Alaska Health Data Geographic Descriptions

There are 2 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) and 2 micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs) in Alaska. The Anchorage metropolitan statistical area is composed of the Municipality of Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The Fairbanks MSA and the 2 μSAs are each composed of single boroughs. The boroughs and census areas outside of the metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas are considered rural. 

Boroughs/Census Areas by Metropolitan/Micropolitan Statistical Areas  

 
Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area

• Municipality of Anchorage (02020)
• Matanuska-Susitna Borough (02170)

Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area

• Fairbanks North Star Borough (02090)

Juneau, Alaska Micropolitan Statistical Area

• Juneau City and Borough (02110)

Ketchikan, Alaska Micropolitan Statistical Area

• Ketchikan Gateway Borough (02130)

Rural (non-statistical areas)

• Aleutians East Borough (02013)
• Aleutians West Census Area (02016)
• Bethel Census Area (02050)
• Bristol Bay Borough (02060)
• Chugach Census Area (02063)
• Copper River Census Area (02066)
• Denali Borough (02068)
• Dillingham Census Area (02070)
• Haines Borough (02100)
• Hoonah-Angoon Census Area (02105)
• Kenai Peninsula Borough (02122)
• Kodiak Island Borough (02150)
• Kusilvak Census Area (02158)
• Lake and Peninsula Borough (02164)
• Nome Census Area (02180)
• North Slope Borough (02185)
• Northwest Arctic Borough (02188)
• Petersburg Borough (02195)
• Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area (02198)
• Sitka City and Borough (02220)
• Skagway Municipality (02230)
• Southeast Fairbanks Census Area (02240)
• Wrangell City and Borough (02275)
• Yakutat City and Borough (02282)
• Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area (02290)

There are 19 boroughs and 11 U.S. Census Bureau-designated census areas in Alaska. These two systems have been separated into 30 geographic units, which correspond to 2020 census area designations. Alaska boroughs/census areas are equivalent to counties. Shapefiles are available from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 

Boroughs/Census Areas

• Aleutians East Borough (02013)
• Aleutians West Census Area (02016)
• Anchorage Municipality (02020)
• Bethel Census Area (02050)
• Bristol Bay Borough (02060)
• Chugach Census Area (02063)
• Copper River Census Area (02066)
• Denali Borough (02068)
• Dillingham Census Area (02070)
• Fairbanks North Star Borough (02090)
• Haines Borough (02100)
• Hoonah-Angoon Census Area (02105)
• Juneau City and Borough (02110)
• Kenai Peninsula Borough (02122)
• Ketchikan Gateway Borough (02130)
• Kodiak Island Borough (02150)
• Kusilvak Census Area (02158)
• Lake and Peninsula Borough (02164)
• Matanuska-Susitna Borough (02170)
• Nome Census Area (02180)
• North Slope Borough (02185)
• Northwest Arctic Borough (02188)
• Petersburg Borough (02195)
• Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area (02198)
• Sitka City and Borough (02220)
• Skagway Municipality (02230)
• Southeast Fairbanks Census Area (02240)
• Wrangell City and Borough (02275)
• Yakutat City and Borough (02282)
• Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area (02290)

Alaska Public Health Regions are based broadly upon the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s 6 Economic Regions (Anchorage and Mat-Su, Gulf Coast, Interior, Northern, Southeast, and Southwest), except that Matanuska-Susitna Borough is reported separately from the Municipality of Anchorage. The 7 Public Health Regions represent an internal reporting standard for the Alaska Division of Public Health.

Boroughs/Census Areas by Public Health Regions

Anchorage

• Municipality of Anchorage (02020)
• Gulf Coast Region
• Chugach Census Area (02063)
• Copper River Census Area (02066)
• Kenai Peninsula Borough (02122)
• Kodiak Island Borough (02150)

Interior Region

• Denali Borough (02068)
• Fairbanks North Star Borough (02090)
• Southeast Fairbanks Census Area (02240)
• Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area (02290)

Mat-Su

• Matanuska-Susitna Borough (02170)

Northern Region

• Nome Census Area (02180)
• North Slope Borough (02185)
• Northwest Arctic Borough (02188)

