Most rural boroughs in Alaska
A surprising number of U.S. counties have 100% rural land-702, in fact. compiled a list of the most rural boroughs in Alaska using data from the . Boroughs are ranked by the percent of land area that is rural, as of the 2010 Census, with ties broken by residents per square mile, according to 2020 5-year population estimates.
According to the Census Bureau, rural land encompasses any land that isn't an urban area. To be considered an urban area, a place has to have a densely settled core of census tracts or blocks and count at least 2,500 people, at least 1,500 of whom must be residents of non-institutional buildings. Areas with 50,000 people or more are considered urbanized areas, while areas with between 2,500 and 50,000 people are considered urban clusters.
#30. Anchorage Municipality
- Rural area: 94.1% (1,603 square miles)
- Urban area: 5.9% (101 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,705 square miles
--- #28 largest borough in state, #352 nationwide
- Population density: 171.3 people / square mile (292,090 residents)
--- #30 lowest density borough in state, #2,540 nationwide
#29. Fairbanks North Star Borough
- Rural area: 99.2% (7,277 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.8% (61 square miles)
- Total land area: 7,338 square miles
--- #17 largest borough in state, #42 nationwide
- Population density: 13.4 people / square mile (98,455 residents)
--- #29 lowest density borough in state, #687 nationwide
#28. Juneau City and Borough
- Rural area: 99.5% (2,688 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.5% (14 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,702 square miles
--- #25 largest borough in state, #191 nationwide
- Population density: 11.9 people / square mile (32,099 residents)
--- #28 lowest density borough in state, #631 nationwide
#27. Matanuska-Susitna Borough
- Rural area: 99.8% (24,556 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.2% (52 square miles)
- Total land area: 24,608 square miles
--- #7 largest borough in state, #7 nationwide
- Population density: 4.4 people / square mile (107,360 residents)
--- #27 lowest density borough in state, #341 nationwide
#26. Sitka City and Borough
- Rural area: 99.9% (2,866 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (4 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,870 square miles
--- #24 largest borough in state, #182 nationwide
- Population density: 3.0 people / square mile (8,569 residents)
--- #25 lowest density borough in state, #236 nationwide
#25. Ketchikan Gateway Borough
- Rural area: 99.9% (4,853 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (6 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,858 square miles
--- #20 largest borough in state, #83 nationwide
- Population density: 2.8 people / square mile (13,833 residents)
--- #23 lowest density borough in state, #223 nationwide
#24. Kenai Peninsula Borough
- Rural area: 99.9% (16,063 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (13 square miles)
- Total land area: 16,075 square miles
--- #12 largest borough in state, #16 nationwide
- Population density: 3.7 people / square mile (58,809 residents)
--- #26 lowest density borough in state, #285 nationwide
#23. Kodiak Island Borough
- Rural area: 100.0% (6,546 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (3 square miles)
- Total land area: 6,550 square miles
--- #19 largest borough in state, #52 nationwide
- Population density: 2.0 people / square mile (13,383 residents)
--- #22 lowest density borough in state, #158 nationwide
#22. Bethel Census Area
- Rural area: 100.0% (40,568 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (2 square miles)
- Total land area: 40,570 square miles
--- #3 largest borough in state, #3 nationwide
- Population density: 0.5 people / square mile (18,263 residents)
--- #12 lowest density borough in state, #23 nationwide
#21. Skagway Municipality
- Rural area: 100.0% (452 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 452 square miles
--- #30 largest borough in state, #2,262 nationwide
- Population density: 2.9 people / square mile (1,300 residents)
--- #24 lowest density borough in state, #224 nationwide
#20. Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area
- Rural area: 100.0% (3,923 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,923 square miles
--- #22 largest borough in state, #126 nationwide
- Population density: 1.6 people / square mile (6,338 residents)
--- #21 lowest density borough in state, #122 nationwide
#19. Bristol Bay Borough
- Rural area: 100.0% (504 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 504 square miles
--- #29 largest borough in state, #2,064 nationwide
- Population density: 1.5 people / square mile (739 residents)
--- #20 lowest density borough in state, #106 nationwide
#18. Aleutians West Census Area
- Rural area: 100.0% (4,390 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,390 square miles
--- #21 largest borough in state, #104 nationwide
- Population density: 1.3 people / square mile (5,708 residents)
--- #19 lowest density borough in state, #95 nationwide
#17. Haines Borough
