From 627K to 710K is a huge increase -- and for Anchorage to grow by 31K in the same time is straining our resources, a bit. "Busting at the seams" comes to mind ...
That begs the following questions:
1. Why is Alaska's population growing so rapidly?
2. Why has the Mat-Su Borough's population nearly doubled in 10 years?
3. Why has Anchorage's population increased by 12 percent in the same time?
In order:
1 - Because Alaska was ranked number one in personal liberty by the American Heritage rating, last year. Our economy is generally stronger than that in most of the U.S.
2 - Because the Mat-Su, the borough to the north of Anchorage, has 20,000 square miles of land - the size of West Virginia - and there are actually roads accessing much of it. The same cannot be said of the rest of the state. And don't forget, the Mat-Su is still considered the northern suburb of the Anchorage area, where the bulk of the State's population, and jobs, are located.
3 - see #2. Anchorage might have expanded even more quickly if it were not land-locked by Cook Inlet to the south, west, and north, and the Chugach Mountains to the east. There's little remaining available land for development in the city itself. This lack of space has driven home prices rather high, and land/housing in the Mat-Su is quite a bit more affordable.
As loath as some are to see Alaska's wilderness become slowly settled, it is probably inevitable. There is opportunity here, for entrepreneurial types.
(Besides, it's the prettiest place on God's green earth. Okay, that last bit's my humble opinion, but it's shared by many.)
1 comment:
Do you think that there'll be an increase in road construction Alaska to make more areas accessible. It would spur development and help bring more business to the state.
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