Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Last I was able to ascertain it is around 40k. Supposedly rural is defined as less than 50k.
There's only one city in Alaska that has more than 50k people. I grew up in a rural environment. 256 people in a town only accessible by air, that was 625 miles past the road system. Most people have no idea what rural is really like.
I don't really have additional suggestions, but this is one of the reasons it is taking me forever and a day to decide where to move to in retirement! If the town doesn't have any grocery stores that deliver, it is off the list...no bus transportation? Off the list. No stores/downtown within walking/biking distance? Off the list. etc. etc. etc.....I would rather address these issues before they actually BECOME issues.
Where I live, I get nearly everything delivered. I order food online, and anything else which can be. I discovered the retirement bus is back in business, so I should be able to get a trip to the store for fresh things too. That would make it okay. I've seen the bus go by recently and it seems to be full now.
I do find that while my orders tend to sound really high (this month nearly 300, but then last month I never really did a shopping as social security was again 'verifying' my amount and I got it at the very end of the month) that its pretty much everything except my required pizza.... I will be looking into it again since it would be nice to get some fresh stuff in normal costs over shipping.
When I moved here it was all fine. A friend lived here with roommates. They took me to the store each time they went, and we went out to dinner a lot. And she was just such a wonderfully cool friend, one you would always love to have near. But she was also very ill and when she died the household sort of crumbpled. The bus didn't like you to buy two big sacks of stuff from the store, just a few veggies and some bread and milk. I shopped for the month. There's been a problem since, but while I *almost* fell for the 'move and it will be better dangled by my son getting me to move to Utah, I stopped and thought. I found more options all ready. And it just wasn't going to be as they assumed with now three egos to shuffle...
So I said no, and have been looking with less negativity. The bus is workable. Lots of work in the house, but then it gets to be MY house that way. And one of those feelings told me it wasn't going to work out, that as nice a person my dil is, trying to share a house??????? Lots of unintentional rubbing the wrong way. Been there, not again.
So the best way to decide if it is a workable compromise (which it always will be, for everyone will be required to give space to the others, or it fails miserbly). If you think it can, then do a test run. Visit for a more extended time. Figure out if you really want that forever, but not so long that you lost a relationship. It should never feel like someone is *making* you compromise YOU to 'fit'.
The other thing not mentioned here is pets. What if they need to get to the vet NOW? Can you call someone? Do you have a plan? I'm thinking of getting another three wheeler. The last one came at the same time the whole arraingement was crumbling, and I sold it. But the vet I LIKE, the one who doesn't just say oh, just give up, is within distance.
Public transport generally won't allow animals unless they are service animals. For me, as I have problems with bouts with depression but cannot take the meds, (absorbtion is very very iffy, making them worse), my pets keep me going when the sky is dark.
Last edited by nightbird47; 11-04-2018 at 04:28 PM..
Last I was able to ascertain it is around 40k. Supposedly rural is defined as less than 50k.
No.
Your ignoring POPULATION DENSITY.
Per US gov:
Quote:
Sometimes population density is the defining concern, in other cases it is geographic isolation. Small population size typically characterizes a rural place, but how small is rural? Population thresholds used to differentiate rural and urban communities range from 2,500 up to 50,000, depending on the definition.
There's only one city in Alaska that has more than 50k people. I grew up in a rural environment. 256 people in a town only accessible by air, that was 625 miles past the road system. Most people have no idea what rural is really like.
There's only one city in Alaska that has more than 50k people. I grew up in a rural environment. 256 people in a town only accessible by air, that was 625 miles past the road system. Most people have no idea what rural is really like.
Because Anchorage is a municipality?
The City of Fairbanks has maybe around 32,000 within city limits, but the Fairbanks-North Star Borough is pushing 100,000 and most of those people live close to Fairbanks and work, shop, and play there. For example, Farmers Loop is outside the city limits but most of those residents commute in to Fairbanks every day for school, work, and shopping. Same with people out along Chena Hot Springs Road, Goldstream Valley, Steese highway and etc.
So, I would claim that there are two cities in Alaska with over 50,000 population.
The City of Fairbanks has maybe around 32,000 within city limits, but the Fairbanks-North Star Borough is pushing 100,000 and most of those people live close to Fairbanks and work, shop, and play there. For example, Farmers Loop is outside the city limits but most of those residents commute in to Fairbanks every day for school, work, and shopping. Same with people out along Chena Hot Springs Road, Goldstream Valley, Steese highway and etc.
So, I would claim that there are two cities in Alaska with over 50,000 population.
Anchorage being a municipality has nothing to do with it. Even if you just counted the population within the pre-1975 city limits it would still be way over 50,000.
As for Fairbanks, I'm just going by the population within the city limits, not the city limits and the surrounding area.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
