Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.2 | 94,840 people · 18th most distressed in Alaska
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Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.2 — 1883rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Alaska, it ranks 18th of 30 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Fairbanks North Star Borough's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 76.5 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 76.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 79
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 80
Homeownership Rate 91
Rent-to-Income Ratio 68
Employment & Wages 68.8
Unemployment Rate 69
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 75
Business Formation Rate 62
Community Vulnerability 41.7
Uninsured Rate 58
Disability Rate 25
Debt & Delinquency 31.3
Debt in Collections 43
Medical Debt 85
Student Loan Delinquency 35
Auto Loan Delinquency 13
Credit Card Delinquency 10
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 2
Income & Poverty 12.7
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 28
Child Poverty Rate 4

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Fairbanks North Star Borough compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Fairbanks North Star Borough
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK 46.2 Normal —
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK 65.9 Serious +19.8
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK 44.8 Normal -1.4
Denali Borough, AK 25.6 Healthy -20.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Fairbanks North Star Borough
St. Louis County, MN 46.1 Normal -0.0
Columbia County, PA 46.3 Normal +0.1
Brunswick County, NC 46.0 Normal -0.1
Carteret County, NC 46.3 Normal +0.1
Johnston County, NC 46.4 Normal +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Fairbanks North Star Borough as a CSV file.

Find Help in Fairbanks North Star Borough

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Alaska Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Alaska Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 907-272-7469

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Fairbanks North Star Borough residents at no cost.

Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) 1-888-478-2572

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska?

    Fairbanks North Star Borough has a County Distress Index score of 46.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,883rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 18th in Alaska out of 30 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Fairbanks North Star Borough?

    The primary driver of distress in Fairbanks North Star Borough is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 76.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Fairbanks North Star Borough compare to neighboring counties?

    Fairbanks North Star Borough (46.2) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK (65.9); Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK (44.8); Denali Borough, AK (25.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Fairbanks North Star Borough?

    Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska has a population of approximately 94,840 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.