Demographic Information for the City of Homer

The Kenai Peninsula and Homer area is one of the fastest growing regions in Alaska . Its population has jumped nearly 22% since 1990. The statewide population increased 14% during the same period. The city of Homer is located on the north shore of Kachemak Bay in the southwest corner of the Peninsula . Homer's population in 2004 is estimated at 4,893 with a service are of about 14,000. The City of Homer has annexed 25.58 square miles in 2002, changing the city population. While commercial and sport fishing are the center of the economic activity, Homer has a large community of artists, which is illustrated in the numerous art galleries and showcases throughout the Homer area. Homer's thriving fishing industry has granted the city of Homer the title "Halibut Fishing Capital of the World."

Links

http://www.vacationalaska.com/Alaska/Homer.html
Another general site with information and statistics of the city of Homer .

http://quickfacts.census.gov/cgi-bin/cnty_QuickLinks?02122
Demographics and statistics of the Kenai Peninsula and Homer provided by the US Census.

http://almis.labor.state.ak.us/
For employment research by the Department of Labor.

http://homerak.usl.myareaguide.com/census.html

Location and Climate

Homer is located on the north shore of Kachemak Bay on the southwestern edge of the Kenai Peninsula . The Homer Spit, a 4.5-mile long bar of gravel, extends from the Homer shoreline. It is 227 road miles south of Anchorage , at the southern-most point of the Sterling Highway . It lies at approximately 59.6° North Latitude and -151.5° West Longitude. (Sec. 19, T006S, R013W, Seward Meridian .) Homer is located in the Homer Recording District. The area encompasses 10.6 sq. miles of land and 11.9 sq. miles of water. Homer lies in the maritime climate zone. During the winter, temperatures range from 14 to 27; summer temperatures vary from 45 to 65. Average annual precipitation is 24 inches, including 55 inches of snow.

History & Culture

The Homer area has been home to Kenaitze Indians for thousands of years. In 1895 the U.S. Geological Survey arrived to study coal and gold resources. Prospectors bound for Hope and Sunrise disembarked at the Homer Spit. The community was named for Homer Pennock, a gold mining company promoter, who arrived in 1896 and built living quarters for his crew of 50 on the Spit. Their plans were to mine the beach sands along Cook Inlet , from Homer to Ninilchik. The Homer post office opened shortly thereafter. In 1899, Cook Inlet Coal Fields Company built a town and dock on the Spit, a coal mine at Homer's Bluff Point, and a 7-mile-long railroad which carried the coal to the end of Homer Spit. Various coal mining operations continued until World War I, and settlers continued to trickle into the area, some to homestead in the 1930s and 40s, others to work in the canneries built to process Cook Inlet fish. Coal provided fuel for homes, and there is still an estimated 400 million tons of coal deposits in the vicinity of Homer. The City government was incorporated in March 1964. After the Good Friday earthquake in 1964, the Homer Spit sunk approximately 4 to 6 feet, and several buildings had to be relocated.

While commercial and sport fishing are the center of the economic activity, Homer has a large community of artists. The Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby runs from May 1 through Labor Day each year. Homer is the "Halibut Capital of the World."

2000 Population and Housing Characteristics

The following Population and Housing data is from the 2000 U.S. Census . Additional detail is available from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Census and Geographic Information Network and the U.S. Census Bureau's American FactFinder .

Homer is located in the Kenai Peninsula Census Area.

The following Census figures are estimates, based on a sample.
The percent of all households sampled in Homer during the 2000 Census was 47.7% .

For further statistical information on Homer as well as the Kenai Peninsula , please consult this site: http://www.borough.kenai.ak.us Under Community/Economic Development