Birch Creek, Alaska — Trends and Changes
How has Birch Creek, Alaska changed since 2009?
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The population has shrunk about 79 percent, from 24 to 5 people; the median household income has fallen from $18,750 to $4,688 (not adjusted for inflation); the typical home has gone from $92,500 to $162,500. Figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year releases, so each point is a rolling five-year estimate.
Each line starts at 100 in 2009; a line reaching 200 means that measure doubled. Exact values for each measure are in the charts and tables below. Source: ACS 5-year estimates.
| Measure | 2009 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24 | 5 | -79% |
| Median household income | $18,750 | $4,688 | -75% |
| Median home value | $92,500 | $162,500 | +76% |
| Median age | 49.0 yrs | 50.3 yrs | +1.3 yrs |
| College educated | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0 points |
| Working from home | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0 points |
| Poverty rate | 50.0% | 100.0% | +50.0 points |
| Unemployment | 100.0% | 100.0% | +0.0 points |
| Homeownership | 50.0% | 50.0% | +0.0 points |
| Rent as share of income | 35.0% | 50.0% | +15.0 points |
Dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
A typical household in Birch Creek earned $18,750 a year in 2009. By 2014 that figure had fallen to $4,688, a change of -75 percent before inflation.
| Year | Income | Alaska average |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | $18,750 | $64,363 |
| 2010 | $17,083 | $67,516 |
| 2011 | $23,750 | $69,983 |
| 2012 | $25,417 | $70,860 |
| 2013 | $4,583 | $71,339 |
| 2014 | $4,688 | $72,263 |
| 2015 | $72,684 | |
| 2016 | $74,527 | |
| 2017 | $75,897 | |
| 2018 | $77,173 | |
| 2019 | $77,934 | |
| 2020 | $78,567 | |
| 2021 | $81,687 | |
| 2022 | $87,342 | |
| 2023 | $90,539 | |
| 2024 | $94,424 |
The median home in Birch Creek was worth $92,500 in 2009. Since then values have risen, and by 2012 the typical home was worth $162,500.
| Year | Home Value | Alaska average |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | $92,500 | $219,557 |
| 2010 | $280,000 | $229,113 |
| 2011 | $531,300 | $234,839 |
| 2012 | $162,500 | $237,084 |
| 2013 | $241,205 | |
| 2014 | $245,022 | |
| 2015 | $248,350 | |
| 2016 | $253,984 | |
| 2017 | $260,239 | |
| 2018 | $263,444 | |
| 2019 | $268,967 | |
| 2020 | $274,691 | |
| 2021 | $282,133 | |
| 2022 | $316,270 | |
| 2023 | $331,130 | |
| 2024 | $349,158 |
Birch Creek counted 24 residents in 2009 and 5 in 2023. The population peaked around 27 in 2010.
| Year | Residents |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 24 |
| 2010 | 27 |
| 2011 | 16 |
| 2012 | 18 |
| 2013 | 12 |
| 2014 | 11 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 5 |
The median resident of Birch Creek was 49.0 years old in 2009. The town has been getting older since: the median age reached 50.3 by 2014.
| Year | Median age |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 49 |
| 2010 | 49.5 |
| 2011 | 50.5 |
| 2012 | 49.5 |
| 2013 | 50.3 |
| 2014 | 50.3 |
About 100.0% of residents live below the poverty line, up from 50.0% in 2009. Unemployment stands at 100.0%.
| Year | Poverty rate | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 50% | |
| 2010 | 66.7% | |
| 2011 | 43.8% | 100% |
| 2012 | 44.4% | 100% |
| 2013 | 75% | 100% |
| 2014 | 81.8% | 100% |
| 2015 | 100% | |
| 2016 | 100% | |
| 2017 | 100% | |
| 2018 | 100% | |
| 2019 | 100% | |
| 2020 | 100% | |
| 2021 | 100% | |
| 2022 | 100% | |
| 2023 | 100% |
The Gini index measures income inequality: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 would mean a single household earns everything. Birch Creek scores 0.24, down from 0.30 - incomes here have grown more equal.
| Year | Gini index |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.3 |
| 2011 | 0.3 |
| 2012 | 0.4 |
| 2013 | 0.4 |
| 2014 | 0.4 |
| 2016 | 0.0 |
| 2019 | 0.2 |
| 2020 | 0.2 |
50.0% of occupied homes are owned by the people living in them, about the same as 50.0% in 2009. The typical renter puts 50.0% of household income toward rent, above the 30% threshold that housing economists consider burdensome. About 100.0% of housing units sit vacant, a level that usually signals seasonal or vacation homes.
| Year | Homeownership | Rent as share of income | Vacant units |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 50% | 35% | 33.3% |
| 2010 | 46.2% | 50% | 35% |
| 2011 | 70% | 44.4% | |
| 2012 | 72.7% | 47.6% | |
| 2013 | 66.7% | 60.9% | |
| 2014 | 55.6% | 57.1% | |
| 2015 | 100% | 93.8% | |
| 2016 | 100% | 83.3% | |
| 2017 | 100% | 93.8% | |
| 2018 | 100% | 83.3% | |
| 2019 | 50% | 71.4% | |
| 2020 | 50% | 78.9% | |
| 2021 | 80% | ||
| 2022 | 78.6% | ||
| 2023 | 70.6% | ||
| 2024 | 100% |
Residents identifying as something other than non-Hispanic white make up 100.0% of the town, level with 100.0% at the start of the period.
| Year | Nonwhite or Hispanic |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 100% |
| 2010 | 100% |
| 2011 | 100% |
| 2012 | 100% |
| 2013 | 100% |
| 2014 | 100% |
| 2015 | 100% |
| 2016 | 100% |
| 2017 | 100% |
| 2018 | 100% |
| 2019 | 100% |
| 2020 | 100% |
| 2021 | 100% |
| 2022 | 100% |
| 2023 | 100% |