Population Overview

KPB population trends are determined through the decennial census conducted by the United States Census Bureau. A portion of Census 2000 data is presented in this section. Additional data is available through the U.S. Census Bureau or through the KPB CEDD office. Check out the U.S. Census Bureau website (http://www.census.gov/), which has two fantastic options, QuickFacts, and AmericanFactFinder.

Census data is collected for two types of area, incorporated cities and Census Designated Places (CDP). Incorporated cities within the KPB include Homer, Kachemak City, Kenai, Seldovia, Seward and Soldotna. To be classified as a CDP, there are no specific boundaries but rather geographic features such as rivers, roads, or ridges. Certain characteristics must be present, including:  1) A sense of community;  2) A population of 25 or more; and3) It must have been recognized as possibly fitting the criteria four years prior to the census as planning began.

The Census Bureau considers an incorporated city with a population greater than 2,500 to be urban, of which there are four in the KPB: Homer, Kenai, Seward and Soldotna. As of Census 2000 Kenai is ranked 6th largest in Alaska, Homer ranks 14th, and Soldotna is the 15th largest Alaskan city.