Petersburg Borough, Alaska
Borough in Alaska, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Petersburg Borough is a borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to the 2020 census, the population was 3,398.[2] The borough seat is Petersburg.[3]
Petersburg Borough, Alaska | |
|---|---|
| |
 Location within the U.S. state of Alaska | |
| Coordinates: 56°48′16″N 132°56′31″W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Alaska |
| Incorporated | January 3, 2013[1] |
| Named after | Petersburg |
| Seat | Petersburg |
| Largest CDP | Petersburg |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,829 sq mi (9,920 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,398 |
• Estimate (2025) | 3,394  |
| • Density | 0.8874/sq mi (0.3426/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−9 (Alaska) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−8 (ADT) |
| Congressional district | At-large |
| Website | www |
History
When the borough was incorporated in 2013, it took area from the Hoonah-Angoon Census Area and the former Petersburg Census Area. The remaining portion of Petersburg Census Area (including Kake) was added to Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area. Petersburg Census Area was created in 2008 from the remaining portion of Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area upon the incorporation of the City and Borough of Wrangell.[4]
Geography
Located in central Southeast Alaska, the Petersburg Borough encompasses approximately 3,829 square miles (2,921 square miles of land, 908 square miles of water).
Adjacent boroughs and census area
- Juneau Borough, Alaska - northwest (quadripoint)[5]
- Wrangell Borough, Alaska - southeast
- Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska - southwest
- Hoonah–Angoon Census Area - north and west
- Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, British Columbia, Canada - east
Politics
Petersburg is strongly Republican, having last been carried by a Democrat in 1968.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1960 | 391 | 52.41% | 355 | 47.59% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 220 | 23.23% | 727 | 76.77% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 438 | 46.70% | 447 | 47.65% | 53 | 5.65% |
| 1972 | 506 | 63.09% | 254 | 31.67% | 42 | 5.24% |
| 1976 | 616 | 61.54% | 332 | 33.17% | 53 | 5.29% |
| 1980 | 727 | 53.42% | 395 | 29.02% | 239 | 17.56% |
| 1984 | 898 | 52.64% | 774 | 45.37% | 34 | 1.99% |
| 1988 | 712 | 54.10% | 562 | 42.71% | 42 | 3.19% |
| 1992 | 583 | 33.37% | 578 | 33.09% | 586 | 33.54% |
| 1996 | 727 | 44.79% | 584 | 35.98% | 312 | 19.22% |
| 2000 | 1,125 | 63.99% | 403 | 22.92% | 230 | 13.08% |
| 2004 | 753 | 59.62% | 452 | 35.79% | 58 | 4.59% |
| 2008 | 963 | 55.96% | 704 | 40.91% | 54 | 3.14% |
| 2012 | 867 | 50.12% | 777 | 44.91% | 86 | 4.97% |
| 2016 | 928 | 53.70% | 577 | 33.39% | 223 | 12.91% |
| 2020 | 1,002 | 62.31% | 534 | 33.21% | 72 | 4.48% |
| 2024 | 970 | 57.13% | 640 | 37.69% | 88 | 5.18% |
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the borough had a population of 3,398 and a population density of 0.89 per square mile (0.34/km2). There were 1,718 housing units across the borough.[9]
The median age was 42.1 years, 21.0% of residents were under the age of 18, and 21.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 108.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 111.8 males age 18 and over.[9]
There were 1,367 households in the borough, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 20.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Among occupied housing units, 71.1% were owner-occupied and 28.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.3%.[9]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[10]
The racial makeup of the borough was 72.7% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 7.3% Native American, 3.6% Asian, 0.4% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.8% from some other race, and 12.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.8% of the population. In absolute terms there were 2,870 White, 92 Black or African American, 483 Native American, 209 Asian, 58 Pacific Islander, and 206 from other races, with 164 Hispanic or Latino residents of any race.[11]
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[13] | Pop 2020[14] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 2,649 | 2,444 | 69.44% | 71.92% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 15 | 46 | 0.39% | 1.35% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 603 | 231 | 15.81% | 6.80% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 96 | 117 | 2.52% | 3.44% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 6 | 12 | 0.16% | 0.35% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 13 | 21 | 0.34% | 0.62% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 303 | 363 | 7.94% | 10.68% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 130 | 164 | 3.41% | 4.83% |
| Total | 3,815 | 3,398 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Communities
City
Census-designated places
- Hobart Bay
- Petersburg (borough seat)
