Some new analysis from the State of Alaska shows that Alaska's Hispanic population is growing and currently makes up over 5-percent of the population.
Nationally Hispanics are the largest minority group in the nation and make up over 16-percent of the population. However, the percentage is much smaller in Alaska at just 5.5-percent according to the 2010 Census numbers. That's up from the 4-percent of the population counted as part of the 2000 Census. That increase represents over 13-thousand people. The analysis from the Alaska Department of Labor shows that the median age of Hispanics in Alaska was 24.4 years old. That's much younger than the median age of the entire population that was recorded at 33.8-years old. The Department's Demographer notes that roughly half of Alaska's Hispanic population growth between 2000 and 2010 is due to migration. Over 56-percent of the of Hispanic Alaskans live in Anchorage. According to the analysis included in the latest edition of Alaska Economic Trends there are somewhat higher shares of Hispanic residents in the Aleutians East Borough and the Aleutians West Census Area, where many work in the seafood industry. The data indicates that over 77-percent of Hispanic Alaskans were born in the United States and of those 25 or older over 76-percent have a high school diploma. Over 18-percent have a bachelor's degree. Alaska's Hispanic Population had a per capita income in 2010 of just over $20-thousand dollars, which is well below the overall per capita income in Alaska of $30.7-thousand dollars. However, the State's Demographer writes that age has a lot to do with income, and a large share of the young Hispanic population in the state isn't old enough to work. Just 11.6-percent of the Hispanics in Alaska live below the poverty line. That's just slightly above the statewide poverty rate of 9.5-percent. The data about Alaska's Hispanic Population can be found in the February edition of Alaska Economic Trends. It's a free publication from the Alaska Department of Labor and it can be downloaded from the Department's website.