Boroughs with the most born-and-bred residents in Alaska

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Ground Picture // Shutterstock
Ground Picture // Shutterstock

Many people choose not to leave the state they were raised in for reasons ranging from wanting to be close to family, to not having the resources to leave, to sticking with a lower cost of living.

In order to determine where people stay put in your home state, Stacker compiled a list of boroughs with the most born-and-bred residents in Alaska using data from the Census Bureau. Boroughs are ranked by the highest percentage of residents who were born in the state according to the latest data, which is 2024 five-year estimates. The percentage of residents who were born in another state, a U.S. territory, and another country is also included.

Read on to find out where the most loyal Alaska residents live.

30. Aleutians West Census Area
- Population: 5,235
- Born in Alaska: 760 (14.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,904 (36.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 318 (6.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,253 (43.0% of population)

29. Denali Borough
- Population: 1,969
- Born in Alaska: 463 (23.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,332 (67.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 51 (2.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 123 (6.2% of population)

28. Skagway
- Population: 1,244
- Born in Alaska: 315 (25.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 693 (55.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 38 (3.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 198 (15.9% of population)

27. Haines Borough
- Population: 2,086
- Born in Alaska: 672 (32.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,135 (54.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 115 (5.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 164 (7.9% of population)

26. Sitka
- Population: 8,368
- Born in Alaska: 2,731 (32.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,730 (56.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 72 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 835 (10.0% of population)

25. Kodiak Island Borough
- Population: 12,771
- Born in Alaska: 4,184 (32.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,869 (46.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 333 (2.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,385 (18.7% of population)

24. Fairbanks North Star Borough
- Population: 95,460
- Born in Alaska: 31,821 (33.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 54,870 (57.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 3,422 (3.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 5,347 (5.6% of population)

23. Petersburg Borough
- Population: 3,409
- Born in Alaska: 1,183 (34.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,694 (49.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 61 (1.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 471 (13.8% of population)

22. Yakutat
- Population: 527
- Born in Alaska: 192 (36.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 208 (39.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 30 (5.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 97 (18.4% of population)

21. Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
- Population: 7,068
- Born in Alaska: 2,587 (36.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,581 (50.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 291 (4.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 609 (8.6% of population)

20. Chugach Census Area
- Population: 6,862
- Born in Alaska: 2,555 (37.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,796 (55.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 110 (1.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 401 (5.8% of population)

19. Kenai Peninsula Borough
- Population: 60,413
- Born in Alaska: 23,003 (38.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 34,518 (57.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 671 (1.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,221 (3.7% of population)

18. Juneau
- Population: 31,794
- Born in Alaska: 12,559 (39.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 16,182 (50.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 609 (1.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,444 (7.7% of population)

17. Anchorage
- Population: 288,976
- Born in Alaska: 116,154 (40.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 133,372 (46.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 8,021 (2.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 31,429 (10.9% of population)

16. Ketchikan Gateway Borough
- Population: 13,768
- Born in Alaska: 5,657 (41.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 6,813 (49.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 193 (1.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,105 (8.0% of population)

15. Matanuska-Susitna Borough
- Population: 112,988
- Born in Alaska: 47,689 (42.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 60,315 (53.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 1,724 (1.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 3,260 (2.9% of population)

14. Bristol Bay Borough
- Population: 918
- Born in Alaska: 411 (44.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 333 (36.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 70 (7.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 104 (11.3% of population)

13. Wrangell
- Population: 2,088
- Born in Alaska: 938 (44.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,014 (48.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 22 (1.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 114 (5.5% of population)

12. Aleutians East Borough
- Population: 3,491
- Born in Alaska: 1,638 (46.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 856 (24.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 176 (5.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 821 (23.5% of population)

11. Copper River Census Area
- Population: 2,626
- Born in Alaska: 1,279 (48.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,279 (48.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 41 (1.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 27 (1.0% of population)

10. Hoonah–Angoon Census Area
- Population: 2,311
- Born in Alaska: 1,177 (50.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 953 (41.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 24 (1.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 157 (6.8% of population)

9. Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area
- Population: 5,715
- Born in Alaska: 3,076 (53.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,422 (42.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 33 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 184 (3.2% of population)

8. North Slope Borough
- Population: 10,810
- Born in Alaska: 6,735 (62.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,180 (29.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 160 (1.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 735 (6.8% of population)

7. Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area
- Population: 5,195
- Born in Alaska: 3,809 (73.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,149 (22.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 77 (1.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 160 (3.1% of population)

6. Dillingham Census Area
- Population: 4,724
- Born in Alaska: 3,841 (81.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 687 (14.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 4 (0.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 192 (4.1% of population)

5. Lake and Peninsula Borough
- Population: 1,013
- Born in Alaska: 833 (82.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 118 (11.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 9 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 53 (5.2% of population)

4. Nome Census Area
- Population: 9,866
- Born in Alaska: 8,415 (85.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,223 (12.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 13 (0.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 215 (2.2% of population)

3. Northwest Arctic Borough
- Population: 7,441
- Born in Alaska: 6,506 (87.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 726 (9.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 42 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 167 (2.2% of population)

2. Bethel Census Area
- Population: 18,394
- Born in Alaska: 16,367 (89.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,682 (9.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 23 (0.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 322 (1.8% of population)

1. Kusilvak Census Area
- Population: 8,176
- Born in Alaska: 7,749 (94.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 259 (3.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 16 (0.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 152 (1.9% of population)

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