Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Ketchikan Gateway Borough is located in Alaska with a total population of 13,768. It is the 7th most populous county out of 30 in Alaska. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Ketchikan Gateway Borough is 41.0 years. This is 15% higher than the state median of 35.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Ketchikan Gateway Borough is $92,885. This is about the same as the state median of $92,788. It is also 15% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.7%. This is 14% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.1%. The unemployment rate is 3.1%. This is 47% lower than the state rate of 5.9%. The median home value is $393,300. Housing costs are 11% higher than the state median of $352,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.2x. 68.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% higher than the state average of 66.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Ketchikan Gateway Borough is White (non-Hispanic), making up 60.4% of the population. Asian residents account for 8.9%. The Black or African American population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 2.9%.

Education

27.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 13% lower than the state rate of 31.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 95.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Ketchikan Gateway Borough come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Alaska and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.