Southeast Region

• Haines Borough (02100)
• Hoonah-Angoon Census Area (02105)
• Juneau City and Borough (02110)
• Ketchikan Gateway Borough (02130)
• Petersburg Borough (02195)
• Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area (02198)
• Sitka City and Borough (02220)
• Skagway Municipality (02230)
• Wrangell City and Borough (02275)\
• Yakutat City and Borough (02282)

Southwest Region

• Aleutians East Borough (02013)
• Aleutians West Census Area (02016)
• Bethel Census Area (02050)
• Bristol Bay Borough (02060)
• Dillingham Census Area (02070)
• Kusilvak Census Area (02158)
• Lake and Peninsula Borough (02164)

The Alaska Division of Behavioral Health has divided Alaska into 11 regions for assessment and reporting purposes. Some programs combine the Other Southeast Regions together for a total of 10 regions.

Boroughs/Census Areas by Behavioral Health Systems Regions

Anchorage Municipality

• Anchorage Municipality (02020)

Fairbanks North Star Borough

• Fairbanks North Star Borough (02090)

City and Borough of Juneau

• City and Borough of Juneau (02110)

Kenai Peninsula Borough

• Kenai Peninsula Borough (02122)

Matanuska-Susitna Borough

• Matanuska-Susitna Borough (02170)

Northwest Region

• Nome Census Area (02180)
• North Slope Borough (02185)
• Northwest Arctic Borough (02188)

Other Interior Region

• Chugach Census Area (02063)
• Copper River Census Area (02066)
• Denali Borough (02068)
• Southeast Fairbanks Census Area (02240)
• Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area (02290)

Other Southeast Region - Northern

• Haines Borough (02100)
• Hoonah-Angoon Census Area (02105)
• Petersburg Borough (02195)
• Sitka City and Borough (02220)
• Skagway Municipality (02230)
• Wrangell City and Borough (02275)
• Yakutat City and Borough (02282)

Other Southeast Region - Southern

• Ketchikan Gateway Borough (02130)
• Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area (02198)

Y-K Delta Region

• Bethel Census Area (02050)
• Kusilvak Census Area (02158)

Southwest Region

• Aleutians East Borough (02013)
• Aleutians West Census Area (02016)
• Bristol Bay Borough (02060)
• Dillingham Census Area (02070)
• Kodiak Island Borough (02150)
• Lake and Peninsula Borough (02164)

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s Alaska Native Epidemiology Center has divided Alaska into 12 tribal health regions. The boundaries of the tribal health regions do not always follow those of boroughs and census areas.

Boroughs/Census Areas by Tribal Health Regions

Aleutians and Pribilofs

• Aleutians East Borough (02013)
• Aleutians West Census Area (02016)

Anchorage/Mat-Su

• Matanuska-Susitna Borough (02170)
• Municipality of Anchorage (02020)

Arctic Slope

• North Slope Borough (02185)

Bristol Bay

• Bethel Census Area (02050)*
• Bristol Bay Borough (02060)
• Dillingham Census Area (02070)
• Lake and Peninsula Borough (02164)

Copper River/Prince William Sound

• Chugach Census Area (02063)
• Copper River Census Area (02066)
• Denali Borough (02068)*

Interior

• Denali Borough (02068)
• Fairbanks North Star Borough (02090)
• North Slope Borough (02185)*
• Southeast Fairbanks Census Area (02240)
• Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area (02290)

Kenai Peninsula

• Kenai Peninsula Borough (02122)

Kodiak Area

• Kodiak Island Borough (02150)

Northwest Arctic

• North Slope Borough (02185)*
• Northwest Arctic Borough (02188)

Norton Sound

• Nome Census Area (02180)

Southeast

• Haines Borough (02100)
• Hoonah-Angoon Census Area (02105)
• Juneau City and Borough (02110)
• Ketchikan Gateway Borough (02130)
• Petersburg Borough (02195)
• Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area (02198)
• Sitka City and Borough (02220)
• Skagway Municipality (02230)
• Wrangell City and Borough (02275)
• Yakutat City and Borough (02282)

Yukon-Kuskokwim

• Bethel Census Area (02050)
• Kusilvak Census Area (02158)
• Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area (02290)*

*A small number of communities in this borough/census area are included in this region. For information on the specific communities, see the Alaska Native Epidemiology Center Alaska Native Tribal Health Regions.