Census-designated place · Alaska
Ester, Alaska
Ester, census-designated place, in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. Ester had 2,416 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,752 (±885). GEOID 0223460.
Residents, 2020 Census
2,416
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 2,752 ±885
Median household income
$53,272
±$34,700 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$255,400
±$84,790 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$1,208
±$365 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Ester and what county is it in?
Ester is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. It covers 64.2 square miles of land, 38 residents per square mile in 2020.
Ester is in the Fairbanks-College, AK metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Ester, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 2,416 residents in Ester, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 2,752 (±885).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Ester is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Ester | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,752 ±885 | 95,460 | +1,130 |
| Households | 1,386 ±372 | 36,359 | +868 |
| Average household size | 1.87 ±0.35 | 2.51 | −0.94 |
| Housing units | 1,556 ±386 | 42,680 | +752 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Ester?
The median resident of Ester is 38.0 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 79.8%, then non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents at 6.5%.
| Measure | Ester | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.0 ±11.6 | 32.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 13.1% ±12.5 pts | 23.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.0% ±8.2 pts | 12.7% | – |
| Male | 62.0% ±5.1 pts | 54.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.8% ±2.5 pts | 8.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 79.8% ±9.7 pts | 66.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.2% ±3.1 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 2.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±1.0 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 6.5% ±7.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.5% ±5.1 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.4% ±5.6 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.3% ±6.0 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 15.0% ±9.7 pts | 13.7% | – |
| With a disability | 13.1% ±10.6 pts | 14.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.0% ±6.7 pts | 9.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.2% ±4.8 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 50.5% ±15.7 pts | 33.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 21.1% ±12.4 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.2% ±12.8 pts | 82.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.9% ±2.9 pts | 6.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Ester earn?
Half of Ester's 1,386 households earn less than $53,272 a year (±$34,700), against $88,267 in Fairbanks North Star Borough and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $80,812 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Ester | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,272 ±$34,700 | $88,267 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $86,771 ±$34,441 | $112,548 | – |
| Per capita income | $41,460 ±$8,667 | $45,905 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.9% ±7.7 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 7.2% ±17.7 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.8% ±10.2 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 100.0% ±1.8 pts | 98.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.3% ±12.9 pts | 91.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Ester?
Owners occupy 55.6% of Ester's occupied homes and renters 44.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $255,400 by its owner (±$84,790). The median renter pays $1,208 a month including utilities, and 37.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Ester | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $255,400 ±$84,790 | $298,200 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,208 ±$365 | $1,459 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 37.7% ±23.1 pts | 36.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,125 ±$820 | $2,194 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 55.6% ±18.3 pts | 61.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 44.4% ±18.3 pts | 38.3% | – |
| Housing units | 1,556 ±386 | 42,680 | +752 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 83.4% ±11.6 pts | 60.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.2% ±6.3 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 12.3% ±8.9 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.4% ±8.5 pts | 4.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Ester work and get to work?
83.5% of Ester's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.3 minutes.
| Measure | Ester | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.5% ±11.4 pts | 68.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% ±7.0 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.5% ±10.7 pts | 71.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 1.6% ±2.6 pts | 12.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.9 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 9.7% ±9.3 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.3 min ±6.0 | 19.2 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Ester?
No census tract lies mostly in Ester; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 19.01Fairbanks North Star Borough | 5,925 | $78,632 |
| Tract 9Fairbanks North Star Borough | 6,003 | $132,725 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Ester) · Census block assignment files
How does Ester compare with other places in Alaska?
Ester ranks 67th of 69 places in Alaska with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 41st | 71 |
| Residents per square mile | 53rd | 71 |
| Median household income | 67th | 69 |
| Per capita income | 46th | 71 |
| Median home value | 59th | 66 |
| Median gross rent | 38th | 62 |
| Poverty rate | 23rd | 57 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 2nd | 69 |
| Median age | 42nd | 71 |
| Owner-occupied share | 60th | 68 |
| Travel time to work | 35th | 69 |
Ester's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Ester with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Ester?
26 of the 57 figures for Ester on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Ester are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.