North Slope Borough, Alaska

AK · FIPS 02185

Located in Alaska, North Slope Borough has a population of 10,810 residents and a median age of 35.0 years, making it the #2,431 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.1%. The median home value is $218,300, and the median household income is $95,694, which is 27% above the national median.

10,810
Population
#2,431 of 3,222
$95,694
Median Income
+27.3% #211 of 3,222
35.0 years
Median Age
-10.0% #2,963 of 3,222
11.1%
Poverty Rate
-12.1% #1,026 of 3,222

Demographics

North Slope Borough has a population of 10,810, making it the #2,431 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.0 years, which is 10.0% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

93.2%
Native Born
6.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in North Slope Borough is $95,694, ranking #211 out of 3,222 counties — 27.3% above the national median. The poverty rate is 11.1% and unemployment stands at 7.5%.

Income#211
$95,694
+27.3%
vs nation
93th percentile
Per Capita#96
$57,430
+39.2%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poverty#1,026
11.1%
-12.1%
vs nation
68th percentile
Unemployment#2,896
7.5%
+42.3%
vs nation
10th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in North Slope Borough is $218,300 (-22.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,254/mo and the homeownership rate is 49.1%.

Home Value#1,209
$218,300
-22.6%
vs nation
62th percentile
Rent#470
$1,254
+7.8%
vs nation
85th percentile
Homeownership#3,179
49.1%
-23.7%
vs nation
1th percentile

Household Type

Education

In North Slope Borough, 15.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 53.6% below the national average, ranking #2,726 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.6% −53.6% vs nation
Rank #2,726 of 3,222
15th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in North Slope Borough is 75.8 years. 19.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,364
75.8
+0.8%
vs nation
56th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,692
19.4%
-0.8%
vs nation
46th percentile
Diabetes#1,502
10.7%
-3.9%
vs nation
52th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,017
39.0%
+4.5%
vs nation
36th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#346
4.9
-13.2%
vs nation
89th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,684
4.5
+0.7%
vs nation
47th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,616
14.7%
+40.3%
vs nation
17th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,192
24.5%
-7.1%
vs nation
62th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,183
13.1%
-9.1%
vs nation
62th percentile

Substance Use

22.3% of adults in North Slope Borough smoke , 40.7% are obese , and 22.9% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,733
22.3%
+24.2%
vs nation
13th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,265
40.7%
+7.4%
vs nation
28th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,623
22.9%
+15.4%
vs nation
17th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in North Slope Borough is 14.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 31.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,340
14.3
+78.1%
vs nation
13th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,369
31.6
+60.3%
vs nation
7th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,183
27.6
+54.3%
vs nation
11th percentile

Families & Children

14.2% of children in North Slope Borough live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 41.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,849
41.5
+90.2%
vs nation
5th percentile
Child Poverty#972
14.2%
-25.2%
vs nation
69th percentile

Civic & Transportation

The mean commute time is 12.3 min, which is 55.3% below the national average.

Mean Commute Time
12.3 min −55.3% vs nation
Rank #3,202 of 3,222
1th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

About North Slope Borough, Alaska

North Slope Borough, Alaska has a total population of 10,810, making it the 2,431st most populous county in the United States. The median age in North Slope Borough is 35.0 years, which is 10.0% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in North Slope Borough is $95,694, which ranks #211 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 27.3% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.1%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.5%.

The median home value in North Slope Borough is $218,300, 22.6% below the national median. Renters in North Slope Borough pay a median gross rent of $1,254 per month. The homeownership rate is 49.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In North Slope Borough, 15.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 12.3 min.

North Slope Borough is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is American Indian (non-Hispanic) at 48.7% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (31.0%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).

All data for North Slope Borough, Alaska comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.