- Rural area: 100.0% (2,319 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,319 square miles
--- #27 largest borough in state, #240 nationwide
- Population density: 1.1 people / square mile (2,547 residents)
--- #18 lowest density borough in state, #80 nationwide
#16. Petersburg Borough
- Rural area: 100.0% (3,282 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,282 square miles
--- #23 largest borough in state, #156 nationwide
- Population density: 1.0 people / square mile (3,278 residents)
--- #17 lowest density borough in state, #69 nationwide
#15. Wrangell City and Borough
- Rural area: 100.0% (2,541 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,541 square miles
--- #26 largest borough in state, #215 nationwide
- Population density: 1.0 people / square mile (2,510 residents)
--- #16 lowest density borough in state, #66 nationwide
#14. Chugach Census Area
- Rural area: 100.0% (9,530 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 9,530 square miles
--- #14 largest borough in state, #27 nationwide
- Population density: 0.7 people / square mile (6,495 residents)
--- #15 lowest density borough in state, #39 nationwide
#13. Kusilvak Census Area
- Rural area: 100.0% (17,081 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 17,081 square miles
--- #11 largest borough in state, #15 nationwide
- Population density: 0.5 people / square mile (8,298 residents)
--- #14 lowest density borough in state, #25 nationwide
#12. Aleutians East Borough
- Rural area: 100.0% (6,982 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 6,982 square miles
--- #18 largest borough in state, #44 nationwide
- Population density: 0.5 people / square mile (3,389 residents)
--- #13 lowest density borough in state, #24 nationwide
#11. Nome Census Area
- Rural area: 100.0% (22,961 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (1 square miles)
- Total land area: 22,962 square miles
--- #9 largest borough in state, #9 nationwide
- Population density: 0.4 people / square mile (10,009 residents)
--- #11 lowest density borough in state, #20 nationwide
#10. Hoonah-Angoon Census Area
- Rural area: 100.0% (7,525 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 7,525 square miles
--- #16 largest borough in state, #41 nationwide
- Population density: 0.3 people / square mile (2,135 residents)
--- #10 lowest density borough in state, #15 nationwide
#9. Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
- Rural area: 100.0% (24,769 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 24,769 square miles
--- #5 largest borough in state, #5 nationwide
- Population density: 0.3 people / square mile (6,911 residents)
--- #9 lowest density borough in state, #13 nationwide
#8. Dillingham Census Area
- Rural area: 100.0% (18,569 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 18,569 square miles
--- #10 largest borough in state, #12 nationwide
- Population density: 0.3 people / square mile (4,934 residents)
--- #8 lowest density borough in state, #11 nationwide
#7. Northwest Arctic Borough
- Rural area: 100.0% (35,572 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (1 square miles)
- Total land area: 35,573 square miles
--- #4 largest borough in state, #4 nationwide
- Population density: 0.2 people / square mile (7,709 residents)
--- #7 lowest density borough in state, #9 nationwide
#6. Denali Borough
- Rural area: 100.0% (12,751 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 12,751 square miles
--- #13 largest borough in state, #18 nationwide
- Population density: 0.2 people / square mile (2,502 residents)
--- #6 lowest density borough in state, #7 nationwide
#5. Copper River Census Area
- Rural area: 100.0% (24,692 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 24,692 square miles
--- #6 largest borough in state, #6 nationwide
- Population density: 0.1 people / square mile (2,894 residents)
--- #5 lowest density borough in state, #5 nationwide
#4. North Slope Borough
- Rural area: 100.0% (88,695 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (1 square miles)
- Total land area: 88,695 square miles
--- #2 largest borough in state, #2 nationwide
- Population density: 0.1 people / square mile (9,375 residents)
--- #4 lowest density borough in state, #4 nationwide
#3. Yakutat City and Borough
- Rural area: 100.0% (7,649 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 7,649 square miles
--- #15 largest borough in state, #40 nationwide
- Population density: 0.1 people / square mile (597 residents)
--- #3 lowest density borough in state, #3 nationwide
#2. Lake and Peninsula Borough
- Rural area: 100.0% (23,652 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 23,652 square miles
--- #8 largest borough in state, #8 nationwide
- Population density: 0.0 people / square mile (1,156 residents)
--- #2 lowest density borough in state, #2 nationwide
#1. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
- Rural area: 100.0% (145,505 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 145,505 square miles
--- #1 largest borough in state, #1 nationwide
- Population density: 0.0 people / square mile (5,305 residents)
--- #1 lowest density borough in state, #1 nationwide
