Population 11,298 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Spenard
Household size in Spenard
| Period | Spenard | Anchorage | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.24 | 2.67 | 2.79 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.38 | 2.77 | 2.88 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.15 | 2.72 | 2.91 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.29 | 2.70 | 2.72 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.06 | +0.03 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in Spenard are small: just 2.29 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.24, even as the national average fell.
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 Spenard
| Period | Spenard | Anchorage | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.3 | 35.2 | 35.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.6 | 35.4 | 35.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.3 | 36.1 | 35.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.9 | 36.8 | 37.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.7 | +1.6 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.9, Spenard is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has climbed from 33.3 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the southeast.
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 Spenard
| Period | Spenard | Anchorage | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 14.8% | 14.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 14.0% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 13.0% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 13.4% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Spenard than nationally: 14.4%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 4.0 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Spenard
Renters in Spenard
| Period | Spenard | Anchorage | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 57.8% | 39.1% | 35.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 63.2% | 40.0% | 36.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 60.7% | 38.2% | 35.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 63.2% | 37.0% | 33.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Spenard: 63.2% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. About four in ten owners (40.3%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the northeast; owners are most common in the southeast. The renter share has risen 5.5 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Spenard
| Period | Spenard | Anchorage | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.1% | 7.9% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 8.7% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 10.4% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.3% | 10.6% | 15.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +2.7 pts | +1.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 22.3% of the housing in Spenard, 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 has risen 5.1 points since 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 Spenard
| Period | Spenard | Anchorage | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1980 | 1982 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1980 | 1984 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1981 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1982 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +2 | +5 | +6 |
Housing in Spenard leans a little older: the median home dates to 1974, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Spenard
| Period | Spenard | Anchorage | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $917 | $1,182 | $1,067 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,043 | $1,263 | $1,192 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,178 | $1,511 | $1,322 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,293 | $1,667 | $1,518 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$375 | +$486 | +$451 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Spenard costs $1,293 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $375 a month from 2006–10, a 41% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 29.8% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest 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 Spenard
Bachelor's degrees in Spenard
| Period | Spenard | Anchorage | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.4% | 31.8% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.3% | 31.6% | 26.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.7% | 34.6% | 29.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.5% | 37.1% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +5.3 pts | +4.9 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a quarter of adults 25 and older in Spenard (26.5%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has edged up 1.1 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the east.
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 Spenard
| Period | Spenard | Anchorage | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.4% | 90.8% | 90.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.3% | 91.4% | 91.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.9% | 93.1% | 92.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.2% | 93.4% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +2.6 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Spenard have finished high school (91.2%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Even so, the rate is lower than in Anchorage as a whole (93.4%). The share with a diploma is up 3.8 points from 2006–10, 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 Spenard
| Period | Spenard | Anchorage | Alaska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 5.9% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 4.7% | 6.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −3.2 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Spenard runs well above the national rate: 7.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Of Anchorage's 22 neighborhoods, only two have higher unemployment. Unemployment has fallen 2.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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).
Spenard compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spenard | 2.29 | 35.9 | 14.4% | 63.2% | 22.3% | 1974 | $1,293 | 26.5% | 91.2% | 7.4% |
| Midtown | 1.94 | 33.6 | 16.5% | 74.3% | 17.6% | 1977 | $1,196 | 35.5% | 87.8% | 4.8% |
| Turnagain | 2.65 | 41.1 | 12.9% | 30.5% | 11.5% | 1977 | $1,746 | 48.2% | 95.1% | 7.0% |
| North Star | 2.25 | 38.5 | 12.7% | 57.4% | 18.4% | 1975 | $1,291 | 34.9% | 96.3% | 0.3% |
| South Addition | 2.12 | 44.6 | 6.2% | 49.0% | 19.1% | 1971 | $1,791 | 56.8% | 98.8% | 1.4% |
| Rogers Park | 2.98 | 44.0 | 3.3% | 11.3% | 10.0% | 1968 | $1,876 | 48.6% | 93.3% | 2.7% |
| Taku-Campbell | 2.62 | 35.3 | 12.1% | 40.8% | 10.7% | 1984 | $1,703 | 29.8% | 95.1% | 2.4% |
| Fairview | 2.16 | 35.9 | 17.6% | 78.8% | 16.4% | 1975 | $1,227 | 20.4% | 89.3% | 6.0% |
| Campbell Park | 2.66 | 30.8 | 24.0% | 39.3% | 10.1% | 1980 | $1,853 | 29.0% | 93.7% | 3.7% |
| Sand Lake | 2.80 | 36.0 | 13.9% | 29.8% | 8.5% | 1986 | $1,950 | 38.6% | 96.5% | 3.7% |
| Airport Heights | 2.67 | 34.8 | 11.4% | 34.7% | 12.4% | 1972 | $1,430 | 41.3% | 92.0% | 8.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Lawndale, Philadelphia, PA · Yorkshire, Charlotte, NC · University District, Portland, OR · Union Square, Somerville, MA · South 48th Street, Lincoln, NE · Prospect Park, Minneapolis, MN · Outer Mission, San Francisco, CA · McMurray-Huntingdon, Nashville, TN · La Homa, Mission, TX · Kensington, Buffalo, NY
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 Spenard. 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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