Anchorage, AK Metro Area
The Anchorage, AK metro area is made up of 2 counties and equivalents in Alaska: Anchorage and Matanuska-Susitna. About 405,821 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 1.9% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 405,821 1.9% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties and equivalents
- 2: 1 central, 1 outlying
- Land area
- 26,414 sq mi (68,412 km²)
- Time zone
- Alaska TimeUTC-09:00 in January; UTC-08:00 in July
- State
- Alaska
- CBSA code
- 11260
Counties and equivalents in the Anchorage, AK metro area, largest first
| County or equivalent | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage Municipality | Central | 287,155 | 70.8% |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Outlying | 118,666 | 29.2% |
A central county or equivalent holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county or equivalent is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central county or equivalent, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county or equivalent belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Anchorage288,976 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
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