Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska

AK · FIPS 02188

Located in Alaska, Northwest Arctic Borough has a population of 7,441 residents and a median age of 28.8 years, making it the #2,701 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.9%. The median home value is $199,100, and the median household income is $84,018, which is 12% above the national median.

7,441
Population
#2,701 of 3,222
$84,018
Median Income
+11.8% #451 of 3,222
28.8 years
Median Age
-26.0% #3,190 of 3,222
17.9%
Poverty Rate
+41.8% #2,426 of 3,222

Demographics

Northwest Arctic Borough has a population of 7,441, making it the #2,701 most populous county in the US. The median age is 28.8 years, which is 26.0% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.8%
Native Born
2.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Northwest Arctic Borough is $84,018, ranking #451 out of 3,222 counties — 11.8% above the national median. The poverty rate is 17.9% and unemployment stands at 16.6%.

Income#451
$84,018
+11.8%
vs nation
86th percentile
Per Capita#2,379
$30,256
-26.7%
vs nation
26th percentile
Poverty#2,426
17.9%
+41.8%
vs nation
25th percentile
Unemployment#3,203
16.6%
+213.9%
vs nation
1th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Northwest Arctic Borough is $199,100 (-29.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,350/mo and the homeownership rate is 64.4%.

Home Value#1,413
$199,100
-29.4%
vs nation
56th percentile
Rent#364
$1,350
+16.1%
vs nation
89th percentile
Homeownership#2,788
64.4%
-0.0%
vs nation
13th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Northwest Arctic Borough, 10.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 68.5% below the national average, ranking #3,163 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
10.6% −68.5% vs nation
Rank #3,163 of 3,222
2th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Northwest Arctic Borough is 67.8 years. 26.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 16.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#3,000
67.8
-9.7%
vs nation
2th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,895
26.7%
+36.5%
vs nation
8th percentile
Diabetes#2,657
13.5%
+21.3%
vs nation
16th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,872
42.7%
+14.5%
vs nation
9th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,874
6.5
+15.2%
vs nation
9th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,116
6.1
+36.4%
vs nation
1th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,813
16.6%
+58.5%
vs nation
11th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,486
30.6%
+16.0%
vs nation
21th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,587
17.6%
+22.2%
vs nation
18th percentile

Substance Use

29.2% of adults in Northwest Arctic Borough smoke , 38.0% are obese , and 21.2% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#3,128
29.2%
+62.6%
vs nation
1th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,416
38.0%
+0.2%
vs nation
55th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,082
21.2%
+6.6%
vs nation
34th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 87.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,555
87.8
+345.0%
vs nation
0th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,396
36.9
+106.6%
vs nation
3th percentile

Families & Children

23.0% of children in Northwest Arctic Borough live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 54.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,972
54.2
+148.3%
vs nation
1th percentile
Child Poverty#2,305
23.0%
+21.1%
vs nation
27th percentile

Civic & Transportation

The mean commute time is 7.2 min, which is 73.9% below the national average.

Mean Commute Time
7.2 min −73.9% vs nation
Rank #3,219 of 3,222
0th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

About Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska

Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska has a total population of 7,441, making it the 2,701st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Northwest Arctic Borough is 28.8 years, which is 26.0% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Northwest Arctic Borough is $84,018, which ranks #451 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.8% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 16.6%.

The median home value in Northwest Arctic Borough is $199,100, 29.4% below the national median. Renters in Northwest Arctic Borough pay a median gross rent of $1,350 per month. The homeownership rate is 64.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Northwest Arctic Borough, 10.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 68.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 81.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 7.2 min.

Northwest Arctic Borough is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is American Indian (non-Hispanic) at 80.6% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (9.2%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).

All data for Northwest Arctic 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.