City · Alaska
Whittier, Alaska
Whittier, city, in Chugach Census Area, Alaska. Whittier had 249 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 10.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 272 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 411 (±135). GEOID 0284510.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
249
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 272 · ACS 2020-2024: 411 ±135
Median household income
$62,500
±$29,179 (90% margin)
Alaska: $92,788
Median home value
$83,800
±$14,265 (90% margin)
Alaska: $352,900
Median gross rent
$961
±$63 (90% margin)
Alaska: $1,419
Where is Whittier and what county is it in?
Whittier is a city in Chugach Census Area, Alaska. It covers 12.3 square miles of land, 22 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Whittier, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 249 people lived in Whittier on July 1, 2025, down 10.4% since 2020, while Alaska grew 0.5%. The 2020 Census counted 272 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 411 (±135).
| Measure | Whittier | Chugach Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 411 ±135 | 6,862 | no clear change |
| Households | 138 ±46 | 2,861 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.37 ±0.58 | 2.25 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 315 ±50 | 3,922 | no clear change |
Whittier's population since 2000
From 182 in 2000 to 249 in 2025: up 36.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Whittier as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
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 Whittier?
The median resident of Whittier is 31.8 years old; 25.8% are under 18 and 14.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 36.3%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 21.9%. 18.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Whittier | Chugach Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.8 ±8.6 | 37.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 25.8% ±14.6 pts | 20.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 14.4% ±7.1 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Male | 40.6% ±6.4 pts | 53.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 18.0% ±11.7 pts | 4.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 36.3% ±15.3 pts | 70.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.9 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 21.9% ±16.5 pts | 5.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 10.0% ±8.7 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 7.3% ±4.9 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.8% ±4.2 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.4 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 18.7% ±8.4 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 43.9% ±19.4 pts | 13.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.5% ±6.7 pts | 8.6% | – |
| With a disability | 9.8% ±5.7 pts | 14.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 16.9% ±9.5 pts | 11.4% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.0% ±7.3 pts | 96.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 33.2% ±12.0 pts | 31.4% | +15.9 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 14.2% ±13.4 pts | 12.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.4% ±8.8 pts | 86.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.0% ±10.5 pts | 8.3% | – |
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 Whittier earn?
Half of Whittier's 138 households earn less than $62,500 a year (±$29,179), against $90,509 in Chugach Census Area and $92,788 in Alaska. In 2015-2019 it was $72,611 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 20.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Whittier | Chugach Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,500 ±$29,179 | $90,509 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $84,610 ±$17,845 | $112,444 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,155 ±$10,237 | $47,365 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 20.4% ±8.1 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 17.0% ±13.0 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.1% ±11.3 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.4% ±4.4 pts | 97.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.2% ±6.1 pts | 96.9% | – |
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 Whittier?
Owners occupy 40.6% of Whittier's occupied homes and renters 59.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $83,800 by its owner (±$14,265). The median renter pays $961 a month including utilities, and 31.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Whittier | Chugach Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $83,800 ±$14,265 | $346,200 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $961 ±$63 | $1,369 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 31.4% ±14.9 pts | 22.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,500 ±$1,489 | $2,216 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 40.6% ±13.7 pts | 63.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 59.4% ±13.7 pts | 36.2% | – |
| Housing units | 315 ±50 | 3,922 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±33.4 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 13.7% ±11.4 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 6.3% ±2.9 pts | 53.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 17.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.3% ±0.9 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.0% ±1.2 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.4% ±6.8 pts | 6.7% | – |
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 many new homes is Whittier building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Whittier in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 1.2 across Alaska.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Whittier work and get to work?
34.5% of Whittier's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 7.6 minutes.
| Measure | Whittier | Chugach Census Area | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.0% ±9.3 pts | 70.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.0% ±6.3 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 34.5% ±16.3 pts | 65.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 23.6% ±20.0 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±13.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 34.5% ±17.6 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.9% ±23.3 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 7.6 min ±2.3 | 9.2 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 Whittier?
No census tract lies mostly in Whittier; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 3Chugach Census Area | 4,373 | $96,875 |
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 Whittier) · Census block assignment files
How does Whittier compare with other places in Alaska?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Whittier is the 15,795th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 92nd-most populous of 149 in Alaska.
Whittier is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 92nd | 149 |
Whittier's figures with every place in Alaska (CSV)
Every place in Alaska, sortable · Compare Whittier 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 Whittier?
20 of the 57 figures for Whittier 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 Whittier 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' public schools in Whittier.