Harding-Birch Lakes, Alaska Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 277, Harding-Birch Lakes's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Harding-Birch Lakes is a small community located in Alaska, within Fairbanks North Star Borough. The total population is 277. It ranks as the 166th most populous out of 326 Census-designated places in Alaska.

Age Demographics

The median age in Harding-Birch Lakes is 59.5 years. This is 66% higher than the state median of 35.8 years. Only 2.5% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Harding-Birch Lakes is $100,125. This is 8% higher than the state median of $92,788. It is also 24% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 21.7%. This is 114% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.1%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 3.8%. This is 36% lower than the state rate of 5.9%. 89.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 33% higher than the state average of 66.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Every resident counted in Harding-Birch Lakes was recorded as White (non-Hispanic). A figure of exactly 100.0% reflects a survey sample too small to capture the community's full composition rather than a precise measurement.

Education

17.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 45% lower than the state rate of 31.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Harding-Birch Lakes, Alaska is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Alaska state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 326 Census-designated places in Alaska. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.