Boroughs of Alaska

Boroughs and Census Areas of Alaska
Borough •   City-borough •   Census area
Location	State of Alaska
Number	19 Organized boroughs 10 Census areas
Populations	(Organized boroughs):452 (Yakutat) – 291,826 (Anchorage) (Census areas):2,150 (Hoonah-Angoon) – 17,013 (Bethel)
Areas	(Organized boroughs):452 square miles (1,170 km2) (Skagway) – 88,817 square miles (230,030 km2) (North Slope) (Census Areas):3,760 square miles (9,700 km2) (Prince of Wales-Hyder) – 145,900 square miles (378,000 km2) (Yukon-Koyukuk)
Government	Borough government
Subdivisions	Communities, consolidated city-borough

The U.S. state of Alaska is divided into 19 organized boroughs and one "Unorganized Borough". Alaska and Louisiana are the only states that do not call their first-order administrative subdivisions counties (Louisiana uses parishes instead).

Many of the most densely populated regions of the state are part of Alaska's boroughs, which function similarly to counties in other states. However, unlike county equivalents in the other 49 states, the organized boroughs do not cover the entire land area of the state. The area not part of any organized borough is referred to as the Unorganized Borough. The U.S. Census Bureau, in cooperation with the state, divides the Unorganized Borough into 10 census areas, each roughly corresponding to an election district, thus totaling 29 county equivalents. However, these areas exist solely for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government of their own. Boroughs and census areas are both treated as county-level equivalents by the Census Bureau.

Some areas in the unorganized borough receive limited public services directly from the Alaska state government, usually law enforcement from the Alaska State Troopers and educational funding.

Six consolidated city-borough governments exist—Juneau City and Borough, Skagway Municipality, Sitka City and Borough, Yakutat City and Borough, Wrangell City and Borough, as well as the state's largest city, Anchorage. Though its legal name is the Municipality of Anchorage, it is considered a consolidated city-borough under state law.