Population
530 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Alaska
City profile · Alaska · Census ACS 2023
Chefornak, AK
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Chefornak - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 530
- Residents
- $46,250
- Median income
- $973
- Median rent (state)
Chefornak - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Chefornak places in the 14th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
- 14th
- percentile, household income
- 12th
- percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Chefornak, AK
Chefornak is a small town in Alaska, home to 530 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $46,250 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 22.6%. The median resident age is 27.0 years. Educational attainment runs 6.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 48.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The city is served by 1 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.
Alaska tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Alaska at 102.4 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $973 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $271 across Alaska, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Chefornak workers runs 4.3 minutes, with 0.0% driving alone and 4.6% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 57.9 out of 100 (Moderate).
Median Household Income
$46,250 /yr
Poverty 22.6%
Cost of Living Index (state)
102.4 (US=100)
Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Alaska average
How does Chefornak compare to other US cities?
Where Chefornak sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 14% higher than other cities
Median rent 12% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Chefornak against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Alaska only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Alaska-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Chefornak near the bottom of Alaska's cities
Among the 228 Alaska cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Chefornak ranks #204 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Chefornak only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#181 of 215
16th percentile in Alaska
Median Gross Rent
#204 of 228
0th percentile in Alaska
Poverty Rate
#52 of 225
77th percentile in Alaska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#162 of 228
29th percentile in Alaska
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Alaska only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
14th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 6.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 22.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 48.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
530
Median Income
$46,250
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
27.0
Poverty Rate
22.6%
Labor force participation
48.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
6.8%
Schools
Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
4.3 minutes
Drive Alone
0.0%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
11.9%
Work from Home
4.6%
Other
83.5%
Based on 151 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Alaska - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$131
avg/month
Natural Gas
$95
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$271
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Alaska state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a Alaska state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Chefornak sits in
Cost of Living Index
102.4
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$973/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
57.9 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Alaska
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Chefornak's 530 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Chefornak's $46,250 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Chefornak compares to nearby Alaska cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
| City | Population | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|
| Chefornak (this city) | 530 | $46,250 |
| Nuiqsut | 529 | $62,083 |
| Nenana | 527 | $51,250 |
| Trapper Creek | 514 | $70,048 |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AK NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Chefornak, AK?
What is the population of Chefornak, AK? +
Chefornak, AK counts 530 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Chefornak, AK? +
The median household income in Chefornak is $46,250 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Chefornak? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Chefornak; the closest available measure is the Alaska state average, a cost of living index of 102.4 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Alaska vary by metro area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Citation & verification links
Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCitiesEvery figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.