Alaska

Alaska is the largest and least densely populated state in the United States: about two-thirds of the state's 683,000 residents live in urban areas. The population of Alaska is unusually young compared to the United States as a whole: 26.7 percent of Alaskans are age 18 or younger, ranking fourth among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Total fertility rate (an estimate of the number of children born to each woman) in 2003 was over 2.2, among the highest in the United States.

Poverty is a serious problem that impacts the quality of life of Alaskans. In 2007, 16.9 percent of Alaska's population lived below the poverty level: only five states had higher percentages of people living in poverty. Of Alaska families with children ...