Estimates released by the Alaska Department of Labor and Resource Development show that among places of at least 2,000 people, Homer grew by 7 percent annually between April 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004. That brings the city's population to an estimated 5,332 people.
The biggest increase, however, occurred in 2002, when Homer stretched its city limits to include parts of Millers Landing and Diamond Ridge.
As a result, the increase of 1,386 people does not accurately reflect true growth when compared to other places - although Homer did add 119 people in 2001, the year before annexation.
As a whole, the Kenai Peninsula Borough, according to estimates, has grown to almost 51,000 people since 2000, an increase of 0.6 percent.
The Mat-Su Borough was the fastest growing borough at almost 4 percent annually. The second-fastest-growing place in the state was Knik-Fairview, located in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, 37 miles north of Anchorage. Knik-Fairview grew to 9,223 people, an increase of over 6 percent from 2000.
Alaska, as a whole, grew by 4.5 percent over the past four years, adding more than 28,000 people. That is slightly more than the 4.3 percent growth rate for the entire United States, and Alaska still ranks 47th among states in population, just ahead of North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.
Chris Eshleman can be reached at chris.eshleman@homernews.com.
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